How do I use bumper plates?

Asked by: Michelle Haynes

What do you use bumper plates for?

Popular with competition weight lifters and CrossFit enthusiasts, bumper plates are dense rubber weights designed to protect your floor when dropped from a distance, such as during deadlifts, snatches, and clean and jerk exercises.

When should you use bumper plates?

3. WHEN SHOULD YOU USE BUMPER PLATES? We highly recommend bumper plates during any type of workout where you’ll need to lift and move quickly such as CrossFit. But this is a given as the majority of boxes across the world use bumper plates in their workouts.

Can I use bumper plates with regular plates?

You can mix bumper plates with iron plates without worrying about damaging your plates or barbell. However, this works as long as you add iron plates with the same weight or less to the bumper plates. Mixing bumper plates helps to protect your floor and barbell from damage.

What exercises can you do with bumper plates?

10 Amazing Exercises You Can Do with Weight Plates

• Plate Push-ups. Targets: Shoulders, chest, abs, arms. …
• Front Shoulder Raise. Targets: Shoulders, back, abs. …
• Lateral Raise. Targets: Deltoids, shoulders, upper back. …
• Halo. Targets: Shoulders, biceps, triceps, back, abs. …
• Chest Squeeze Press. …
• Squat Press. …
• Squat Reach. …
• Side Bend.

Is it easier to deadlift with bumper plates?

I hate to be the one to burst your bumper plate bubble, but deadlifting with bumpers is significantly easier when compared to iron plates. This doesn’t mean that your coveted PR no longer stands. It just means that you have introduced another variable to consider when measuring your strength.

What’s wrong with bumper plates?

Without proper force reduction and minimizing vibration, bumper plates will eventually fail. The constant impact of bumper plates with a hard surface will cause failure ultimately, resulting in broken plates. Most weight room floors that we have inspected use a simple 3/8″ or 8mm recycled rubber for their flooring.

Is it OK to drop bumper plates on concrete?

Will the Plates Damage Concrete? You shouldn’t have any problems with your concrete related to dropping bumper plates on it. Your concrete surfaces, whether they’re in your garage or your backyard, are very sturdy and can withstand the blows from the bumper plates.

Should I squat with bumper plates?

it won’t matter for the squat but for the deadlift, more whip does indeed make the initial off the ground pull a little bit easier, as the outer plates are still in contact with the ground while the inner plates are already mid-air. It does matter for the squat, but not until the weight gets heavy.

What is the difference between bumper plates and weight plates?

Unlike standard weight plates, where each unique weight is also a different diameter, bumper plates are all the same diameter. Instead of varying in physical size (45 lbs. being the largest and then working down from there), they vary in thickness and construction.

How accurate are bumper plates?

The weight accuracy of bumpers is commonly around 2 to 3% either above or below the plates stated weight and can, in more extreme cases, be as much as 10%.

Why do Olympic lifters use bumper plates?

Why are bumper plates on the market? Bumper plates came into the fitness scene with Olympic lifters, because it’s important that when performing Olympic lifts, the clean and jerk and the snatch, that the plates allow for a barbell to be dropped from overhead, as that’s the final position for both lifts.

What is the difference between rubber plates and bumper plates?

So they vary in their width. So a rubber bumper plate is going to hold that bar at the appropriate height off the floor. The starting position of the deadlift snatch and clean and jerk moving on to

How long do bumper plates last?

A good quality bumper plate will typically last for 5 – 10 years with good maintenance and correct use. Some bumper plates will last forever depending on the frequency of use and exercises used but bumper plates are designed to absorb impact and allow for durability and longevity of use.

Why are bumper plates expensive?

Bumper plates come at a higher cost than other equipment because they use expensive materials. The high-density rubber and coloring used in bumper plates are more expensive to produce than traditional metal plates.

Are bumper plates quieter?

Bumper plates are also an option if you want the quietest experience possible, but they are very costly and not very space efficient. Rubber encased weights give you the best of both worlds as they are quiet, space efficient, and help protect your floor from damage.

Are bumper plates good for home gym?

Whether you are deadlifting, doing high pulls, or any other exercise that requires lifting heavy weight off the ground and putting it back on the floor, bumper plates provide a layer of protection for your gym equipment and floor.

Are cheap bumper plates worth it?

Bumper plates are worth it if you have the budget to afford them. In almost all circumstances bumper plates are more versatile than steel weights, with the exception being for extremely strong lifters moving more than 290kg.

Do you want more or less bounce in bumper plates?

Dead-bounce:



This is important because the less bouncing your plates do, the less bouncing your barbell will do, which will save your barbell collars and the center rings of the bumper plates from getting loose.

What should I look for when buying a bumper plate?

Nothing you want to look out for is obviously the hardness of the compound. But louder it hits the ground on the bounce. Obviously the heart of the compound of the plate.

What is durometer bumper plate?

For Bumper Plate, a higher Shore rating indicates less bounce. However, less bounce means more noise. Most bumper plates have a hardness scale between 70 and 95. A plate with a 95 Shore rating will have less bounce, greater durability and more noise than one rated at 75.