Improvised fractional plates

[Roamer]

I just went and got these washers and they fit perfect on my Olympic bar.
They weight 0.6 lbs each. I got six.

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=33038&ucst=t

[LondonTiger]

I dunno about these fractional plates, I can jump 2.5kg/5lb right now, i'm a novice in the true sense of that word, so maybe that's why.

However I think I could alter my bodyweight to 1.25kg/2.5lbs easily by loading up on food and water, so I never really thought about getting fractional weights.. point is, these tiny weights flucuate from day to day anyway

but thanks for the link, I'm sure others will find it handy and who knows maybe one day I'll come to need them..

[Magnetotail]

I dunno about these fractional plates, I can jump 2.5kg/5lb right now, i'm a novice in the true sense of that word, so maybe that's why.

However I think I could alter my bodyweight to 1.25kg/2.5lbs easily by loading up on food and water, so I never really thought about getting fractional weights.. point is, these tiny weights flucuate from day to day anyway

but thanks for the link, I'm sure others will find it handy and who knows maybe one day I'll come to need them..

What do these fluctuations in your own bodyweight have to do with weight on the bar? Small changes in bodyweight have a pretty negligible effect in terms of the weight you're moving.

[PVC]

However I think I could alter my bodyweight to 1.25kg/2.5lbs easily by loading up on food and water, so I never really thought about getting fractional weights.. point is, these tiny weights flucuate from day to day anyway

You're going to have to explain that one.

[Rorschach]

Indeed. Whether or not I've had a pre-training dump doesn't affect how much I can lift. ;)

[FatButWeak]

I second these washers. There are Fastenal stores all over the US, so they should not be hard to find them. Buy 'em up!

[August West]

but thanks for the link, I'm sure others will find it handy and who knows maybe one day I'll come to need them..

or maybe you'll just keep making 5 lb jumps . . . forever and ever . . . and be called the man with the infinite bench press . . .

But seriously, the washers are a good deal. I've gotten nearly 50 lbs gain on bench through 2.5 lb jumps so far, and I don't think that's unusual for folks following the program. Next to chalk, those washers are about the cheapest equipment you'll ever get, and they work.

[gzt]

LondonTiger: Perhaps you'll find them useful for rack pulls eventually.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

Are rack pulls really that useful? I mean, they don't really work your ass at all.

[Tim Lofton]

I have similar washers from Fastenal and they are making a huge difference in my overhead press. Progression is going very smoothly now. It's nice having the ability to load from 1.25 through 3.75 lbs, though I'm glad I haven't had to do anything different than 2.5 lb increments. It may seem silly but it has been proven effective by much better strength folks than myself.

[pauld]

Thanks for posting this. I'm off to Fastenal tomorrow since my press has been threatening to stall and these should do the trick.

[gzt]

Are rack pulls really that useful? I mean, they don't really work your ass at all.
I think that depends on how much you hyperextend at the top. We'll have to check with LondonTiger about the proper form, though.

[Locutus]

These washers are a bit cheaper, not sure about shipping costs.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#91081a046/=5qznkq

[BryanM]

MC is around $5 for shipping, so um, be sure to get all 6 in one go.

Personally I kind of hate them since they're not (very?) upfront about the cost until they charge you.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

I dunno about these fractional plates, I can jump 2.5kg/5lb right now, i'm a novice in the true sense of that word, so maybe that's why.

However I think I could alter my bodyweight to 1.25kg/2.5lbs easily by loading up on food and water, so I never really thought about getting fractional weights.. point is, these tiny weights flucuate from day to day anyway

but thanks for the link, I'm sure others will find it handy and who knows maybe one day I'll come to need them..

You're not the sharpest crayon in the box are you? :D

I bought those washers at Fastenal too, and they work great!

[beastmaster103]

These washers are a bit cheaper, not sure about shipping costs.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#91081a046/=5qznkq

What's the weight of each one of these? I'm definitely interested in buying these over the inflated prices for "official" fractional plates at greater than retail.

[strongdaniel]

I made improvised plates by taking strips of chain just long enough to wrap around the bar, and connecting the chain using carabiner to form a ring. Each ring weighs exactly .5 lbs, and I have three. So I can add 1, 2 and 3 lb increments.

I ordered fastenal washers a while back, but they never arrived.

[Locutus]

What's the weight of each one of these? I'm definitely interested in buying these over the inflated prices for "official" fractional plates at greater than retail.

10z, so 2 = 1.25 lbs (or at least really darned close)

[beastmaster103]

10z, so 2 = 1.25 lbs (or at least really darned close)

Thanks. I'll look into it.

[chevyguy3]

I have the washers from McMaster Carr, they work great and weigh close to .62lb according to my questionable scale. I also have the clearance 1.25lb Eleiko plates that you can get for $3 each + shipping.

[coreJack]

I also have the clearance 1.25lb Eleiko plates that you can get for $3 each + shipping.
Wow, that's cheap. Got a link?

[chevyguy3]

Wow, that's cheap. Got a link?

Sorry, my brain wasn't working well at 1am, they are actually Ivanko plates. Scroll about halfway down the page to the machined chrome plates. They are listed as having surface imperfections, but all 4 that i bought look perfect (not that it matters anyways). It also says minimum of $25 order on the top of the page, not sure if that was there before or not, but they didnt have any problem with me not buying $25 worth of stuff.

http://www.ivankobarbell.com/clearance.htm

[Charles Staley]

If you're squatting for example, you're really lifting not only the bar, but also your own bodyweight from the knees up. So if you weigh a pound light or a pound heavy on a given day, such a weight fluctuation would be far more significant than using fractional plates.

Imagine that on Monday you weigh 206.1 and squat 308 for 3x5. The following Monday, in your attempt to use "micro-progression" for lack of a better term you squat 309 for 3x5, but you weigh 204. You end up with about a 3Lb net increase, not a 1 pound increase.


You're going to have to explain that one.

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

Charles,

I thought the general consensus was to not microload the squat and deadlift, and to just use it on the bench and OHP.

[Bergie]

I would image that most people will need to micro load for the press and bench way before Squats or dead lifts. At least micro loading in the sense of only adding a 1.24 to 3.75 pounds to the bar.

One's body weight would really need to be increased a huge amount for the increase in arms weight only (since those are the body parts being lifted) to be equal to the weight range mentioned above.

And to IWillLiveFreeOrDie (http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/member.php?u=4261)'s point, micro loading with these weights seem rather pointless; it would be such a small percentage of the total weight being lifted.

[Charles Staley]

Gotcha. It's an appealing idea in theory, and maybe even a practical one in application, but I still think there are likely day to day fluctuations that might likely de-rail this idea.

Now I'm probably putting too fine a point on this, but just for the sake of discussion, I suspect that daily fluctuations in hydration, mood, time of day, neural recovery, momentary androgen levels, social stress, etc., combined might be enough to negate the logic of micro-loading.

OTOH, perhaps the psychological advantages of microloading outweigh all of the above?


Charles,

I thought the general consensus was to not microload the squat and deadlift, and to just use it on the bench and OHP.

[LondonTiger]

Thanks Charles for putting the idea in words which I couldn't fathom up myself, also point noted on not microloading on squats and DL, I had these excercises in mind when I made the original post.

I think I may need micro plates for my ohp, as the 5lb jump is too big, is there a UK / EU source for these??

[Benthic]

<snip>
OTOH, perhaps the psychological advantages of microloading outweigh all of the above?

I'll confess to microloading my squats. I've backed off from 5lb jumps to 2.5lb jumps.

The arguments made about the small jumps in weight on the bar being overshadowed by daily fluctuations in body weight certainly make sense to me. But on the other hand, my 2.5lb jumps have allowed me to progress past a point where I was previously stuck. I suppose being 'stuck' may have been due to some recovery issue. But since the 2.5lb jumps seem to have fixed the problem, I guess I'll continue to go with them.

Brian

[Charles Staley]

YEs! Ultimately, if it works, do it, even if you can't figure out why it works


I'll confess to microloading my squats. I've backed off from 5lb jumps to 2.5lb jumps.

The arguments made about the small jumps in weight on the bar being overshadowed by daily fluctuations in body weight certainly make sense to me. But on the other hand, my 2.5lb jumps have allowed me to progress past a point where I was previously stuck. I suppose being 'stuck' may have been due to some recovery issue. But since the 2.5lb jumps seem to have fixed the problem, I guess I'll continue to go with them.

Brian

[tnumrych]

I work with a guy at the gym that is handy with wood, so he fashioned us some wood plates with small PVC pipe inserts so the process of taking the weights off and on wouldn't destroy them. He made us a 1.25 and 1lb set.

My father works at a sheet metal cutting place so he made for me some stainless steel .75, 1.0, and 1.25 sets. I'll take some pics later if anyone wants.

[Rorschach]

Surely having poop in your gut will help you brace your c*re better in the squat though. :D

[Brenden]

YEs! Ultimately, if it works, do it, even if you can't figure out why it works

My press wouldn't budge no matter how many times I reset it, until I started making 2.5lb jumps. I wish I had bought microplates as soon as I first stalled on the press. So microloading definitely works for some people, and they're cheap enough to be worth a try.

[killyouintheface]

Thanks for posting this. I'm off to Fastenal tomorrow since my press has been threatening to stall and these should do the trick.

I have a set of them, too. They're perfect, and cheap.

[jameson]

I just picked up a few 2" washers at Fastenal. I didn't realize how many stores there are around, and they were a little cheaper in-store than online.

[OITW]

MC is around $5 for shipping, so um, be sure to get all 6 in one go.

Personally I kind of hate them.

Me, too, because they won't ship this stuff to military at APO/FPO addresses because they're too effin' lazy to fill out a customs form.

[coreJack]

An alternative to the washers is chains: http://stronglifts.com/madcow/Topics/Microloading.htm. Especially good for use with dumbbells or fixed barbells where the washers won't work.

[Scrofula]

I microload with rolls of duct tape. A 60 yd roll is about a pound. When I need smaller increments, I can use shorter rolls.

[Dastardly]

Me, too, because they won't ship this stuff to military at APO/FPO addresses because they're too effin' lazy to fill out a customs form.

If you are stationed at some military base, surely there is some engineering corps around to lend you some bits for microloading?

[jacob cloud]

My press wouldn't budge no matter how many times I reset it, until I started making 2.5lb jumps. I wish I had bought microplates as soon as I first stalled on the press. So microloading definitely works for some people, and they're cheap enough to be worth a try.


Ditto. Also, I'm using the clearance Ivanko 1.25lb plates mentioned above and can't imagine screwing around with washers, chains, or the Iron Woody type sets. 1.25lb plates are rare but not THAT hard to find, and they work great. I leave a pair at the gym so I don't have to carry them around, and other guys can use them as well.

[mrRed]

Came across this link today.

$6.50 set of 1.25lb plates from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044B3FO4/ref=pd_1ctyhuc__top_sim_03_02

[allyn703]

.

[Carlos Daniel]

Came across this link today.

$6.50 set of 1.25lb plates from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044B3FO4/ref=pd_1ctyhuc__top_sim_03_02

I have those exact same plates, but the shipping makes it little more expensive.

[mrRed]

still not much more expensive than the fastenal washers i had shipped to me.

[SaraSaraT]

I just picked up a pair of 16oz baseball bat weights (a la http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10868470&cp=2367438.2367820.2886827.2344492). Being able to buy them at a store made them cheaper than plates+shipping.

Used them today for press and they worked like a charm!