| Training Discussion Ask workout questions or share your knowledge. |
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02-19-2007, 03:57 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Needs a good dope-slap
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sugar Creek, MO
Posts: 6,371
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Which way do the plates go?
A guy at the gym today was complaining about "people who put the plates on backwards." I noticed he put them embossed side in, so if you were on a bench press, you could see the number and manufacturer name.
I've always put them the other way, embossed side out. I find it's easier to grab and pull on the lip to remove them.
Then I looked at NROL and BOM and both consistently show the weights with embossed side in.
So... is there a right way to put plates on the bar, and why?
__________________
Keep your eyes on YOU; don't let the achievements of others dictate your obsessions. -- Alan Aragon
Log: 2008 is gonna ROoOoOoOCK!!!
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02-19-2007, 04:02 PM
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#2 (permalink)
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Who dat? Who dere?
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 1,749
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The first plate goes with the embossed side out, all subsequent plates go embossed side in. Helps with aerodynamics, lowers drag, so I can lift more weight.
__________________
Those who live by the sword, get shot by those who don't.
Stephen Antel, NESTA-PFT
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02-19-2007, 04:17 PM
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#3 (permalink)
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Powerlifting
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,744
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First plate: Letters face inwards (towards the middle)
Rest: letters face outwards.
So your plate sponser gets more exposure.. haha.
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02-19-2007, 04:20 PM
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#4 (permalink)
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Super Fly!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 3,045
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I'm kind of supersticious and have always loaded the bar embossed side in...heard it was "bad luck" to do otherwise". But then again, the weights at the gym I work at have handles and are embossed on both sides. But when at home, my bar is loaded embossed side in.
IMHO don't worry about which way the plates are facing, just lift them. :-)
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02-19-2007, 04:25 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: California
Posts: 1,155
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lol
I've always been superstitious with weights. I usually put the embossed side facing in on the first plate and then it didn't matter on the other plates. What did matter was that both sides had to be symmetrical. If one side had all the plates facing in, the other side had to as well. And they had to be the same kind of plates. I always hated using plates made by different manufacturers. But at my gym now all the plates are embossed on both sides and made by the same manufacturer so I haven't had to deal with this in a while.
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02-19-2007, 04:25 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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Well-Trained Mathlete
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Palatine, IL
Posts: 1,649
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Technically the weights should go with the embossed side facing inwards, because that puts the center of mass further from the center of the bar. Hence, better balance.
__________________
You're not the only one improving yourself... I worked out with a dumbbell today -- I feel vigorous!!!
---Frank Costanza
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02-19-2007, 04:38 PM
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#7 (permalink)
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: MECHANICSBURG, PA
Posts: 2,701
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My son and I have this argument whenever we lift together. I'm a letters out guy.
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02-19-2007, 04:40 PM
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#8 (permalink)
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You CAN. So DO.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Mississauga, Ontario
Posts: 4,651
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I put the letters facing out on each and every plate. It has something to do with the plates "facing me" as I put them on and take them off.
Maybe it's a sign of respect between me and the plates? lol
__________________
And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
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02-19-2007, 04:44 PM
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#9 (permalink)
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Prime Motivator
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Stewartstown, PA
Posts: 9,913
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Embossed side in for the first plate (a 45 hopefully). Embossed side out for all other plates.
Hint: If you have enough of them on there, no one is going to argue with you about which direction they face. 
__________________
In Fitness & Friendship,
MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________
There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
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02-19-2007, 04:51 PM
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#10 (permalink)
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Powerlifting
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,744
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You know whats not cool?
Different brands/colors of 45lbs plates on each side of the bar. ahhh.
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02-19-2007, 05:05 PM
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#11 (permalink)
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.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,898
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letters in, all of them.
__________________
Audentes Fortunas Juvat
"Focus on making the 5 lifts stronger and getting enough food. There will be plenty of time to worry about glycemic indexes, PERs, and Bulgarian Split squats later. Much later."-Mark Rippetoe
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02-19-2007, 05:10 PM
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#12 (permalink)
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Free Jumprope Distributor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,996
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I did a study back in 98' and found that you could lift 1.566% more weight with the letters inward. Since then, I have never looked back...
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02-19-2007, 05:15 PM
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#13 (permalink)
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Purgatorio
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,816
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I dont care, its still going to weigh the same.
__________________
\"The strongest steel goes through the hottest fires.\"-Anonymous
\"When you begin to believe nothing is heavy, all weights become light.\" -Rossbow
\"Just remember, somewhere there is a little Chinese girl warming up with your max.\"-Jim Convroy
Mod at Strengthmill
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02-19-2007, 05:20 PM
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#14 (permalink)
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No More Braces!
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Little Torontorock
Posts: 4,613
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I like when the letters and lip face outwards so it's easy to lift off the bar too! Especially when you put them on the weight tree holder thingy
I think I told russ he put them on backwards :p
__________________
Sometimes I feel like chatting, sometimes I don't.
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02-19-2007, 05:21 PM
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#15 (permalink)
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Seņor Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 7,039
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Keith S.
I'm kind of supersticious and have always loaded the bar embossed side in...heard it was "bad luck" to do otherwise".
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I think the bad luck comes from dropping a plate on your foot. It helps when loading and unloading to get more fingers underneath the flange. |
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02-19-2007, 05:29 PM
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#16 (permalink)
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Cooler than pirates.
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 4,940
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weirdest thread ever...
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Confusion- Newest blog post 06/07/08
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02-19-2007, 05:31 PM
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#17 (permalink)
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 913
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I put them letters in, just always done it that way.
__________________
I do not workout. I TRAIN.
I do not eat. I FEED.
I do not sleep. I RECHARGE.
My greatest fear in this life is the fear of being ordinary.
Bigger Stronger Faster
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02-19-2007, 05:35 PM
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#18 (permalink)
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Link-Zilla
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 5,343
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Letters in. No reason. That's just how I was taught to do it. It's "the way it is supposed to be." LOL
__________________
Lisa Holladay, CSCS
Exercise and nutrition play equal roles, and the motivation and discipline to stay consistent are really the glue that holds a program together.
--Alan Aragon
LISA is ROWDY AWESOME.
--N e w m a n
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02-19-2007, 05:47 PM
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#19 (permalink)
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Its all simple
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 1,339
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Letters out, but they do have to be the same brand either side.
letters in is just wrong,
wow, I have never even considered putting the letters in,
maybe i'll try it
__________________
Current Lifts- BW = 190lbs
- Deadlift = 400lbs
- Squat = 243lbs
- Bench = 237lbs----->>>Now 253lbs (half way through)
- Chinup 3rm = 223lbs
- Broad Jump = 85 inches
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