I work out regularly in two different places, my home gym amd the company gym. I recently started training using a version of the "5x5" plan, which calls for increasing the weight on a given exercise by 10 lbs once one is able to complete 5 sets of 5 reps in that exercise. Since I'm tracking my progress based on being able to lift a specific amount of weight, I wanted to be sure that the weight I'm lifting in one place is at least within a couple pounds of the weight I lift in the other.
To this end, I have weighed most of my 45 lb plates at home and I know that tjey are all + or - about a pound, most are within a half pound of 45 lbs (I haven't weighed any of the other size plates, but I'm going to). My "45 lb" Olympic bar weighs 42. I also recently weighed all the plates and the smith machine bar at work.
At work, I have an oddball mix of plates. Most of them are the "Weider International", so they're 44 instead of 45; 11 instead of 10; 5.5 and 2.75. Then I have normal 35's, 25's, 10's and 5's. These are various brands including Standard Barbell, Ferrigno and "no name".
Here's what I found:
The 44's weigh anywhere between 43.5 and 46.5, with the average being 44.5; the 35's (I have 2 of them) are 35 and 33.5; the 25's are both 26; the 11's are 10.5 and 11; the 10's are actually 10; 5.5's weigh 5 and 5.5; the 5's weigh 5 cactly, and the 2.75's are 1 each at 2.5 amd 3.0! Meanwhile, the smith machine bar with counterweights attached weighs 27.
So, it's interesting to figure out how to match the weight I'm using at home when training at work! For instance, 405 would normally be 4 plates on each side of the Olympic bar (in my case it would actually be 402 since my bar is 3 lbs shy of 45). But on this smith machine, and with all the funky playes, it ended up being 3 "44's" on each side, plus a 35, a 10 and an 11 on each side. Add it all up and it comes to 405 (actually 403.5 when I subtract the 1.5 lb for the lightweight 35 that only weighs 33.5).
Needless to say, I noted the plates' measured weights in my log, so I can keep track of what actually weighs what. I wound up with a calculator trying this and that combination to get where I wanted to be!
To this end, I have weighed most of my 45 lb plates at home and I know that tjey are all + or - about a pound, most are within a half pound of 45 lbs (I haven't weighed any of the other size plates, but I'm going to). My "45 lb" Olympic bar weighs 42. I also recently weighed all the plates and the smith machine bar at work.
At work, I have an oddball mix of plates. Most of them are the "Weider International", so they're 44 instead of 45; 11 instead of 10; 5.5 and 2.75. Then I have normal 35's, 25's, 10's and 5's. These are various brands including Standard Barbell, Ferrigno and "no name".
Here's what I found:
The 44's weigh anywhere between 43.5 and 46.5, with the average being 44.5; the 35's (I have 2 of them) are 35 and 33.5; the 25's are both 26; the 11's are 10.5 and 11; the 10's are actually 10; 5.5's weigh 5 and 5.5; the 5's weigh 5 cactly, and the 2.75's are 1 each at 2.5 amd 3.0! Meanwhile, the smith machine bar with counterweights attached weighs 27.
So, it's interesting to figure out how to match the weight I'm using at home when training at work! For instance, 405 would normally be 4 plates on each side of the Olympic bar (in my case it would actually be 402 since my bar is 3 lbs shy of 45). But on this smith machine, and with all the funky playes, it ended up being 3 "44's" on each side, plus a 35, a 10 and an 11 on each side. Add it all up and it comes to 405 (actually 403.5 when I subtract the 1.5 lb for the lightweight 35 that only weighs 33.5).
Needless to say, I noted the plates' measured weights in my log, so I can keep track of what actually weighs what. I wound up with a calculator trying this and that combination to get where I wanted to be!
