A story about heart

For reasons still unknown to me, some manufacturers of barbell plates design them with 12-sides, rather than as a wheel. Even more strangely, some gyms, like mine, actually buy them.

One theory is that edged barbell plates make deadlifting impossible. As a result, members are prevented from rattling windows with the crash of falling iron. For a gym located on a mall’s second floor, supplying edged plates only might solve a noise dispute with the tenant directly below.

I often come across discussions on social media about whether deadlifts should be a priority, or even included in your workout. If your goal is to: 1) build strength in your glutes and hamstrings to reduce low back pain, 2) gain confidence picking heavy things off the ground, and 3) access the hormonal and cardiovascular benefits that come from intense training, then I can think of only one exercise that would take precedence.

So, feeling like I’m bringing sand to the beach, I bring my own weights to the gym.

I bought two 15 lb bumper weight plates for deadlifting days. These plates are manageable enough for me to carry in my backpack for the five-block walk to my gym, but durable enough to not bend or fold when I add many more smaller diameter plates to the bar.

On leg day, I do my squats with the gym’s ridiculous edged plates, and then pull out my magic plates when I switch to the deadlift. 

I have to admit, the walk from the gym with a backpack full of weights is more of a challenge than the stroll there, but the satisfaction of a successful workout carries me home.