45 + 45 = 135

Submission 4,500

Part of a series on Mathematics. [View Related Entries]

About

45 + 45 = 135 is an incorrect math equation used in reference to barbells at the gym, which typically weigh 45 pounds, meaning the total weight of a barbell with 45lb weights added to each side is 135lbs. Memes using the equation were popularized throughout the 2020s by gym-goers on various social media apps, including TikTok, sometimes causing confusion to viewers outside of the gym community.

Origin

On May 21st, 2021, X^[1] user @Big_Jerm200, a performance coach, posted a Forrest Gump image macro that reads, "I'm not a smart man but I know that 45 plus 45 is 135," referencing the act of putting two 45lb weights on a 45lb barbell, garnering over 910 likes in two years (shown below). It is unclear if this is the first instance of the meme.

Spread

Memes using the same joke spread over the following months. On September 17th, 2021, TikToker^[2] @nate_lifts posted a video using the equation, garnering over 1.9 million views in two years (shown below). On December 29th, TikToker^[3] @gigachadsdaddy posted a meme using the equation that gained over 1.1 million views in two years (shown below, right). On April 3rd, 2022, a meme using the equation was posted to /r/GymMemes,^[4] garnering over 900 upvotes in a year.

On November 11th, 2022, TikToker^[5] @christianpwrlfts posted a skit about the equation, garnering over 8 million views in a year (shown below, left). On March 5th, 2023, TikToker^[6] @yee.kayleep posted a video using the equation, garnering over 1.9 million views in eight months (shown below, right).

On September 10th, 2023, TikToker^[7] @amandapumps posted a meme using the equation, which was screenshotted and posted to /r/PeterExplainsTheJoke^[8] on November 8th, garnering over 9,500 upvotes in a day (shown below).