I’d like my barbell to stand a little higher above the ground than 25lbs plate allow. Is there a way to do that?
I’ve tried finding free weight plates above 25lbs since they tend to have a wider diameter but I haven’t been able to find any. I could buy a 2-inch barbell and plates but that would entail buying about 200lbs-worth of plates I already have and I’d rather skip that.
If I understand you correctly, and you don’t have access to a power rack, you can stand the barbell on top of some other plates. Wrap the plates in a towel to prevent wear and tear. Or you can stand on the plates.
At the gym I train at, there are 25-lb. plates that are the same diameter as the 45s, but as you mention, replacing your plates get pricey.
Regards,
Shodan
If you’re handy with woodworking, you can cheaply make a couple plates that weigh next to nothing (~1/2lb) that are the same height as 45lb plates, to set the bar to regulation height when pulling under 135lbs. Or you can pay ~$60+ for a plastic pair of “technique plates” from a place like Rogue which do the same thing. (Just checked, and Rogue’s technique plates are far more expensive than last I checked.)
Oh, I misunderstood. By “1-inch” you mean plates for a non-standard, non-Olympic barbell? In that case, the wooden plates would still work. But I don’t think you’ll find anything useful at Rogue.
But if I were you I’d consider upgrading soon. Check Craigslist or a resale sports supply shop (like Play It Again Sports) for an Olympic set. You could get a used barbell and a full set of used plates for under $200 and then in the future you don’t have to worry about having non-standard equipment and the associated lack of available accessories.
The reason I want the 1-inch barbell to be higher is because, when I’m doing hip thrusts, I prefer to slip under the bar until my hips are under it and then lift it up. With 25lbs plates, it’s uncomfortable and awkward because there’s not much room.
Wider plates are a good idea although I haven’t been able to find any on Amazon.
I guess I could get/make spacers. I’m not that handy with woodworking though.
Aside from the bar pad, what accessories might I miss out on by not switching to the 2-inch barbell?
I have 35 lbs. and 20 kg 1" weight plates in my home gym, but they’re semi-antique (1980’s, at a guess). I have bought most of my gym gear used, from private sellers / garage sales.
Could you build a stand for the weights that lifts them off the floor a few inches? Might make dropping the bar problematic, though.
Yeah, I was thinking that too then I realized that dropping up to 200lbs of metal might not be a good idea for my floor, downstairs neighbor or me. It would need to be a very wide stand and in my setup (hip thrust with my upper back supported by a bench-chair) I’m not sure how well that would fit.
I bought mine as recently as 5 years ago at Sports Authority in Chicago before the chain went under.
In my time lifting I’ve found any time where I was having to jury rig or find some non-standard bit of lifting equipment to do the exercise I was wanting to do, it’s because I was trying to do an exercise I had no business doing. Think about why you’re doing hip thrusts, what muscle groups you’re trying to target with this exercise, and consider some alternatives. Especially if you’re exercising at home and alone and if the failure of your solution could end up with you injured or incapacitated in some way.
Enjoy,
Steven
I was at Home depot one day and came across some round wooden table top blanks. I bought two of them and drilled holes in the centers.