# How to read barbell weight

**URL:** <https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947>\
**Category:** Training Q&A\
**Created:** [February 5, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947 "2023-02-05T00:24:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![julie.alcover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@julie.alcover](https://forum.freeletics.com/u/julie.alcover)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 12:24am UTC](https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947/1 "2023-02-05T00:24:33Z")

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Hi all, I am new here, I was wondering how I should read the barbell weight given by the app. For example if it says 20kg, does it mean I have to put a plate of 20kg on each side, or 10 on each side or just the bar, as my bar weights 20kg. TIA

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**Author:** ![Ben](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.freeletics.com/ben/32/28_2.png) [@Ben](https://forum.freeletics.com/u/Ben)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947/2 "2023-02-05T19:09:29Z")

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Hey Julie, a big welcome 👋🏻

The weight is ALWAYS the total weight 👍🏻

So if your bar weighs 20kg and you are assigned 20kg, you just use the bar. If you are assigned 25kg, you would add 2.5kg to each end.

Just a note that sometimes the Coach might assign a lighter weight than even your bar. If you don’t have access to a lighter weight of bar, you can just use a plate, or dumbbell or something else suitable 👍🏻

Hope that helps!

:clapclapstatic:

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**Author:** ![julie.alcover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@julie.alcover](https://forum.freeletics.com/u/julie.alcover)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947/3 "2023-02-05T23:27:16Z")

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Thank you very much Ben 😊

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**Author:** ![Ben](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.freeletics.com/ben/32/28_2.png) [@Ben](https://forum.freeletics.com/u/Ben)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2023, 9:47am UTC](https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947/4 "2023-02-06T09:47:21Z")

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Any time!

:clapclapstatic:

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**Author:** ![tomaswahlstrom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac8455/32.png) [@tomaswahlstrom](https://forum.freeletics.com/u/tomaswahlstrom)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.freeletics.com/t/how-to-read-barbell-weight/5947/5 "2023-04-02T14:49:05Z")

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I had the same question - thanks @Ben!