Actually Weight plates simple standard items. You'll find them in every gym and almost every athletic person has some weight plates at home. Nevertheless, there are a few things to consider when buying weight plates. The material, but also the bore and the shape of the weight plates play a big role in the use of the practical weight plates. Which weights should you definitely have at home? Which weights are needed in the gym? To make your decision easier, we have compiled the most important key data about weight plates here for you.
It's all about the size - which hole makes sense?
Basically, there are weight plates with a 30mm bore - the most common size and with a 50mm bore. This dimension is also known as Olympic bore . For both sizes, there are corresponding weight bars with holders that are suitable for the corresponding bore.
The decisive difference between the sizes is not in the weight plates themselves, but in the dumbbell bar. Standard dumbbell bars with 30mm holes for weight plates have a slightly lower dead weight than Olympic dumbbell bars with the robust 50mm hole and have an average maximum load capacity of 150-160kg. 50mm dumbbell bars on the other hand can be loaded with significantly higher weights of up to 700kg.
Thanks to the larger seat, weight plates with 50mm bore usually sit more firmly on the barbell bar, the weight plates can practically not wobble during training. The variant with 30mm hole sits a little more unstable on the bar, but through a sensible attachment , the training experience suffers at most minimally.
From a price point of view, weight plates with a 30mm bore are somewhat cheaper, weight plates with a 50mm bore, on the other hand, are available in significantly more variations and for more diverse purposes.
If you want to lift a lot of weight, you should prefer weight plates with an Olympic bore of 50mm, for beginners 30mm weight plates are perfectly adequate. In the gym, a healthy mix of both systems can be used - the majority of members will be able to train sensibly with a 30mm system, but for ambitious strength athletes, the possibility should be created to work with appropriate weights.
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Which material is best for weight plates?
Most weight plates have a cast iron core, plain products are also sold exactly the same. In addition, there are a variety of coatings for cast iron weight plates. Rubber, vinyl, polyurethane or neoprene cushion the impact when the weight is set down, this not only reduces the noise level but also protects the material of both the floor and the weight plate itself. Chrome covers are extremely visually appealing and enhance the ambiance at home or in the gym, but are quite susceptible to scratching.The various covers such as rubber, vinyl, polyurethane or neoprene also have the advantage that the weight plates can be easily color-coded - this provides a quick overview and simplifies the selection of the individually suitable training weight. Especially on sensitive floors or in courses with many participants, the cushioning properties of the covers are relevant.
Besides the classic cast iron there are weight plates made of solid rubber. These have all the optimal damping properties of rubber, but are often much thicker than a disc with a cast iron core for the same weight - for the same thickness, these weight plates are significantly more expensive than comparable disc weights made of cast iron. In addition to rubber discs, there are plastic discs that are very robust and durable and have ideal cushioning properties - however, these weight plates are also quite expensive to purchase initially.
Another variant are weight plates made of plastic, which are provided with a filling. These weight plates are particularly cheap, but also particularly vulnerable, even small damage can lead to leakage of the filling material.
What is the ideal shape for weight plates?
Classic weight plates are of course round. There is nothing at all wrong with this shape, round weight plates can be ideally balanced on the barbell bar, can be stored conveniently and work very well.
Variants of the round weight plate have multiple engagements in the plate, thus the weight plate can be gripped better and is thus also suitable for training only with the weight plate. When exercising with the Glute-Ham-Developer or the abdominal bench, the weight plate can be held by the handles in front of the chest, thus increasing the intensity of the exercise. Mounting the weight plates on the barbell bar is also somewhat easier due to the better grip.
Another very common form is a hexagon. Hexagonal weight plates have the advantage that the dumbbell cannot roll away when it is set down. Hex plates are also available with the described advantages with and without handles integrated into the weight plate.
Swing dynamic weight plates often have a delta shape. Due to a non-centered hole these weight plates develop a momentum when lifting, the athlete has to work against the swinging weight plates. In this way, stability and the deep muscles are also addressed during training.
Technique plates are weight plates made of robust materials such as plastic. They are particularly resilient and serve to learn the correct technique when lifting weights.
Competition weight plates are weight plates with a particularly high accuracy at the specified weight, here there are maximum deviations of +/- 10g compared to the specified weight. Often very fine weight plates are available under this name, which can be used in 100g increments to adjust the final weight on the barbell very finely.
What weights are available for weight plates?
Weight plates are offered in a wide variety of weights, with the standard weights being 0.5 kg, 1.25 kg, 2.5 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg, 15 kg, 20 kg, 25 kg and rarely 50 kg. When it comes to buying weight plates, you have to keep in mind that you need two of each weight to keep the dumbbell balanced. For beginners, weights of 1.25 kg are recommended, if several of these weight plates are purchased, the training can be increased very easily and in small steps, as well as 2.5 kg and 5 kg. This can be supplemented with two discs of 10 kg and two of 20 kg for training with the barbell. In the gym it is recommended to have several complete sets with all available weights and also to purchase a few weight plates with very large weights.
Conclusion
Bore size, material, shape and weight play a role when choosing the right weight plate. Weight plates with a 30mm bore are sufficient for total weights up to 160kg, the Olympic 50mm system is recommended for ambitious strength athletes. Most weight plates are made of cast iron, jackets made of different materials influence among other things the volume when setting down. Other popular materials are solid rubber and various durable plastics. In addition to round or hexagonal weight plates, there are special weight plates for different applications.
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Editorial office fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
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Published on: 12 December 2014