Overview and review of the REP fitness fractional plates

This is an overview of the REP fitness fractional plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which plates to buy from rep fitness. Follow the links for more details.

Fractional plate set $39

Fractional plates are a great tool to progress further, especially if you are very light or for lifts on which you can not really move big weights. With fractional plates, you can increase the weight of loadable dumbbells for awkward movements or push your one-rep maximum on an oly lift ever so slightly. This set of fractional plates includes:

0.25 Kg (White) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 3/16"
0.5 Kg (Green) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 3/8"
0.75 Kg (Blue) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 1/2"
1.0 Kg (Red) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 3/4"

With this, you are set to bridge any minute gap between two progressions. If you are a huge fan of the Wendler 5/3/1 method you also might want to get a set of fractional plates.

Pros of the REP Fractional plate set

The pros of fractional plates are:

Allow you to microload

This is the main and probably only reason to get yourself some fractional plates. If you struggle on a certain plateau and can move in 2.5kg or 5kg increment these come in handy.

Cons of the REP Fractional plate set

The cons of fractional plates are:

Not used often
Easily stolen
Break easy

If you know how to use them, you won't use them very often unless you train Wendler 5/3/1. In a commercial gym most people won't even know how to use them properly. When used incorrectly they are also more likely to crack or deform than other plates. Probably the biggest con for commercial use is that these get stolen or lost. In any gym, I have been in that stocked these they just seemed to disappear over time.

Alternatives to the REP Fractional plate set

Alternatives to the rep fractopnal plates are:

Rogue fractional plates
TITAN fractional plates

These are not hugely different and it comes down to price. Remember that you will pay the shipping costs, so don't cut off your nose to spite your face. If you have a big order with TITAN or Rogue just throw the fractional plates in rather than getting them separately from REP causing shipping cost.

Conclusion for the REP Fractional plate set

Fractional plates are great for small lifters in general or big lifters who just need 5kg extra on their one-rep max or someone who wants to push some awkward lifts or grip exercises to the next level. Most average gym clients will not know how to use these properly and lose or break them.