Bars and plates
Swiss Bar Weight
Updated 13 Nov 2026 · Method: typical bar weights compared across equipment specifications
A Swiss bar, also called a multi-grip bar or football bar, weighs about 25 to 50 lb (11 to 23 kg). Most land near 40 to 46 lb, right around a 45 lb barbell or a little under it. 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 + 40.0 = 180.0 lb
Swiss, multi-grip and football bar weights
| Bar | Typical weight (lb) | Typical weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| Light or short multi-grip bar | about 25 to 30 | about 11 to 14 |
| Full-length Swiss or football bar (most common) | about 40 to 46 | about 18 to 21 |
| Heavy multi-grip bar | about 48 to 50 | about 22 to 23 |
| Men's Olympic bar, for comparison | 44.1 (sold as 45) | 20 |
No standard sets this weight. Check the stamp on the frame, or weigh the empty bar once.
One bar, three names
A Swiss bar is a flat frame with several pairs of handles welded inside it. The handles run front to back, or at a slant, so you press or row with your palms facing each other instead of facing forward.
Gyms and shops also call it a multi-grip bar or a football bar. The names cover the same family of bars; football bar is used most often for the version with slanted handles. Most have 2 inch sleeves, so they take regular gym plates.
Why the weight varies
Nothing fixes the weight. A short bar with light tubing and two or three pairs of handles can weigh about 25 to 30 lb. A full-length gym bar with four pairs of handles is usually about 40 to 46 lb. The heaviest common ones are near 48 to 50 lb.
Length, the number of handles and the thickness of the frame decide where a bar falls. Two bars that look the same from across the room can be 15 lb apart.
Do not log it as 45 lb by habit
Because many Swiss bars are close to 45 lb, it is tempting to count every one like a barbell. With a 27 lb bar, that habit puts 18 lb in your log that was never on the bar. On a press of around 100 lb, that is a large share of the total.
Check for a stamp on the frame or the sleeve. If there is none, weigh the bar once: step on a bathroom scale, then step on again holding the empty bar, and subtract.
Note which handles you used
The inner handles give a narrow grip and the outer ones a wide grip. The bar weighs the same whichever pair you hold, but the lift changes, and so do your numbers. Write the handle pair next to each set, so you compare like with like.
Adding up the load
The total is the bar plus the plates on both sides. With the default 40 lb bar and one 45 lb plate and one 25 lb plate per side, that is 140 lb of plates and 180 lb in total, or about 81.6 kg.
A press on a Swiss bar is not the same lift as a bench press on a straight bar, so keep separate records. To estimate a max from a set, use the same bar each time in the bench press calculator. For straight bars, see bench press bar weight and how much does a barbell weigh.
Related pages
Safety Squat Bar Weight, How Much Does an EZ Bar Weigh, Trap Bar Weight, Smith Machine Bar Weight, Dumbbell Weight Chart
Questions
How much does a Swiss bar weigh in kg?
About 11 to 23 kg. Most full-length bars are about 18 to 21 kg.
Is a football bar the same as a Swiss bar?
It is the same kind of bar. The name football bar is used most often when the handles are set at a slant instead of straight.
What does the example on this page total?
It assumes a 40 lb bar with one 45 and one 25 lb plate on each side: 140 lb of plates and 180 lb in total.
Can I use regular plates on a Swiss bar?
Most have 2 inch sleeves, so regular gym plates with a 2 inch hole fit. Check the sleeves on yours before you load it.
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.