Does 45 + 45 Equal 135? The Viral 'Gym Bro' Math Meme Explained

A math equation is going viral on social media right now and it's confusing a lot of people who don't go to the gym. The equation is 45 + 45, and the virality comes from the fact that it does not equal 90, but instead, 135. So how exactly can 45 + 45 = 135 and what does that have to do with the gym? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The '45 + 45 = 135' Meme?

Back in 2021, an X user and fitness coach shared a Forrest Gump meme that features the titular character announcing that he's not stupid, but knows that 45 + 45 equals 135. A lot of people with a basic grasp on math can easily determine that the equation is wrong. 45 plus 45 does not equal 135, it equals 90.

Memes using the same joke spread across social media throughout the 2020s, often on gym-related meme pages and accounts. That's because the equation is referencing the act of adding weights to a barbell. A typical barbell weighs 45 pounds, so by adding 45lb weights to each side of a 45lb barbell, you end up with 135.

How Is '45 + 45 = 135' Used In Memes?

Since going viral on X, the meme quickly found a home on TikTok, where gym-goers began posting videos using the equation. Some of the most popular videos are comedy skits where a teacher fails a gym bro student for claiming that 45 + 45 equals 135 on a math test.

Other videos feature gym-going girls, or girls who are into gym-going boys, claiming that they won't get with a guy unless he "knows" that 45 + 45 is 135. Videos using the equation are consistently going viral on the app and regularly confuse those who are out of the loop, recently resulting in a Reddit post asking about the equation that gained over 9,500 upvotes in a single day.

For the full history of 45 + 45 = 135, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.