Gold's Gym Olympic Grip Weight Plate 45lb (single) | NamePromo (2024)

FAQs

How much is an Olympic plate weight? ›

Olympic weight plates are available in heavier weights than standard weight plates, with some plates weighing as much as 100 pounds or more, whereas standard weight plates typically only go up to 45 or 50 pounds.

The factor which separates Olympic competition plates from training plates and all other kinds of free weights is the calibration. Official IWF Competition rules mean that plates need to be accurate to +0.1% and -0.05%.

Common Olympic plate (50 mm center hole) denominations are in 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 kg sizes, or 2.5, 5, 10, 25, 35, and 45 lbs, with 0.25, 0.5, and 50 kg, or 1.25 and 100 lb discs less commonly seen.

Why is a plate at the gym 45 lbs and not 50 lbs? Because plates (and barbells) everywhere in the world except the USA are 20kg. 20kg is 44.1 lbs, closer to 45 than 50.

Olympic weight plates holes are just under 2” in diameter and the bars are also just shy of 2” in diameter on the ends. Standard weight plates have a one inch or 25mm diameter hole and the bars are one inch in diameter on the ends and middle shaft. The standard weight bar will have a limited load and weight capacity.

Weight plates are generally made from iron or steel, and sometimes from rubber. These materials may not seem that expensive but in very large amounts like for a set of weight plates, it becomes expensive. Rubber also is more expensive than iron. When weightlifting, you need a fairly large amount of weight.

Additionally, since the diameter is different between the two bars, you cannot use regular weight plates on an Olympic barbell (1-inch holed plates), but you can use an Olympic sleeve adapter to put Olympic plates on a regular barbell.

The real answer lies in one of two reasons. The first is the ergonomics of the weights. The weights at the gym may be designed differently, may possibly be smaller in size (and more dense) and therefore more comfortable or easy to lift. The other reason is psychological.

A: This depends on the thickness of your plates. The shaft on the bar is 9 1/2 inches long. I have 1 1/2 inch thick 45 pound plates. So, I can easily fit 5 plates each side and still have room for the clips.

Are all Olympic plates 2 inch? ›

There's two primary categories of weight plate: 1-inch and 2-inch (Olympic) plates. If you're looking for the type of weight plate you'll find in a commercial gym, then you want to opt for 2-inch plates along with a suitable barbell.

If someone says they lifted a “one-plate bench,” this means that they lifted a bar with one 45-pound plate on each side, for a total lift of 135 pounds. Likewise, a “two-plate” lift would mean two 45-pound plates on each side, for a total lift of 225 pounds, and so on.