Recently I saw a 200kg set of Eleiko plates up on Craigslist. The pictures showed well worn, usable, older bumper plates.
A the SoCal bodybuilding gym they had a pair of York 20kg plates, reds, built with a strange mix of metal and rubber.
My understanding is that both examples are of an early generation of bumper plates.
(The SoCal gym also had some Eleiko 20kg plates, made of a dark blueish strange feeling rubber, the shape a little “off”, just a bit short of height and thicker than quality modern training bumpers, that looked like someone’s pitbull(s) had used them as a chew toy.)
And then there’s my first weight set…
See, I feel there’s some meaning to compounded effort on a piece of equipment.
With the old oly plates, the ones I’ve lifted, and the ones I’ve seen for sale, you have to wonder where they’ve been.
With those Cap barbell plates I know how much sweat has come out of me with them.
(Though I have upgraded to a sturdy yet inexpensive bar, the one that came with the set is warped and bent a great deal.)
I feel something with well worn, older equipment. I’ve been to a gym where it’s a hodge podge selection of equipment, and my gym?
My gym is a collection of plates.
Commercial whitewashed operations stock themselves with brand new and matching everything.
Used equipment, old plates, those are found in the places, and with the people with heart.
An old rusty lipped plate is just as heavy on the bar as a pristine new plate with handholds.
It’s a difference in character.