Plate Selection
JNick77
Posts: 3,783 Member
Okay, so this question may sound stupid but I need to know because there are some more experienced lifters in here. I know that a pound is a pound but how the weight is distributed can change the lift. Today I hit a PR on the deadlift at 405lbs. My set before doing 405 was 385 and I loaded the bar with six 45lb, two 25lb, and two 10lb plates. For my 405 attempt, instead of stripping the 25's and 10's I just added two more 10's for the 405lbs. Would the lift have been more challenging if I would've used eight 45lbs plates instead? I'm just curious if my new PR was a legit pull or if I need to do it again with eight 45lb plates instead.
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I think you're overthinking things. For the sake of 3 plate, 4 plate milestones, I do typically take the time to adjust the plates just so it looks cool.
But on days when I'm tired, I'll pull 335 or 415 sometimes for work sets (using 2 25s on each side instead of stripping them off for a 45).
You nailed a PR, and you'll do the same with 4 plates0 -
Wow! 405 deadlift is no joke. It definitely looked less cool without the 4 big plates but the weight is legit. Congratulations!0
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I think you're overthinking things. For the sake of 3 plate, 4 plate milestones, I do typically take the time to adjust the plates just so it looks cool.
But on days when I'm tired, I'll pull 335 or 415 sometimes for work sets (using 2 25s on each side instead of stripping them off for a 45).
You nailed a PR, and you'll do the same with 4 plates
Okay cool, wasn't sure. I just needed to know that this was a legit pull. Honestly I just wanted to conserve every ounce of energy for that last pull and didn't want to mess with plate selection for it. But next time I will.
Wow! 405 deadlift is no joke. It definitely looked less cool without the 4 big plates but the weight is legit. Congratulations!
Ha ha, I totally agree it was definitely not as cool. But at least the bar still bent a little. LOL!0 -
If anything using more of the smaller plates or basically moving the load further to the outside of the bar makes the lift more difficult.
That being said, I attempted my first pull at 225lbs by switching out plates so it "looked cool"... didn't budge it. Tried it the next day by just adding smaller plates rather than completely reloading the bar with 45s and it was a breeze. I definitely got psyched out seeing two 45s on each side, silly, I know, but it just shows how much of lifting is actually purely mental.0 -
If anything using more of the smaller plates or basically moving the load further to the outside of the bar makes the lift more difficult.
That being said, I attempted my first pull at 225lbs by switching out plates so it "looked cool"... didn't budge it. Tried it the next day by just adding smaller plates rather than completely reloading the bar with 45s and it was a breeze. I definitely got psyched out seeing two 45s on each side, silly, I know, but it just shows how much of lifting is actually purely mental.
I agree, lifting gets completely mental. When it gets down to a difficult set(s) I have one or two songs that I just loop because they help me focus, almost getting superstitious about it.0 -
I asked my trainer this question because next week I'm going for PRs in all four of my lifts. I told him the anecdote of when I had improved my bench to 145 last year, I was able to do two reps with two 25s on either side, but the following week, I could only do one rep with one 45 and 5 on either side. He suggested that it could have been a mental thing.
He has been instilling the philosophy of "treat heavy weight like it's light weight and treat light weight like it's heavy weight" ... so from a mental standpoint, he thinks that if I see the bigger plates, I'll adjust my approach in lifting it thereby improving my chances of completing the rep. Basically, in the example of deadlifts. I'll see the bigger plates and know I need to rip the **** off the ground. Personally, I think I'll be too busy trying to get the form right to even think about the plates, but who knows?
Anyways, congrats on your deadlift PR. I'm hoping I'll be where you're at by this time next week.0 -
I asked my trainer this question because next week I'm going for PRs in all four of my lifts. I told him the anecdote of when I had improved my bench to 145 last year, I was able to do two reps with two 25s on either side, but the following week, I could only do one rep with one 45 and 5 on either side. He suggested that it could have been a mental thing.
He has been instilling the philosophy of "treat heavy weight like it's light weight and treat light weight like it's heavy weight" ... so from a mental standpoint, he thinks that if I see the bigger plates, I'll adjust my approach in lifting it thereby improving my chances of completing the rep. Basically, in the example of deadlifts. I'll see the bigger plates and know I need to rip the **** off the ground. Personally, I think I'll be too busy trying to get the form right to even think about the plates, but who knows?
Anyways, congrats on your deadlift PR. I'm hoping I'll be where you're at by this time next week.
Yeah, it's funny how weight lifting is such a mental sport at times. I try and treat light and heavy weight the same, list with force, lift with speed. Lifting lighter weights with speed (dynamic effort training) teaches you how to apply speed to the lift so when the weight is heavy (max effort) you're apply the same level of force to the heavy weight to get it moving.
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First off, congrats on the PR!
Second, having a cool looking weight stack is the most important thing in the gym. That way people not only know exactly how much you're lifting but they also know you, like me, are anal retentive. :-)
On a deadlift I don't think it would matter all that much. On a push press it might account for a small change but nothing major. Weight lifting, to an extent, is mind over matter particularly when you're going for a PR. Hence why my gym playlist is nicknamed "Grip & Rip". :-)0 -
First off, congrats on the PR!
Second, having a cool looking weight stack is the most important thing in the gym. That way people not only know exactly how much you're lifting but they also know you, like me, are anal retentive. :-)
On a deadlift I don't think it would matter all that much. On a push press it might account for a small change but nothing major. Weight lifting, to an extent, is mind over matter particularly when you're going for a PR. Hence why my gym playlist is nicknamed "Grip & Rip". :-)
Ha! Yeah, I don't know that I want to draw any more attention than I already do. Besides the thud that comes from putting the bar back down after the lift, Squats with three 45's (not like that's a lot of weight), and Floor Pressing in the power rack I get enough weird looks from the everyday sit down at the lat pulldown, do some curls, do some hammer strength presses, and go home crowd. I was squatting one day and a lady was squatting in the Smith Machine and she was nice enough to walk over and hand me the squat neck pad. I was like, no thank you I like the bar as it is, and she looked at me like I was krrrazy. LOL
I'm a little sore today, not sure if it's from the PR lift or if it's from the rest of the workout which included 60 truck tire flips, and interval sprints on the eliptical. LOL.0 -
I put the big plates on. If I have to struggle, I want the weight to look the most impressive. hehe0
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Ha! Yeah, I don't know that I want to draw any more attention than I already do. Besides the thud that comes from putting the bar back down after the lift, Squats with three 45's (not like that's a lot of weight), and Floor Pressing in the power rack I get enough weird looks from the everyday sit down at the lat pulldown, do some curls, do some hammer strength presses, and go home crowd. I was squatting one day and a lady was squatting in the Smith Machine and she was nice enough to walk over and hand me the squat neck pad. I was like, no thank you I like the bar as it is, and she looked at me like I was krrrazy. LOL
I'm a little sore today, not sure if it's from the PR lift or if it's from the rest of the workout which included 60 truck tire flips, and interval sprints on the eliptical. LOL.
Probably is from the max out. Your body isn't used to having that much weight hang off of it! Get in some proper stretching and lay off of the singles for a while!
In order to cope with larger amounts of weight in deadlifting or heavy farmer walks I do a lot of rack pulls with more weight than I'd normally be deadlifting. Not only does it help prevent your shoulders and upper / lower back from being overwhelmed during a heavy deadlift single it will also give you some good size and strength! I'll even do them with straps to ensure it is training the right body parts.0 -
I put the big plates on. If I have to struggle, I want the weight to look the most impressive. hehe
Ha, I'll have to keep that in mind.Probably is from the max out. Your body isn't used to having that much weight hang off of it! Get in some proper stretching and lay off of the singles for a while!
In order to cope with larger amounts of weight in deadlifting or heavy farmer walks I do a lot of rack pulls with more weight than I'd normally be deadlifting. Not only does it help prevent your shoulders and upper / lower back from being overwhelmed during a heavy deadlift single it will also give you some good size and strength! I'll even do them with straps to ensure it is training the right body parts.
Yeah, I agree with you there. I start over a new cycle on the Cube Method so I don't have to do any heavy deadlifting for about 3 weeks, and I won't be maxing out when I do. At least not for the next ME day. The one exercise that really seemed to make a difference for me was doing snatch-grip deadlifts. Between having to get a little lower, the strain on your grip strength, and the added emphasis on your upper back and shoulders; it just really seems to have been a great exercise for me.0
