REP fitness fractional plates vs TITAN cast iron plates

This is a comparison between the REP fitness fractional plates and the TITAN cast iron plates. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN Cast iron plates

This is an overview of the TITAN Cast iron plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details

Overview of the TITAN Cast iron plates

Price $24.99 - $419.99

Cast Iron plates are some of the cheapest and most durable plates you can buy if you tread them well. TITAN has a full range of plates from 2.5lb up to 45lb. Take care that the biggest plates are sold as singles and not in pairs when you fill your cart. There is nothing really fancy about Cast Iron plates. They are reliable, do not take up a lot of space, and make a nice clanging and banging sound. The full specifications of these plates are:

Simple, classic design built tough for daily use
Fits standard Olympic barbell sleeves
Durable silver hammered finish

Collar Opening: 50.5 mm
Material: Cast Iron
Weight Tolerance: +/- 2%

2.5 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 162 mm
Plate Thickness: 15 mm

5 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 178 mm
Plate Thickness: 21 mm

10 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 228 mm
Plate Thickness: 29 mm

25 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 300 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm

35 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 360 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm

45 LB SPECIFICATIONS:
Plate Diameter: 448 mm
Plate Thickness: 38 mm

These are great plates to start a budget gym if you do not intend to do any Olympic weightlifting. They can also be a good addition to your plate collection if you start training with more than 400lb on a regular basis and want to save sleeve space.

Pros of the TITAN Cast Iron plates

Pros of the TITAN Cast Iron plates are:

Price
Sound
Space efficient
Long-lasting

As with all TITAN fitness products, one of the main reasons to consider is their price. On almost all items they undercut the direct competition from Eleiko and Rogue by about half. That is their strategy is a company and if you do not mind minor and occasional major quality issues with your purchase, TITAN is a good bet. You definitely will get a lot more stuff from TITAN for the same budget, that is guaranteed.

Cast Iron plates are also nice compared to rubber plates as they make that clanging and banging noise when you train. Some people just love the dungeon feel and sound about these plates. If you get a particular pump and motivation out of training with iron plates, do not hesitate. They are not expensive and will at forever if treated well.

Cast iron plates also have an advantage in being space efficient. As they are made from iron they can be cut thinner than rubber to achieve the same amount of weight. The result is that they will take up less space on a plate tree and instead of maxing out most barbell sleeves at about 400 to 500 pounds you can now easily go up to 700 - 800lbs. That is not relevant for many athletes, but if you are a beast, this becomes very important.

The last thing about cast iron plates is that they will last forever if you treat them well. Competition and rubber plates will come apart at some stage between the different materials. Cast iron steel plates are just one big lump. If you do not drop them on the floor constantly or leave them in the rain over the weekend, this is a purchase for life.

Cons of the TITAN Cast Iron plates

Cons of the TITAN cast iron plates are:

Finish
Not all weather compatible
Harsh on your body
Design

If you push your product out at half the price of the competition you will need to cut some corners to still make a profit. Therefore you will find a higher rate of negative reports about TITAN fitness equipment than about Eleiko and Rogue. TITAN fitness equipment is more likely to have sharp edges, inconsistent finishes, or loose ends where the material is put together. There are also more reports about incomplete deliveries or rude customer services. This being said, you have to expect some shortfalls if you want to save half of your money. All of these aspects do not mean that you can not train, you will only have to either live with minor quality issues or apply some elbow grease to your equipment to oil, sand or adjust it.

All cast iron plates do not very well in damp environments. If you keep them outside or in a basement with moisture they will start to rust and turn weird colors. They are also not great for use outside as they either get damp or too hot to touch, depending on where you use them. Of course, hardcore training enthusiasts will say just get on with it, but it depends on who you are and what you want to use the plates for.

Cast iron plates are very unforgiving on feet, toes, fingers and other body parts they get in touch with. While rubber plates give in a little and therefore do not hurt as much when you land them on your toes or get your fingers between the in plate tree, cast iron plates surely will. If you have little ones at home who have access to your home gym or if you run a commercial establishment where it is sure that some idiots will handle the equipment, rubber is usually the safer bet to make injuries less likely.

The last point about cast iron plates is their design. It is basically non-existent unless you like the Brutalist approach. If you like raw metal that makes clanging noises you will feel like in heaven. Everyone else will get that kind of dungeon Rocky Balboa torture chamber vibe of them, which is not for everyone.

Alternatives to the TITAN Cast iron plates

Alternatives to the TITAN cast Iron plates are:

If you do not want to spend more than $500 on a good set of plates your options are the Cast Iron plates and the two economy rubber plates from TITAN. If you do not work with more than 400lbs on a regular basis the rubber plates will probably be the better purchase. These are more forgiving on the users and also do not rust. Between the black and colored ones, it is mainly a matter of taste as the price does not defer a lot.

Conclusion for the TITAN Cast Iron plates

The cast-iron plates from TITAN are a great budget option for anyone who starts their home gym and already moves a lot of weight. If you are a complete beginner the economy rubber plates might be a better choice, as you will not max out your bar sleeve anyway and might want to use the plates outside and not always start to curse when you get your fingers between them.

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.