DIY Deadlift Platform for Home Gym - Compact, cheap and functional

[PuliMorgan]

This is the deadlift platform I made for my home gym on a very tight budget within the space constraints of my kid's bedroom cum wife's work from office space:

Video: YouTube

1) 1.5" inch thick centre platform made by screwing two numbers of 3/4" thick, 3 ft x 3 ft plywood sheets (36 mm height)
2) 2 numbers of 10 mm thick, 2 ft x 2 ft rubber mats, the type you see in cross fit boxes, placed over 3/4" thick, 2ft x 2 ft plywood sheets on either sides (38 mm height)

It keeps the floors and the bar safe. It isn't super silent because I use metal plates, but not noisy either. You can do power cleans as well (hence 3 ft x 3 ft centre platform), but you can't drop the weights - I catch the bar after cleaning and then put it down like in the deadlift like when you do while cleaning with metal plates. Demo is with single plate, but I don't see why it would not withstand even a five plate deadlift - but I would have gone for a real platform if I were that strong.

Anyway, not bad for something that cost me under INR 5300/- (about ~ US$ 70), right?. Happy lifting.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd sure like to see you spend some money on some shoes.

[PuliMorgan]

I'd sure like to see you spend some money on some shoes.

I am trying to get a good lifting shoe, Coach. I want to get a pair with 0.5 inch heel as you recommend, but no good brands are available in India. Just before the lockdown, I was trying to get Adipowers from the US through a friend, but now that is not going to happen for quite some time.

Native brands like RXN and ASE have 1 inch heel or above. I had bought a pair with 1" heel drop, but I had to return it because it was making me unstable by throwing me forward at the bottom of the squat. I feel really comfortable in a wrestling shoe with near zero heel, but I know that this community doesn't approve it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

This community does not have to approve of anything you do. If you want to lift barefooted, go ahead. But there are good reasons not to.

[PuliMorgan]

I know, I know.


I should have mentioned that a new pair of wrestling shoes is in transit, but it takes forever to get the mail these days.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'm not talking about wrestling shoes. But, it doesn't matter. Have fun with your training.

[PuliMorgan]

I'm not talking about wrestling shoes. But, it doesn't matter. Have fun with your training.

Right Coach, I understand: "Poorly designed or incorrectly utilised footwear completely undermines your application of the elegant [Starting Strength] model." (Page 68, 3rd Edition of SSBBT)

Also, "avoid shoes with heels higher than 1 inch...." . You cite the reason as the possible difficulties while pulling, but I have experimentally found out that my squat also gets affected by 1 inch heel.

Then, "the primary beneficial feature of a squat shoe is its lack of heel compressibility", and "power lifting shoes have relatively flat soles". I have experienced that the wrestling shoes meet both criteria. They also provide excellent ankle support. I also understand their limitations: the lack of metatarsal straps (I know a good cobbler who can add them to the wrestling shoes- hope it works) and may be the lack of flexural stiffness of the sole.


As I had mentioned earlier, I am going for a wrestling shoes as a stop gap solution because I am not able to find a good lifting shoe with 0.5, or max 0.75" heel at this point of time. I will "buy the damn shoes", the proper type, at the earliest possible opportunity.