REP fitness Equalizer plates vs Rogue machined plates

This is a comparison between the REP fitness Equalizer plates and the Rogue machined plates. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

The Rogue machined olympic plates will set you back about $582 dollars or $5.24 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for home gyms who want some extra precision. This overview has originally been published in the article "Which rogue plates to buy" which you can find on this blog.

Most popular Rogue plates

This is an overview of the most popular Rogue plates on Marathon-Crossfit.com in 2020 based on views and click thoughs for purchase on Rogue Fitness. If you want more detail on how the data was collected and what the strengths and shortcomings of the data set are you can dig deeper on what were the most popular rogue products in 2020.

These were the most popular rogue plates on Marathon-Crossfit.com. On the plates, I would caution between overall popularity and the popularity of my site. The plates listed below are more niche than the Rogue bumpers, the calibrated steel plates, and competition bumpers. If you want a safe bet for your use case these three might be better, as more people buy them.

The Fleck plates are a variation on the Rogue bumper plates which have been infused with red, blue, yellow, and green to indicate the weight of the plates. The splash of color also makes them more fun compared to the regular bumpers. If you find the rogue bumpers too bland but also do not want to shell out more than $1000 on calibrated steel plates or competition bumpers to get color coding then the Fleck plates are for you. You can read the full review of the Fleck plates via this link.

The Rogue Urethane plates are color-coded and also claim the best durability in the Rogue plate portfolio. Whether that warrants the high price tag compared to regular bumpers is a question you have to answer for yourself, but I personally don’t think so. If you want to spend more money on plates, spend it on precision rather than durability in my personal opinion within the Rogue portfolio. Rogue equipment is known to be more durable than the competition so I would not put too much focus on this unless you run an Olympic training center where the plates will go through hundreds of heavy drops per day. You can read the full review of the Rogue Urethane plates here.

The Rogue black training plates have the best dead drop in the Rogue portfolio which means they bounce the least when dropped from overhead. These are the plates which I use most often as I like the design because black does not show marks as easily as other plates. You can read my full review of the Rogue black training plates via this link.

The 6 shooter plates from Rogue are often overlooked as a good option for commercial gyms. They are relatively cheap compared to other Rogue plates and easier to handle in a gym setting where you have a lot of them flying about. The downside is that you can not use them for overhead drops as this will wreck the plates, floor, and barbell in the process. You can read the full review of the rogue 6 shooter plates via this link.

Overview of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

These plates are Rogue take on the standard metal plate. They have come up with a great design which combines grey hammertone with black writing. Many lifters love the sound of multiple metal plates clanging together when they post a new pr. These plates are made to precision with a 2 to 3% tolerance which sets them apart from the rest of the industry. These are the type of plates which a no-nonsense dungeon gym will hold. You get quite a lot of weight for your dollar with these ones.

Weight / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair

45LB / 448mm / 1.50'' / $160

35LB/ 360mm / 1.50'' / $128

25LB / 300mm / 1.50'' / $ 105

10LB / 228mm / 1.22'' / $48.50

5LB / 195mm / 0.83'' / $32

2.5LB / 162mm / 0.63'' / $23

Available sets

245LB one pair each size $582

Pros of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

The biggest pros are the price and machine precision. Compared to the calibrated steel plates and high-end bumpers you get the same amount of weight for roughly half the price. Metal also feels different when you move it around. It makes more noise and just feels rawer. You will also be able to fit more weight onto your barbell.

Cons of the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

These plates have no color coding and you can not always be sure what you put on the bar. This makes it more likely to misload a lift. If you do not have a platform these plates are also a lot more likely to eat into your floor on deadlifts than bumpers. They will also not sustain constant dropping of the weight from overhead. Especially your barbell will suffer and deform quickly if you use them for Olympic lifts. In addition, they will also not age well in damp places as they will oxidate.

Alternatives to the Rogue Machined Olympic plates

Alternatives to the Rogue Machined plates are:

If you still want that metal feel, can tolerate a bit more variance on the finish and prefer black, the Rogue Olympic plates might be for you. They will also come in at an even lower price point.

Bumper plates are the alternative for the home gym warrior who wants to protect their floor and lift overhead. You will fit less weight on the barbell, but you can train without a platform without wrecking the floor.

The calibrated steel plates come with color coding and are IPF approved. If you want to prepare for your next powerlifting meet and train like the pros, this is the option for you.

Overview and review of the REP fitness Equalizer plates

This is an overview of the REP fitness Equalizer 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 Equalizer iron plates $10

The REP Equalizer plates are a great option for your home gym, if you think that simple round iron plates are boring and too hard to pick up from the ground. These plates have a low entry price, interesting design, and can be very practical if you like them. The full specifications of these REP plates are:

Features:

Machine drilled center hole (not cast) for tight fit on bar.
Sand blasted and machined for smooth surface.
All surfaces rounded, no sharp edges.
Sandblast before painting to ensure no surface rust is painted over.
Powdercoated and baked for 1 hour for superior toughness and resistance to chipping.
Symmetrical grip holes for easy lifting off the ground, and for using individual plates in exercises.
Weight tolerance guaranteed within 2%
"X" centered in between grip holes on 45, 35, and 25, as pictured on main image.
255 lb set includes: (1) Pair of 45, 35, 25, 10, 2.5 lb plates. (2) Pairs of 5 lb plates.
275 lb set includes: (2) Pair of 45, 5 lb plates. (1) Pair of 25, 10, 2.5 lb plates.

Plate Dimensions (width/diameter)

2.5lb - 0.5"/6.25"
5lb - 0.75"/8"
10lb - 0.75"/9"
25lb - 1.5"/12.25"
35lb - 1.5"/14.25"
45lb - 1.5"/17.7"

A solid alternative to simple Olympic iron plates.

Pros of the Rep Equalizer iron plates

The pros of the REP Equalizer plates are:

Sleeve space
Holes
Iron sound
Price per kg

A big plus of Iron plates is that they take up less sleeve space on the bar compared to bumper plates. This makes them especially good for powerlifters as they can get more weight on the barbell than with bumper plates. If you have limited storing space and want to max out your barbell then these plates are a good choice.

The holes in these plates mean that they are easier to move around your gym than regular Olympic iron plates. You can also pick them up from the ground very easily. In the convenience department, these plates point big in day-to-day use.

Depending on your preferences these plates make the sound of clanging metal that some love so much. If you want to pump iron and like the good old Ronnie Coleman days, then these are the plates for you.

Another attractive feature of these plates is that they have a decent design even though they are at the lower range of the price per kg spectrum of REP fitness.

Cons of the Rep Equalizer iron plates

Cons of the REP Equalizer plates are:

Iron
The Integrity of the plate is compromised
Higher injury risk
No color option

One of the disadvantages of this pate is that it is iron. This means it can corrode and also damages your floor and equipment when dropped from overhead. Iron plates also bear a higher injury risk as the metal won't give in when it comes into contact with skin or bone. It is a lot more likely to break the skin or a bone when you collide with an Iron plate than with a bumper plate.

As these plates have holes in them their integrity is compromised. This means that there are a lot more opportunities for the plates to crack or catch rust than with a smooth round bumper plate. They are also more likely to chip than a round Olympic iron plate.

Finally, you do not have color options with these plates except grey and black. Although these iron plates are easier to coat with a different color than bumper plates if DIY is your thing.

Alternatives to the Rep Equalizer iron plates

Alternatives to the REP Equalizer plates are:

The REP Urethane coated equalizer plates are in my opinion the better choice as they are more forgiving on your equipment and body than the full iron plates. If you like the idea of plates with holes in them to make them easier to carry, go for the Urethane coat instead.

If you don't care about design and convenience and all you want is the most possible amount of weight for the cheapest price that you can fit on your barbell, then go with Olympic Iron plates. They are not as convenient as the Urethane plates but cheaper. You also might like to go retro and just focus on lifting the weights rather than how they look in your basement.

The Rogue 6 shooter plates follow the same idea as the Equalizer plates. The only difference is that the holes are round rather than hexagonal. If you are leaning more towards Rogue as a brand than REP fitness to build your home gym, but like the concept of easy transport iron plates, then the 6 Shooter is the option for you.

The Rogue Olympic Iron plates are the simplest version you can get of a plate from Rogue. Steel that fits on a barbell. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you want to be as cheap as possible then go with TITAN and load your cart up. They also have Iron plates in stock.

Conclusion for the Rep Equalizer iron plates

The REP Equalizer iron plates have a great design and are practical in use. If I liked them and were to buy some I would go for the Urethane coated ones instead as they are minimally more expensive but are easier on my skin and equipment when training. They will also last longer as they are not as susceptible to rust.