THE STRENGTH COOlympic Barbell Plate, Made In USA, Black E-Coat

This is the second set of Strength Co. Plates that I have purchased since I began my lifting journey. I have two sets of 630+ pounds and they are worth every penny. The tolerance of how well they fit the barbell, the quality and appearance of the finish, the fact that they are calibrated *AND* they are made in the USA by an awesome small business. I also recommend their A-frame plate tree (I have owned others, and the Strength Co one is much more functional with a smaller footprint), their deadlift jack, and their deadlift mats.

Absolutely wonderful plates. The tight fit on the bar is awesome

Well I wouldn’t know if Strength Co plates are the best on the planet since I have only used cheap gym plates and X-Mark coated plates at home, but I’m willing to guess that Strength Co plates are the best. Wicked sharp look, great feel when holding them, the lip is perfect to grip and carry, and the weights are dead on.I bought a set of 1.25’s to complete the 285lb set I bought from Strength Co. I sold a set of x-mark plates to make room for these beauties. When I knew I was not heading back to the gym and I needed plates for the house, I picked up a set of rubber coated plates. Not bumpers, plates coated in rubber. If I dropped a plate on the floor, I would live to see another day by dropping a coated plate, because my wife would be all over me if I damaged her nice door.Secondly, I lift wicked early in the morning like when my wife is still sleeping, so I wanted “quiet plates.” Well rubber coated plates are pretty darn quiet. But the 45’s were not standard height, like 2” off so that jacked up my deadlifts. And the weights were off, by a lot. One 25 was 28.3 while the other 25 was 24.1, etc. So I bought a set of Strength Co. plates and their plates are dead on for weight. The noise I was worried about? Well just slide two plates on at the same time and any “noise” is very doable. Pretty happy about that. As is my snoozing wife. Plus I don’t bang weights or drop them. If anything, I scare the crap out of my cat if he’s on my side of the house when I rack the last rep of my bench press work set.Spend the money for Strength Co plates. Don’t be a fool like me and buy gimmicks like rubber coated plates that aren’t the right size or are all over the place for weights. Buy Strength Co plates once and only buy more 45’s when you need them. Well worth the money. Cry once and never cry again. Promise. Now go lift safely……

A lifetime of athletic endeavors including football, wrestling, martial arts, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and serious backcountry hunting means I've spent countless ours in the gym over the last 40 years. I am convinced these plates are the best I have ever used. Not by a little, by a lot. It's obvious a great deal of well-informed thought went into every single aspect of their design. The depth and contour of the lip give you an extremely secure grip as you move them between weight tree and bar. All eight of the 45lb plates I've ordered thus far are well within a pound of their stated weight. However, their best attribute is how they almost merry to the bar. The snug fit and very exacting machining tolerances of the center holes make the weights synch together on the bar almost like they were intended to be precision instruments instead of junks of iron to be pulled and pushed against and grunted over in a gym. You can hear the difference when you slide one plate against another. Where most plates make sort of a sloppy clank when they come in contact with each other, Strength Co. plates produce a very crisp clink. It leaves the distinct impression that the whole surface area of the inside lip is making contact with the plate in front of it at precisely the same time--the way two painstakingly squared off surface should come in contact with each other. This detail may seem trivial to some, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sloppy center holes and uneven contact surfaces cause inferior plates to loosen up on the bar rather quickly even when collared. Those inferior plates can then shift around causing left/right side imbalances, which can lead to serious injury. Stack any number of Strength Co. plates on each side of the bar, and they stay absolutely stable. I believe Strength Co. has set a new standard for cast iron weights. They are certainly now the standard for my gym.

I’ve been a garage gym owner for going on 10 years. Traditionally, Ive turned to Rogue for my plates. I purchased their deep dish plates a year ago. I could not complete the set (and still can’t). They were unable to ship 5lbs despite accepting my order. I stumbled on the Strength Co. via the Massenomics podcast…damn it I wish I’d found them earlier. These guys produce the absolute best American Made iron plates. I would 100% recommend these guys if you’re looking to outfit your home gym or commercial gym. A great product with great service through ordering and delivery. Outstanding work, make no mistake this is a very high end product!

I started building my home gym during the pandemic, and although I’ve only been lifting for a couple of years I definitely know the difference between a good quality plate and one that’s not so great. These Strength Co plates are awesome, this is the third or fourth set that I’ve purchased, and every set is expertly machined, they slide on the bar really nice and tight, and are just really good looking! Can’t beat a made in the USA product, and from a vet owned company too.

Absolutely love my plates and love this made in the USA company started by a United States marine. RAH! Best plates you can buy! Buy em for life!!!