TITAN Cast iron plates vs Rogue black training plates
This is a comparison between the TITAN cast iron plates and the Rogue black training plates including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which titan plates to get. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Rogue Black Training plates
The Rogue black training plates will set you back about $985 dollars or $7.03 dollars per kg. These plates are especially good to use for all purposes in gyms who are serious about competing. This overview has originally been published in the article "Which rogue plates to buy" which you can find on this blog.
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the black training plates
The
Rogue Black training bumper plates have a unique design with a color-coded stripe to identify the weight easily. All of Rogue's top engineering is combined in these plates. The little things do make a difference, even in something so simple as
bumper plates. These plates raised rubber around the center and at the outskirts. This makes them easier to pick up from the ground and avoids wear and tear at the middle metal discs. In addition, these plates are normed to the same diameter. This is great for weightlifting purposes. If you want a good, cheaper alternative to the official
competition plates, this is the way to go.
Based on the Durometer they score a 94, which means that they are pretty hard and have therefore less bounce.
Weight / Color / Diameter / Thickness / Price per pair
25kg / Red / 450mm / 66mm / $275
20kg / Blue / 450mm / 55mm / $225
15kg / Yellow / 450mm / 42mm / $190
10kg / Green / 450mm / 29mm / $140
Available sets
90kg, 2x 10-15-20kg $655
110kg, 2x 10-20-25kg $770
120kg, 2x 15-20-25kg $825
140kg, 2x 10-15-20-25kg $985
The
black training plates will be an eye-catching feature for your gym which enables you to train Olympic weightlifting at a lower cost per station than the official
competition plates. You will have all of the quality and luxury of competition and a well thought out design which is user-friendly.
Pros of the black training plates
The extra features of these plates make them less prone to get wrecked than the
competition plates. They will also continue to lock nicely even if they get abused. The hard bounce will make you train like a champ. On top of that, you will save a little money compared to getting the full-blown
competition plates.
Cons of the black training plates
These plates have a pretty high price tag for a piece of equipment that will be thrown around in your gym on a daily basis and abused. If you specialize in
powerlifting these plates will also take up more real estate on the
bar for the same amount of weight.
Alternatives to the black training plates
The
black training plates are also available in LBS denominations. If you run a gym where people prefer to calculate their weights in LBS and you still want to provide the best bumper plates there are, this is the way to go.
The
Rogue competition plates are what is being used on the platform in official competitions. The main difference to the
black training plates is that their colors run through the entire plates. They are also more prone to get broken when abused, as they do not bear all of the extra features that the training plates have to protect them from harm.
If you want to save money and know that your clientele does not care that much,
bumper plates are your go-to option. These are a lot cheaper than the
black training plates and can also be dropped from overhead. If you train outdoors or in a wet dungeon/cellar, I might get these as the plates well get wrecked anyway.
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.
Related aritcles
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
- 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
- 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
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.