Adding Weight on the Press and Bench

[Jordbyrne96]

Rip, I'm in the UK and the lowest weight plates we have are 1.25kg/2.7lbs. At the moment as I have only just started the NLP this is OK to be added every session to the Press and Bench. However, as the rate of increase slows down this will be too high as of your recommendations. Would you recommend to decrease the rep range on the press/bench to 3-4 and work up until 5 before increasing the weight? Thanks.

[Phill]

I'd suggest either buying microplates or making some.

Plastic coated chain of appropriate weight will work fine if you're a tightarse, I have 300g, 600g increments.

[blues]

You might want to check if you have access to a plumbing supply shop that sells something like these washers from McMaster-Carr. I've been using a couple packs of these for years. (8 washers = ~5 lbs.) When I purchased them they were available in 8 packs, you may have to check their availability from McMaster-Carr or local outfits.



Image taken from: Cheap Fractional Plates for Microloading | My Journey to Godliness!

[blues]

amazon uk seems to have some microplate options as well.

[Jordbyrne96]

Not a bad little idea that, thanks.

[Nockian]

Think I paid about £8 for a set of 4 X 0.25 from Amazon. Ended up buying a second set as that gives increments right up to the 1.25 plate. 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0

I considered the 0.5 plates but they are £13 a set of 4 so don't make as much sense of you are really needing tiny increases for the press.

[Fulcrum]

There should be a standard Micro Plate Thread, that everyone should link.

Dan Miller MicroPlates HERE.

If you are lifting at a globogym, with all different plates, the real small micro plates might not be doing what you think they are doing.
Cheap plates can vary quite a bit from plate to plate. If at a gym setting, you are likely not grabbing the same exact plates on a day to day basis.
So "precisely" adding microplates may not be yielding the exact load you want.
Even our bars at my gym vary from 47# to 44#,

Alan Explains HERE

At a home/garage gym, well if you are using the same plates on a day to day basis, not mismatching them workout to workout,
then yes the microplates will work how they are supposed to work.

You can use big 2" washers, chain, chain+small washers, large magnets, etc.,

[droach3]

There should be a standard Micro Plate Thread, that everyone should link.

Dan Miller MicroPlates HERE.

If you are lifting at a globogym, with all different plates, the real small micro plates might not be doing what you think they are doing.
Cheap plates can vary quite a bit from plate to plate. If at a gym setting, you are likely not grabbing the same exact plates on a day to day basis.
So "precisely" adding microplates may not be yielding the exact load you want.
Even our bars at my gym vary from 47# to 44#,

Alan Explains HERE

At a home/garage gym, well if you are using the same plates on a day to day basis, not mismatching them workout to workout,
then yes the microplates will work how they are supposed to work.

You can use big 2" washers, chain, chain+small washers, large magnets, etc.,

Good post. I honestly had not even considered plate variation. From now on when I have a bad day and miss on a lift I am gonna say I must have grabbed the heavy plates. Seriously though. Does make you think twice about micro loading at the big box.

[skid]

I'd be interested to know if anyone has added much to their press linear progression with only micro-loading once 5 pound increases stop.

[Nockian]

I'd be interested to know if anyone has added much to their press linear progression with only micro-loading once 5 pound increases stop.

I couldn't get above 27.5 Kg the micro plates have allowed me to get to 36 Kg so far. The same for the bench which I used micro plates continually from 30Kg up to 56Kg now-mainly because I don't have a spotter, or safety bars so wanted to be certain I was safely handling the weight.