I used to be super anal about making the gym as “perfectly calibrated” as possible.
I’d always match plates, and always use clips.
Over the years I stopped caring more and more, and at the gym I’m at currently there is a severe dearth of clips (a pair or two or less), and the plates are of so many manufacturers, styles, lb vs kg (an occasional 20kg among the bumpers), worness (it looked like multiple pitbulls had chewed on these ancient Eleiko 20kg bumpers I snatched with), height, and thickness that matching your plates would stop you from lifting entirely.
Hell, a few bars are 20kg even. I’m mathing these as if they’re still 45 because who wants to write 182 or 183 when any other American gym would have it be 185 in markings, but not necessarily reality as I’ll get to momentarily.
The clip thing is kinda annoying, but without them you just have to oly very much under control. (Did the weight just shift? You look and see the 10 and 5 were about to dive dive dive off the left side of a 255 jerk.) However there’s also the possibility that you may get some temporarily off a chick that brought her own. Of course spending a few bucks could also give you some to keep in your own gym bag now that you know the gym is well stocked but lacking clips (and chalk). This “problem” ain’t nothing but a peanut.
I’m having trouble finding the Ronnie Coleman picture I was looking for so just picture a picture of Ronnie Coleman with the caption “Ain’t nuttin but a peanut! Light weight!” Did it? Good, continue.
…..
Nuthin but a peanut!
Oh yeah, mismatched plates :
I laugh at how different both sides look, think back 5 years or so to trying to only use grey Ivanko 45s, laugh again, strap up, and proceed to pull.
God, if the weight isn’t even, if it’s not perfectly calibrated, and off balance some…you’re closer to using an odd object and not something ergonomically designed to be lifted.
The mismatch’ll build ruggedness and more true strength.
It’s a plus and not a minus.
And now the additional part written days later :
(Of course one prior paragraph was snuck in at this later date.)
I hit a 405 squat single today (9/19/18). I did a rep with the bar and 225 before taking it. At 225 the left side felt 15ish heavier than the right side. At “405” it felt 30ish lbs heavier than it should’ve with the same skew leftward. While most of this was written a few days back, today I lived the words, put my money where my mouth is, and found I can squat 405 or more off balance.
Most would call that rep crazy, I felt I had it under control. Unrack. Step, step, step. Breath out, breath out. Descend. I’ll know half way down to bail and stand or ride it down. Ride it down. Up. Sticking point. Get ugly. Complete. Rerack.Think about what the blonde (5’7″, fit, 30) training glutes and staring at me is thinking about.
This gym feels like I’ll hit a 495+ squat without it being priority. Squat building via bodybuilding and the Bruce Randall testing method.
Do you know what that last sentence meant?
In a Louie Simmons voice :
“You’re gonna good morning and hypertrophy the quads. We only do the lift occasionally! We’re not John Broz.”
-J