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REP fitness sports plates vs TITAN Cast Iron plates

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jun 22, 2021 9:00:00 AM

REP fitness sports plates vs TITAN Cast Iron plates

This is a comparison between the REP fitness sports plates and the TITAN Cast Iron plates. Follow the links for more details.

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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.

 
 

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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 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.

Topics: Powerlifting, Plates, Garagegym, Home Gym, Bodybuilding, REP Fitness