Explanation of the various plates
[Differences between home, commercial and competition plates]
There are three main grades of barbell plates: home use, commercial use, and competition use.
For home use
→ Mainly used in home gyms, they have poor weight accuracy and durability, and many of them are of poor quality, but they are inexpensive.
For commercial use
→ Mainly used in commercial gyms and public facilities, they have higher weight accuracy and durability than home models.
For competitions
→ Mainly used in barbell sports such as powerlifting, weightlifting, and CrossFit, it has extremely high weight accuracy and durability.
It has the following features:
Among these features, weight accuracy is of particular importance when athletes such as powerlifters, weightlifters and CrossFitters use plates in their training.
The weight accuracy of plates for home use is low, and we often hear stories like "the 25 kg plate only weighed 23 kg."
With such a large weight error, even if you attach 100kg plates to either side of an Olympic shaft (20kg) and set it to 220kg, the actual weight may be 215kg or 225kg, or there may be a weight difference of several kilograms between the left and right sides.
This means that you may not be able to lift the same weight in a match as you did in practice, and the difference in weight between the left and right sides may even cause injuries. Unfortunately, this is not suitable for serious training or for competitive athletes.
Plates made for commercial and competitive use are characterized by their durability and high weight precision, and the weight error for commercial use is manufactured to within ±3% to ±1%, while competition plates are usually within ±0.3%.
Furthermore, since it is designed for use in harsh competitions, it is extremely durable, and once you buy it, you can use it for a lifetime.
Our store mainly sells commercial and competition grade plates.
Commercial and competition grade plates are more expensive than home use plates, but our store is able to offer reasonable prices by purchasing in bulk and selling directly through our own e-commerce site.
[Types and features of commercial and competitive plates]
We carry the following types of commercial and competitive plates, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Coating Plate
Plates entirely coated with rubber or urethane are used primarily in commercial gyms.
Benefits
- The surface is made of rubber and urethane, so it is very safe in case of a fall.
- Less risk of damaging floors or walls or making noise.
- It has a handle, making it easy to hold.
Disadvantages
・It is not designed to be thrown from above. (It can withstand falls during deadlifts.)
- Less accurate in weight than competition bumper plates or powerlifting steel plates.
Bumper Plate
Rubber coated plates used in weightlifting, CrossFit, Paralympic powerlifting, etc.
(The highly durable, quiet, and high-precision rubber plates used for weightlifting are called "bumper plates.")
Benefits
- It is thick and has a rubber surface, making it very safe in case of a fall.
- Less risk of damaging floors or walls or making noise.
-It is designed for use in weightlifting, so it can withstand being thrown from overhead.
- The rubber material itself is colored, so there is little discoloration due to use or aging.
Disadvantages
-Because of its thickness, there is a limit to the weight that can be attached to the barbell shaft; for competition types, it is generally up to about 300 kg, depending on the product.
・Difficult to hold compared to coating plates with handles
・Competition type is expensive
Powerlifting Steel Plates
A thin steel plate used primarily in powerlifting.
Benefits
- Because it is thin, it is possible to attach a heavy weight to the barbell shaft, and it can be set up to a maximum of 700kg to 800kg.
- Slightly cheaper than bumper plates.
Disadvantages
- It is thin and has a metal surface, so there is a high risk of it being dropped on your foot.
There is a clanging metallic noise when putting on or taking off the mask.
・Easily damages floors and walls.
・It is designed for use in powerlifting, so it is not intended to be thrown from above. (It can withstand being dropped during deadlifts.)
-Since the paint is applied directly to the steel, the color will fade with use and aging.