WHAT IS A BUMPER PLATE?
First Impression –
Initially, when I came across bumper plates, I thought they were just the bright-colored versions of simple weight plates. I couldn’t figure out why someone would spend so much just for color choices. So, I went for black sets of bumper plates. But then I came to know that color was just one of the differences.
Where Bumper Plates Came From
Bumper plates were mainly designed for competitive lifting because they are made from dense rubber, which, when dropped, won’t damage themselves, the platform, or the floor.
This becomes extremely important in Olympic and CrossFit style lifting because lifts like cleans, snatches and squats often end up dropping heavily loaded bars on the floor. Also, in these lifts, people often push their limits due to which many times lifts don’t get completed. So in such instances, it is important to drop the bar for safety purposes.
Varieties of Bumper Plates
There are several varieties of bumper plates available in the market –
- They come in black and bright colors.
- They are available in pounds and kilograms.
- They also come in a variety of materials.
But generally, there are just two types of bumper plates – Competition Plates and Training Plates.
Training Plates Or Competition Plates
Competition plates as the name suggests are made for big competitions. In major competitions, all the equipment must meet the standards set by the governing body of weightlifting i.e. IWF (International Weightlifting Federation).
These standards are just meant for competitions, they really don’t mean anything for your home gym. So, the training plates will be perfect for most of us as we do for just fitness purposes. Training plates are very durable and the best option. In fact, most competitive lifters train with them.
Specifically, there are two important differences –
First, the competition plates are made exactly as per the specifications of IWF which includes diameters, collar size, and weight. Also, it includes a certain level of bounce to maintain safety. Second, the weights are to be certified after fulfilling the criteria.
Both of those things increase the cost of plates.
On the other hand, Standard Training Plates, manufactured by reputed companies, meet most of those standards anyway. However, there are some material and other differences, but overall, training plates would be the best choice for your home gym.
Unique Characteristics of Bumper Plates
Uniform Sizing –
Unlike standard weight plates, where each weight has a different diameter, all bumper plates have the same diameter.
Instead of varying in physical size, they vary in thickness and construction, which has two benefits. First, when the bar is dropped from a height, all the weights hit the ground at the same time. So the weight is distributed over a large area which helps prevent damage to the plates or floor. Second, for a few exercises lighter plates with a larger diameter are appropriate. One such exercise is Barbell Hip Thrust in which you have to get your legs and hips under the bar in the correct starting position, which seems to be much easier with the larger diameter plates.
Bounce –
Another benefit of uniform diameter is how they bounce. It’s hard to imagine that such heavy objects bounce, but when dropped, they do. Having uniform size, every plate hits the floor at the same time which reduces the amount of bounce. Also, bounce depends on the material it is made of.
Typically they are made from high-density rubber around the inner weight and collar. This high density absorbs the impact of a drop due to which the bar doesn’t bounce back dangerously.
Color Variations –
The interesting fact about the bumper plates is that, unlike steel, rubber, or urethane weight plates, they come in a variety of colors. You may feel that this might not be an important factor, but it matters.
The most common color you’ll find is black. It’s traditional. If you use only black colored plates, you can go for the colored tape to put them on the edges of the plates to differentiate. Although, colored plates are a preferred option because all plates have the same diameter, which makes it hard to differentiate. So to know exactly what weights are on your bar is extremely important.
It not only helps you set for a single lift but also helps in switching exercises. Also, you don’t always have ample time to change the weights. So colored plates really help to identify how much weight is on the bar now and what you need to change for the next exercises.
Conclusion
In the end, I want to suggest that, let your lifting style determine whether bumper plates are to be used as home gym equipment or not. But also keep in mind that if any lifting style includes a barbell, you’ll probably need a set of bumper plates.
A good set of bumper plates last for years and are a highly valued part of weightlifting exercise. You’ll be happy to have them at your home gym and are also a large step towards building a perfect home gym.