Bars and plates
Safety Squat Bar Weight
Updated 12 Nov 2026 · Method: typical bar weights compared across equipment specifications
A safety squat bar weighs about 40 to 70 lb (18 to 32 kg). Many common models sit between 55 and 70 lb, so most are heavier than a 45 lb barbell. Enter your bar and the plates on each side to get the total.
Worked example
- Plates on one side: 70.0 lb
- Both sides: 70.0 × 2 = 140.0 lb
- Add the bar: 140.0 + 60.0 = 200.0 lb
Safety squat bar weights
| Bar | Typical weight (lb) | Typical weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Light safety squat bar | about 35 to 47 | about 16 to 21 |
| Common gym or home safety squat bar | about 55 to 70 | about 25 to 32 |
| Heaviest models | about 80 | about 36 |
| Men's Olympic bar, for comparison | 44.1 (sold as 45) | 20 |
No standard sets this weight. Check the stamp on the sleeve, or weigh the empty bar once.
Why it is not 45 lb
A safety squat bar, often shortened to SSB, has a padded yoke that sits on your shoulders, two handles that point forward, and sleeves set lower than the shaft and a little ahead of it. The pads, the handles and the bent steel all add weight that a straight bar does not have.
No rule says what it must weigh. Light bars come in near 35 to 47 lb, a large group lands at 55 to 70 lb, and a few heavy ones reach about 80 lb. Two bars that look alike can differ by 20 lb or more.
How to find the weight of yours
Look at the end of the sleeve and around the yoke first. Many makers stamp the weight there or put it on a sticker. If your gym keeps a list of its specialty bars, the number may be on it.
If there is no label, weigh the bar once. Step on a bathroom scale and note the number, then step on again with the empty bar resting on your shoulders, and subtract. Write the result on a strip of tape on the bar, so nobody has to guess again.
Handles on or off
On many bars the handles come off. They are light next to the bar itself, but if you train with them removed, or swap them for longer ones, the empty weight changes a little. Weigh the bar the way you use it.
Why your numbers differ from a straight bar squat
The bar sits higher on your back and the plates hang a little in front of you, so the lift does not move like a squat with a straight bar. The two numbers are not interchangeable.
Keep them on separate lines in your log. To estimate a one rep max, enter a set done on the same bar in the squat calculator. Our squat standards come from meet lifts on a straight bar, so compare only straight bar sets with them.
Adding up the load
The total is the bar plus the plates on both sides. With the default 60 lb bar and one 45 lb plate and one 25 lb plate per side, that is 70 lb per side, 140 lb of plates and 200 lb in total, or about 90.7 kg.
If you move from a 45 lb barbell to a 65 lb safety squat bar and load the same plates, you lift 20 lb more than your log says unless you change the bar weight. For other bars, see how much does a barbell weigh and the squat bar weight page; to go from a target weight to plates, use the plate calculator.
Related pages
How Much Does an EZ Bar Weigh, Trap Bar Weight, Smith Machine Bar Weight, Dumbbell Weight Chart, How Much Does a Barbell Weigh
Questions
How much does a safety squat bar weigh in kg?
About 18 to 32 kg for most. Light models are near 16 to 21 kg, and a few heavy ones reach about 36 kg.
Is a safety squat bar heavier than a barbell?
Usually, yes. A regular barbell is 45 lb or 20 kg, and many safety squat bars weigh 55 to 70 lb. Some light models weigh about the same as a barbell or less.
What does the example on this page total?
It assumes a 60 lb bar with one 45 and one 25 lb plate on each side. That is 140 lb of plates, so 200 lb in total.
Do the pads and handles count?
Yes. They are part of the bar, so they are part of what you lift. Weigh the bar with them on.
How we calculate: every formula, with its author and year, is on our method page; data sources and their licenses are on sources.
gymnical.com gives estimates from published formulas and public data. It is not medical advice and not a training prescription. Last reviewed November 2026.