Question for serious trainers (Dumbell question)

[wes]

I hate rubber plates. They don't make a sound when you use them, I love the sound of plates banging against each other.

^THIS^

[mesmorph78]

If I would have seen this thread a few years back, I would have thought it was stupid..... because
the weight is whatever weight it says on there, right?
Not the case.

My old trainer told me to weigh all the plates that I had at my house. Even ones from the same
manufacturer had huge variance. Supposedly 45lb plates ranged from 42-47.5 lbs.

Exactly ... I just laugh at the people who have made silly comment on the thread kind of highlights the real trainers from the Internet funny guys.

[hazbin]

with barbell plates, it depends on who makes them.  there are companies, usually european, that calibrate their plate weight to the gram. these are official olympic caliber plates.

but the cheaper plates, typically chinese (no racist)  use a mold and just fill the mold with iron, so all the plates are the same size. the problem is they are using different types of scrap iron, and there are various densities to various alloy combonations. so two of these plates the exact same size will vary up to 8 % from the stated weight.

[suckmymuscle]

  I have found out that one of the things that limits strength increases is that, the heavier you go up in weight with dumbbells and barbells, they become clumsier to handle because they become bigger and bigger.

  Consider the flat dumbbell press. As you go up in weight, the disks become taller or they remain the same size but more are added to each side. In either case, this severely limits the range of motion and thus the effectiveness of the exercise. When using those huge 200 lbs dumbbells, you get nothing out of it because you can't squeeze your pecs as the dumbbells touch each other when your arms are still almost parallel to the ground.

  The solution would be to make heavier dumbbells with denser metals, as this would allow heavier dumbbells of the same size of lighter ones made of iron or steel. Unfortunately, dumbbells made of lead or Plutonium won't be very good for your health.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[wes]

If you`ve ever seen a record breaking lift at a power meet or an Olympic lifting meet,you`ve seen them weigh the entire barbell along with the plates and collars for accuracy.

Example:

A guy does a squat with 415 pounds = 8 plates,the bar,two collars......when they weigh it,it comes out to 411 pounds.

[mesmorph78]

  I have found out that one of the things that limits strength increases is that, the heavier you go up in weight with dumbbells and barbells, they become clumsier to handle because they become bigger and bigger.

  Consider the flat dumbbell press. As you go up in weight, the disks become taller or they remain the same size but more are added to each side. In either case, this severely limits the range of motion and thus the effectiveness of the exercise. When using those huge 200 lbs dumbbells, you get nothing out of it because you can't squeeze your pecs as the dumbbells touch each other when your arms are still almost parallel to the ground.

  The solution would be to make heavier dumbbells with denser metals, as this would allow heavier dumbbells of the same size of lighter ones made of iron or steel. Unfortunately, dumbbells made of lead or Plutonium won't be very good for your health.

SUCKMYMUSCLE
touching the dumbell at the top of the movement is a waste of time IMO ... i just press straight up and down

[BB]

A famous case of plates not weighing what they should happened to a powerlifter named Ernie Hackett. He was set up for a #903 squat, and when they weighed out everything it was #940. He managed a #37lb gain without knowing it, he just gutted it out. Back in the 70's and 80's it was hard to get a #100 pound plate, and usually they were never milled because no one had the machines to handle a plate that big. Most companies just drilled out a 100lb standard plate. It was common for them to be 5-7lbs out of weight.

On the denser metals thing, back in the late 80's, early 90's a company tried lead dumbbells in a heavy rubber covering, it was a novel idea, but no one wanted to handle them.

[el numero uno]

If I would have seen this thread a few years back, I would have thought it was stupid..... because
the weight is whatever weight it says on there, right?
Not the case.

My old trainer told me to weigh all the plates that I had at my house. Even ones from the same
manufacturer had huge variance. Supposedly 45lb plates ranged from 42-47.5 lbs.

Hahah the same thing happens to the gym I attend. There are like 10 50lb plates from the same manufacturer, some of them weigh 50, others weigh 54-55 and one weighs 59lb, wtf?

[wes]

A famous case of plates not weighing what they should happened to a powerlifter named Ernie Hackett. He was set up for a #903 squat, and when they weighed out everything it was #940. He managed a #37lb gain without knowing it, he just gutted it out. Back in the 70's and 80's it was hard to get a #100 pound plate, and usually they were never milled because no one had the machines to handle a plate that big. Most companies just drilled out a 100lb standard plate. It was common for them to be 5-7lbs out of weight.

On the denser metals thing, back in the late 80's, early 90's a company tried lead dumbbells in a heavy rubber covering, it was a novel idea, but no one wanted to handle them.

The guy that used to own our old gym was a buddy of Hacket as well as Hackets brother.

Rick Britt...Big Daddys Gym....Spfld. Mass.

[BB]

Yeah, that whole area from Maine down to Mass. had lots of strong guys and gyms. It's funny how some areas just get known for certain things.

[suckmymuscle]

On the denser metals thing, back in the late 80's, early 90's a company tried lead dumbbells in a heavy rubber covering, it was a novel idea, but no one wanted to handle them.

  If the lead leaks out and enters your body through breathing or some fissure in your skin, you could end up with very serious kidney and brain damage.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[wes]

Yeah, that whole area from Maine down to Mass. had lots of strong guys and gyms. It's funny how some areas just get known for certain things.

Yup,do you remember Martin Joyce and Skip Robinson....both from Maine ?

Great powerlifters as well as competitive bodybuilders.

[BB]

I remember Joyce from the magazines and guys mentioning his deadlifting ability, he's still around -

.

[wes]

I remember Joyce from the magazines and guys mentioning his deadlifting ability, he's still around -

.

Wow..cool,thanks for the vid.

When I was younger,this guy pulled around 700 at 181 pounds bodyweight....great build too,used to see him compete at Mt. Park in Holyoke Mass.