Standard Plates
Weight plates for standard barbells come as plastic-coated or naked cast iron plates. It was here I learned a hard lesson. Initially I purchased plastic-coated standard plates because I found a set for a very affordable price. However, what I didn't know then was that plastic-coated plates have a tendency to become unequal over time.
Because I had them kicking around on the floor banging into weights and equipment the plastic casing took a beating and many plates had chunks taken out. This made them pretty inconsistent when I used them to resistance train, not by much, but having equal weights on either side of a barbell is pretty darn important.
I guess it was my own fault since I didn't have a weight tree to store them out of harm's way. If I would have purchased cast iron plates the weight would have always stayed stable over time. It's pretty hard to take chunks out of solid cast iron plates, if you know what I mean. Plus, cast iron isn't as bulky as plastic encased weights and they have a better feel when you're lifting. This is because, again from my own personal experience, the plastic casing can become loose and shift around the weight plate as they age.
The other main disparity between standard and Olympic plates lies in the diameter of their holes standard plates have 1-inch holes, smaller than Olympic plates with 2-inch holes, since they are made to fit a smaller diameter barbell. Also, the weight increments for standard plates are slightly different from Olympic weights. They come in plates of 2 ½-pounds, 5-pounds, 10-pounds, 25-pounds and 50-pounds.
As I mentioned, the price for standard cast iron plates is typically quite a bit cheaper than for Olympic plates. I just checked online and the prices start at about $3 for a 2 ½-pound pair of cast iron plates. A pair of 5-pound cast irons will cost you about $6, while a pair of 10-pounders will cost you $12 and so on. If you're just setting up a gym at home, I'd suggest a weight plate set or package to get the most for your dollar. You can also get individual plates or plate sets. Standard plate sets usually come in poundages from 100-pounds for a complete set and up to 1000-pounds for a complete set.
A starter cast iron plate package can be found for about $100 online. This includes 110-pounds of cast iron plates, ranging from 2 ½-pound plates up to 10-pound plates. Also thrown in is a standard barbell, collars and a few sets of dumbbells. This will save you the added expense of purchasing additional dumbbells if you're just starting out.
