Rogue machined Olympic plates vs 6 Shooter plates
This is a comparison between the Rogue machined plates and the 6 Shooter plates including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Which plates to get from Rogue?
This video discusses which plates you might want to buy for your home gym from Rogue Fitness. Good options are their bumper plates or simple cast iron plates if you want to save money. I personally own the Black training plates from rogue and like them a lot.
Overview and review of the Rogue 6 Shooter Olympic plates
Overview of the 6 Shooter plates
The
Rogue 6 shooter plates have been designed for high traffic use in your gym. The plates provide six holes so that it becomes easier to transport them and load them onto the
barbell. This is the type of plate you want in a facility with many beginners to avoid hand injuries. They also come in at a lower cost than most other plates. When these are being abused, your heart won't sink as much as with the other, higher range plates from Rogue. They come in a
hammertone
grey finish.
Weight / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair
45LB / 448mm / 1.36'' / $156
35LB / 376mm / 1.45'' / $128
25LB / 308mm / 1.45'' / $100
10LB / 228mm / 1.22'' / $48.50
5LB / 195mm / 0.83'' / $32
2.5LB / 162mm / 0.63'' / $23
Available sets
245lb a pair of each at $575
Pros of the 6 Shooter plates
The
Rogue 6 Shooter plates are easy to handle for any level of a lifter. They are also less likely to provide hand injuries as the holes lower the likelihood of getting your gingers between two plates or not being able to pick them up. The design also makes it easier to use the plates for any kind of resistance exercises which are not done with a
barbell. This combined with a relatively low price makes them a good option for starter gyms for their first-time outfit.
Cons of the 6 Shooter plates
These plates are metal and are therefore unforgiving to the floor, humans, and feet when dropped. They are also not ideal for Olympic lifting for the same reason. Many clients in commercial gyms also prefer
urethane over metal as it is easier to handle and feels nicer on the skin.
Alternatives to the 6 Shooter plates
The Urethane version of the
6 Shooter plates are a bit more expensive, but last longer and feel nicer for your clients. This is the way to go if you want to accommodate
to
the masses.
Bumper plates are an alternative which is also lower in price. These plates can be dropped from overhead and are forgiving on surfaces they get in touch with. A disadvantage is that you can not fit as much weight on the
barbell with
bumper plates than with metal.
Olympic plates are the no-nonsense most cost-efficient option you can go for. This is the most weight per $$$ you can obtain from Rogue. The downside is that these plates are not much to look at and are hard to handle.
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
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.