REP fitness sports plates vs fractional plates
This is a comparison between the REP fitness sports plates and the REP fitness fractional plates. Follow the links for more details.
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:
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0.25 Kg (White) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 3/16"
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0.5 Kg (Green) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 3/8"
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0.75 Kg (Blue) - Diameter: 4.25" Thickness: 1/2"
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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:
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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:
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Not used often
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Easily stolen
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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:
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Rogue fractional plates
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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.
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:
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Ultra-durable. Seriously.
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Textured rubber around the outer edge for easy handling.
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Low bounce.
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Great for commercial use.
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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:
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Rubber plates with a competition design
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Color-coded plates
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Durable
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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
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Not IWF certified
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Lifting dynamic on Oly lifts
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Price compared to regular bumper or Iron plates
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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:
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REP Iron plates
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TITAN competition plates
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.