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Plates
Buy plates after the rack, and buy them in pairs. Iron if you set the bar down. Bumpers if the bar will hit the floor. Put floor mats down first.
Adjustable dumbbells already give you load without a stack of plates. Do not start the cart here. If you are ready for a bar, the step before plates is a power stand, then a full rack when the stand is not enough. The dumbbell brands this site starts from are Bowflex and FitRx. No model number is named.
A standard 7-foot Olympic bar, with 2-inch sleeves, is assumed. Confirm the plate's center hole fits that bar. Confirm the listing is a pair, not a single plate sold as if it were a pair.
How many pairs depends on what you already lift. This page does not invent a set total or a price. Do not mix iron and bumpers on the same bar. REP says the diameters can differ, and a drop then loads the larger plate. Put floor mats down before you drop a bar. The longer version of the iron or bumper choice is iron vs bumper. The buy order is on the later setup.
What to check before you order
Floor mats under the bar, before a drop or before you set a stand in place.
Pair versus single versus boxed set.
Center hole for a 2-inch Olympic sleeve.
Whether you will drop the bar. If yes, bumpers, plus mats or a platform.
Shipping weight, if the delivery has to get through a house.
Iron · set the bar down
REP Old School Iron Plates
What it is: cast-iron Olympic plates, one-sided, with a deep lip. REP sells them in pairs, and also as sets. The listed center hole is 52 mm, which REP says fits Olympic barbells. The listed weight tolerance is 3 percent. REP says not to drop them.
Who it is for: squats, presses, and deadlifts you set down, where the clang is fine.
Confirm on the listing: pair versus set, hole size, and shipping weight. Check the current listing.
Skip iron if you drop the bar, or if someone lives under the room.
What it is: black rubber bumper plates with steel inserts, sold in pairs. REP says they fit Olympic 2-inch barbells, and lists a 1 percent weight tolerance. They are the plate style built to be dropped. REP still says to use flooring with some give if you drop them.
Who it is for: deadlifts that hit the floor, or a spare room with someone under you. Mats go down before the first drop.
Confirm on the listing: pair versus set, and that the diameter will keep the bar off the floor on a drop. Check the current listing.
Skip bumpers if you never drop the bar. Iron is the pick when you set the bar down.
