How Much Does a Smith Machine Bar Weigh? 25 Machines by Brand

Most Smith machine bars weigh somewhere between 15 and 45 lb, and a few heavier home models start at 55 lb. The number depends on the machine, not on a standard. Counterbalanced commercial bars often start around 15 to 25 lb, while home Smith machines and rack attachments without a counterbalance usually start at 30 to 45 lb. Below are the starting bar weights for 25 machines, taken from the makers’ product pages and spec sheets.

Every number in the table links to its source, checked November 3, 2026. If your machine has a label or a manual, that beats any table.

Smith machine bar weight by brand and model

“Not stated” means the source gave a weight but didn’t say whether the bar is counterbalanced. Rows marked “retailer listing” use a dealer’s spec because the maker’s page didn’t give one. *Precor’s own page and sell sheet say 35 lb; some retailers list 25 lb, possibly for an earlier version. Force USA’s G20 Pro page says 35 lb; at least one review site says 45 lb.

Why Smith machine bars weigh different amounts

• Counterbalancing. Many commercial Smith machines hang counterweights inside the frame to cancel out part of the bar’s weight. Valor’s add-on kit for its BE-11 shows how it works: two 18 lb counterweights offset the 36 lb bar. (Valor Fitness)
• Bar construction. Some makers get a lighter start weight without counterweights. REP says the larger diameter of its attachment’s bar lets it be lighter while staying strong, at about 15 kg with no counterbalance, and Precor says its Discovery Smith has a low start weight “without the need for a complicated counterbalance system.”
• Friction. Linear bearings run more smoothly than worn bushings, and friction changes how heavy a bar feels even when its weight on paper is the same. (ExerciseMenu)

The bar angle (vertical or angled about 5 to 7 degrees) doesn’t predict the weight; in the table above, light and heavy bars come in both.

How to find your machine’s bar weight

1. Look for a label on the frame or the bar sleeve. Commercial machines often list the starting weight there.
2. Check the maker’s product page or manual for “bar weight,” “starting weight” or “starting resistance.”
3. Weigh it. With the bar unhooked and resting on a bathroom scale set on a sturdy box under the bar path, the reading is the bar’s effective starting weight, counterweights included. Keep a hand on the bar while you read it.

For free barbells, EZ curl bars, trap bars and safety squat bars, see our companion list: how much does a barbell weigh.

Should you count the bar in your training log?

Either way works if you stay consistent. What matters for progress is that the same number means the same load from week to week, so pick one method, write it down, and stick to it on that machine. Smith machine numbers also don’t carry over neatly to a free barbell, which starts at 45 lb for a standard men’s Olympic bar and has no rails guiding it, so track each separately.

What about the Smith machine at Planet Fitness or my gym?

We couldn’t find a reliable source naming the Smith machine model Planet Fitness uses, so we haven’t listed a number for it. Gyms also mix brands from location to location. Check the label on the machine, ask the staff for the model, then look it up in the table above.

Sources checked November 3, 2026: manufacturer product pages, spec sheets and manuals for each model linked in the table (Life Fitness, Hammer Strength, Cybex, Matrix, Precor, Hoist, Body-Solid, Force USA, REP Fitness, Bells of Steel, Titan Fitness, Major Fitness, RitFit, Valor Fitness, Powertec, Inspire Fitness, BodyCraft), plus dealer listings where noted; Valor counterbalance kit; ExerciseMenu; Garage Gym Reviews.