REP fitness competition plates vs sports plates

This is a comparison between the REP fitness competition bumpers and the REP fitness sports plates. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the REP fitness sports plates

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

Sport plates $69

The REP sport plates fill the gap between competition plates and bumper plates by being super durable, forgiving when you use them outside, and still being decent when dropped from overhead. The only two negatives about these plates are price and how they travel during an Olympic lift. The full specifications of these plates are:

Ultra-durable. Seriously.
Textured rubber around the outer edge for easy handling.
Low bounce.
Great for commercial use.
Up to 10% quieter than standard black bumpers when dropped from overhead.

If you are intending to outfit a boutique gym and want to impress your clients without getting competition plates, then these are the ones. For a home gym, I would be a bit more specific about what you mostly do what your plates and make my investment from there.

Pros of the REP Sport plates

The pros of the rep sport plates are:

Rubber plates with a competition design
Color-coded plates
Durable
Price compared to competition plates

These rubber plates have been done from a mold that emulates the shape and feel of competition bumper plates. The only big difference is that there is no metal disc in the middle. This makes them easier to ease outdoors and more forgiving when used for anything else than Olympic lifts.

Compared to regular bumpers these plates are also color-coded. This looks cooler and also has some practical value to keep the plates apart when you are training.

As these plates are full rubber they really can take a punch. If you are expecting these plates to be maltreated a lot, then go for these instead of regular bumpers.

The price on these plates compared to competition plates is about half. If you rebuilding a home gym that trains everything under the sun give these plates a serious look before you buy competition bumpers or regular bumpers.

Cons of the REP Sport plates

The cons of the REP sports plates are:

Not IWF certified
Lifting dynamic on Oly lifts
Price compared to regular bumper or Iron plates
Bar space

These plates are not IWF certified and hit differently for Olympic lifts than competition plates. When you clean or snatch these pates there just a little different from how they fight gravity compared to competition plates. This is minimal, but minimal counts if you are an elite Olympic lifter. Still, that does not apply to most of the population out there.

Compared to regular bumper plates and iron plates these are still a lot more expensive. So ask yourself if you really really need plates with a low bounce and 10% less sound when dropped. 10% less sound still means loud enough to wake the kids and annoy the neighbors without a drop pad. If you get a drop pad, why get the sports plates? If you don't lift overhead, why not just get iron plates?

Compared to iron plates these plates take up more space on the bar. If you lift more than 5 plates on each side on a regular basis this becomes and you should opt for iron plates. Again the exception, rather than the norm.

Alternatives to the REP Sport plates

Alternatives to the REP fitness sports plates are:

If you want to stay with REP seriously ask yourself what you use your plates for. Chances are high that you should get bumpers or Iron plates instead based on your use case. The only exception is a boutique or strength gym that charges a high membership. This is the plate to get to keep clients happy without breaking the bank.

If you would like black plates with color coding and a metal insert, then the Rogue black training plates are for you. I have these plates myself as they were the only ones available when I started my Rogue-themed gym and they were a bit of an indulgence. But I train 5 times a week, run a fitness blog, and try to impress people on my social media channels. Unless you don't care that much about the money they are not really for the average joe. If you want to indulge yourself as a personal lifter, have a look at the mechanized Rogue iron plates.

TITAN also offers competition plates iron plates and bumper plates. TITAN is cheap and has more quality issues compared to Rogue and REP based on my research. I personally think TITAN has to be seen as an "I want the best package deal on my home gym" approach.

Conclusion for the REP Sport plates

The REP sport plates are a great option for the boutique gym that wants to tell their clients "this is why you train here and not around the corner". A dedicated all-around athlete at home will also appreciate the money saved compared to competition plates and not feeling cheap for getting regular bumpers. IN most cases Iron plates or bumper plates are the better choices based on what you are using them for to save money for things like kettlebells, a nice barbell, or an adjustable bench on your cart.

Overview and review of the REP fitness competition plates

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

Rep competition bumper plates $125

The competition bumper plates are the crown jewel of any vendor's plate lineup. They combine color coding with high-quality rubber to be bounced from overhead and an inner metal disc for stability during the clean and jerk and snatch. The REP fitness competition plates are no exception to this design and are a solid option for someone who has high standards but does not want to lose a leg and an arm on a budget to obtain the standard. The full specifications for these bumpers are:

Low Bounce
Zinc Coated Steel Disc Insert
Collar Opening: 50.5mm
+/- 10 grams of claimed weight
450mm Diameter (IWF Standard)
Shore Durometer Ratings: 92 ShA
Follow international color standards (Red/25kg, Blue/20kg, Yellow/15kg, Green/10kg)
5-year warranty on all plates.
Factory tested to 30,000+ drops.

Plate Thicknesses:

Green - 1 3/8"
Yellow - 1.6"
Blue - 2 1/8"
Red - 2.6"

Plate Sets:

90 kg set (2)Each 20-15-10 Plates
110 kg set (2)Each 25-20-10 Plates
120 kg set (2)Each 25-20-15 Plates
140 kg set (2)Each 25-20-15-10 Plates

The good thing about these bumpers is their price. If you don't mind imported plates then this is a good option to save on one of your major items on your shopping list for your home gym or commercial gym.

Pros of the Rep competition bumper plates

The pros of the REP fitness competition bumper plates are:

Price compared to other vendors
Low bounce
High durability
Color coding

When you are considering buying these plates you are most likely very dedicated to your hobby or sport. The direct comparable competition of these plates is the Rogue Competition bumpers and the Eleiko competition bumpers. Both of these are certified by the International weightlifting federation to be used in their competitions to count towards qualifying for the Olympic games or other events regulated by the IWF. Based on this I think these plates are a good option for a dedicated hobby lifter. If you are a professional and want to do everything you possibly can to simulate competition as close as possible in your training I would save a little more and get the Eleiko or Rogue plates depending on how you fit out the entire gym. The cost difference will be substantial, but can also be very motivating for you to do well with the hard-earned equipment.

These plates also have a very low bounce which is a feature of the high-end bumper plates. When you get cheaper ones without a metal insert disc they will bounce higher. If you are training in a confined space or with a very heavy-weight (100kg or more overhead) I would consider upgrading to competition plates for safety and convenience. Not a must, but definitely a great nice to have.

These plates have higher durability than regular bumper plates as they are less likely to come apart at the hole where the sleeve of the barbell inserts. The only downside is that they are not really fit to be sued outdoors as the metal discs will start to corrode. If you want outdoor plates, get the cheapest bumpers possible and just replace them as they will suffer a lot anyway.

The color coding is cool and fun when you are training. I was happy when I got my Rogue color-coded training plates even though I did not want to buy them at first but needed to because of availabilities. Gives your training a different level of seriousness.

Cons of the Rep competition bumper plates

The cons of the Rep competition bumper plates are:

Price compared to other plate options
Metal disc
Busy design
Not IWF approved

The main argument against competition bumper plates is their price per kilogram. Most people will do more than fine with getting bumper plates or iron plates. If you mainly do powerlifting movements, don't bother with bumpers and get iron plates. They are cheap and you can load up your barbell to the brim. If you are planning to train Crossfitting style, then bumper plates are a good option. For commercial uses, it really depends on what you want to convey to your clients. Gyms which a huge floor place will be best advised to get the cheapest per kilogram they can possibly get their hands on unless they are a collegiate gym flush with cash. Boutique gyms and CrossFit boxes should take into consideration that your dedicated clients will definitely know whether you bought the cheap stuff or the good equipment for your members. I would not be too pleased to exercise on York barbells when I am forking more than$200 a month over to you for my membership.

The metal disc is a plus for stability and balance on heavy lifts. It is not great when you work with axle bars or want to use the plates outdoors. In this case, simple bumper plates are better. Don't use iron plates outdoors. They will chip, rust, and rack anything you have mounted them on.

This is a personal style question, but I personally think these competition bumpers are very busy. They would look cooler if REP fitness just put "REP" on them like with their racks. Here Eleiko and Rogue win in my book with a less busy design. But that is just me when I would fork out extra money for something nice I would also like it to be as pleasing on the eye as possible.

If you are preparing for international competitions, you will use different plates. If simulation of big events is what you are after, bite the bullet and save a little more to get ELeiko or Rogue.

Alternatives to the Rep competition bumper plates

Alternatives to the REP competition bumper plates are:

REP bumper plates
REP Iron plates
Rogue competition plates
Eleiko competition plates

The clue is in the name. If you do not compete in Crossfit or Olympic weightlifting the REP bumper plates or Iron plates will do more than fine depending on whether you drop them from overhead or not.

The Rogue competition plates and Eleiko competition plates are very similar in design and function but come at a higher price rate. In return, you are using equipment that got the blessing from the IWF to be used in their competitions.

Conclusion for the Rep competition bumper plates

These are great plates for a dedicated enthusiast in Crossfit or Olympic weightlifting for their home gym or a boutique gym that wants to show their clients that they take them seriously while not shelling out the money for a full Eleiko or Rogue setup. Athletes and collegiate gyms are probably better off opting for the Eleiko and Rogue plates, as long as the budget allows. Gyms with big floor space and a lot of plate trees to fill should immediately look at the other end of the price scale.