If Your Gym Does Not Have Small Weights, Bring Your Own
In theory, the gym should provide you with weights that you can lift while you are there. But sometimes their collection is not exactly what you need. If their smallest weight is 5 or 10 pounds, be a rebel: bring smaller plates to your gym bag.
After all, if you only have 5 pound cymbals, you need to adjust the total weight of the bar 10 pounds at a time. If you’re struggling with something like overhead presses, especially as a beginner, 10 pounds is a huge jump.
I have 2.5 pound plates in my gym and I thank them for that. But not all gyms are suitable, and sometimes, even if the gym has small plates, there may only be one pair to grab. They can also disappear as they are small, and after a few weeks end up under some larger equipment.
So if you want to be sure you have those 2.5 or even 1.25 lb plates on hand when you need them, bring yours! If you are looking to buy a pair, look for “fractional” or “microplate”. There are also many DIY options, such as repurposing giant washers from a hardware store or weighing achain and cutting it into a circle.
Before you start looking for smaller and smaller plates, note that accuracy is elusive. Even large gym plates don’t always have accurate weight markings, so this 45 pound plate can be several ounces lighter or heavier than this 45 pound plate. I wouldn’t bother with tiny plates, even if you can buy them in quarter pound portions.
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