Weight plates – Standard, Olympic, rubber encased, cast iron
[one_half]In a similar way to barbells, weight plates have been a part of weightlifting since almost the very beginning. While cast iron designs have always been popular, fitness equipment companies have recently started producing plastic, rubber encased, bumper, and even stainless steel versions.
As well as the differences in materials, many fitness companies will provide variations in designs and weights.[/one_half]
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Weight plate uses
One of the great benefits of weight plates is their versatility. They are usually available in weights ranging from 1.25kg to 25kg, with a variety of different bar designs created to isolate specific muscles more effectively.
On their own
The most basic use is on their own. Often made easier when using special ‘tri-grip’ weight plates due to special sections which are easier to grip.
This will allow you to perform a range of exercises, including shrugs and lateral raises, without the need to spend time adjusting locking collars and loading a bar.
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With a barbell
Possibly the most common use for weight plates is when they are combined with a barbell.
There are two main types of barbell, standard and Olympic, so it’s important to make sure you buy the weight plates to match.
With just as much variation as the weight plates is the design of the barbell you load them on to. You can choose from straight bars, varying degrees of cambered bar and even specially designed ‘trap bars’.[/one_half]
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Although Olympic sized barbells can only use Olympic sized plates, special adapter sleeves 
With dumbbells
Just as they can be used with a barbell, weight plates can also be used with dumbbell bars to provide more freedom of movement in the range of motion.
While most dumbbells will be designed with standard sized weight plates in mind (1 inch diameter bar), there are some dumbbell bars that have been designed with Olympic sized plates in mind.
With a kettlebell bar
[one_half]Kettlebells themselves have been a part of weightlifting since the days of Eugen Sandow, with their design believed to have originated in Russia in the 1700s.
Although the weight has traditionally been a solid cast iron ball attached to the handle, there are more recent designs (such as the Gorilla Sports version) where weight plates can be used.
The handle design remains the same, with the weight hanging directly below in the form of weight plates between a set of spinlock collars.[/one_half]
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Attached to a belt
Bodyweight exercises (calisthenics) can be an extremely effective way to build upper body strength and size, but eventually you may need to use a weight beyond your own bodyweight.
This is where a dip belt can be useful. This is essentially a padded belt section that rests against your lower back, with a chain hanging down below your waist onto which weight plates can be loaded.
Due to the increased number of attachment positions, tri grip weight plates are usually best, with standard and Olympic sizes being equally beneficial.
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Standard weight plates
Designed to fit the majority of dumbbells and barbells, standard weight plates will usually fit any bar with a 1 inch diameter.
This can range from dumbbell bars to cambered bars, and even the lat pulldown tower on some weights benches.
Best used with:
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Olympic weight plates
[one_half]The heavier weight plates of 20kg or more are often only available in Olympic sizes, for use on the full sized 7ft or 6ft bars.
If it isn’t included in the product description, you can tell Olympic sized plates apart from standard plates by comparing the diameter of the central hole.
On Olympic plates this will be approximately 2 inches, while standard bars will be closer to 1 inch.[/one_half]
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Although these are more likely to be cast iron in design, you can also buy this type of weight plate with a rubber or toughened plastic casing.
Best used with:
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Rubber encased
[one_half]If you are looking to buy weight plates for use with bars in your home gym, the type of finish applied to the weight plate may also be important.
If you don’t have the space for setting up protective floor mats
Rubber encased plates will also be quieter to use and easier to stack up if you don’t currently own a weight plate storage rack.[/one_half]
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Best used when:
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Bumper plates
[one_half]Unless you have a large home gym area or are training at a large commercial gym / Olympic lifting venue, there’s a good chance you might not have come across bumper plates before.
While the rubber encased plates will help protect the floor in the case that they are dropped, bumper plates
When performing strength and mass building exercises such as push presses or clean and jerks, this will often result in the weight being positioned directly above you.[/one_half]
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The safest way to return the weight to the floor is often simply to drop the bar, which due to the design of bumper plates means this will bounce and cause no damage.
Best used for:
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Deciding which type to buy
Unless you already have a barbell or set of dumbbell bars, then you can build your free weights set up specifically to meet your current and future workout programs.
The main factors that will usually determine which plates and bars you choose will be your training goals and amount of available workout space. If for example you want to train for Olympic lifts and have a large workout area, bumper plates and full sized Olympic bars would be your best option.
If however you are limited on space but still want to train using heavy weight, then dumbbells may be the better option. You would then mostly need to build up a collection of high quality cast iron plates (standard size, unless you buy dumbbell bars specifically designed for Olympic plates) weighing 10kg or less, to ensure your range of motion isn’t restricted by the size of the plates during the exercises.
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