Which weights for home gym
This is an overview of what to get for your home gym and how to approach the task. Good planning is everything for a project like this to come out in the budget and happy with your decisions. Make sure that you buy hat you are actually going to use.
What weights for home gym
Weights are one of the best options to save a bit of money. They are more expensive than most people think. So if you can pick up a couple on Craigslist you should as they are simple material. Just be sure that they fit your barbell and other equipment.
Bumper plates
The cheapest and most versatile option for a home gym. They can be dropped on the floor without doing much damage. You can also use them indoors as well as outdoors. What they lack is precision. Bumper plates are the ones with the highest variance from the weight stated on the plate in the market.
Olympic competition plates
Competition plates are precisely manufactured and have a very little variance from what weight is stated on the plate. They also have a metal core surrounded by rubber. This way they can be dropped from overhead while still having a weighted center. This makes them more stable for the Olympic lifts. They come in different colors. The downside of them is their high price.
Steel plates
Steel plates are great when you want to maximize how much weight you can get your barbell. For the same weight, they take up less real estate on the sleeves. They are also relatively cheap and commonplace. The downside of steel plates is that they can not be dropped from overhead often and do not well outdoors.