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Micro / fractional plates

knoted

New member
I'm looking at getting some 0.75 kg and 1 kg plates. The only place in Australia I could find with plates smaller than 1.25 kg is Sam's Fitness who I bought 4 x 0.5 kg plates from.

There's a couple of places in the states you can get sets from (Iron Woody) but they cost a fortune.

Has anybody found a source within Oz?
 
No sources in AUS I am afraid. I have also found the 0.5kg plates which is good enough for me.... then can at least get every 1kg increment. Sams price of $1.60 for a 0.5kg plate is good!

But again, none of my plates are calibrated so if lifting heavy with uncalibrated plates can always be a few % out. I think ABC have some calibrates ones if you have a money tree?
 
A good source of micro loading is using magnets of old hifi speakers.

Contact a hardware distributor also for 50mm 250gm washers.
 
I'd make them out of chain.

I'm not a fan of microplates tbh, this is why:
(1) If you can lift 170 but get stuck on 171 the issue isn't that your not strong enough its that you're fried
(2) moving up in baby steps is difficult to quantify unless you're extremely consistent and good with your log.
 
Thanks silverback, I'll have a look into it.

Oly, it's pretty easy to be consistent and good with a log doing Starting Strength / Any other linear progression program. Plus it's not for squatting 170, it's for trying to go from a 70 kg to 71 kg press. And the Mrs.
 
I'd make them out of chain.

I'm not a fan of microplates tbh, this is why:
(1) If you can lift 170 but get stuck on 171 the issue isn't that your not strong enough its that you're fried
(2) moving up in baby steps is difficult to quantify unless you're extremely consistent and good with your log.

Agreed, if you have to move in that small of increments, there is something wrong with how your training
 
Agreed, if you have to move in that small of increments, there is something wrong with how your training

Generally you would use them for the press where it makes sense. No one uses them for the squat.
 


The Solution.

A grand total of $13.50 from Bunnings. Now I can have nice even 1.25 kg progressions, to satisfy my OCD with these things.
 
Thanks Pistol

the Blackwoods ~300gram "fractional plates" come in packs of 10, and retail for $1.44+GST = $1.58 each
thats about $5.28/kg

or, if you drill a few holes so they are 250gram plates, $6.33/kg (need to drill approx 12 10mm diameter holes to get 250gram)
 
GD and IE are often out of stock... (I don't need micro-plates anyway...was just looking around)

IE $24 for 2x1kg plates, $30 for 2x2kg plates
IE $120 for 0.5/1/2/2.5/5kg no stock
GD $60 for 0.25/0.5/0.75/1.0kg no stock

really only need 0.5, 1 and 2kg plates (to make up 1/2/3/4kg lots) maybe 0.25 to go in 0.5 amounts (asuming you have the normal 2.5kg plates already)

30 washers = $45 + 0.25/0.5/1/2kg pairs (plus effort to drill them, and maybe tack weld together)

of course the other option is to just drill/grind cheap 1.25kg and 2.5kg plates for the 1 and 2's :) (at say $2/kg)
 
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