No products in the cart.
Olympic Plate Buying Guide - All you need to know about Olympic Plates!
Olympic Weight Plates | September 15, 2022
In today's blog we are going to run through our range of Olympic weight plates to help you pick the right weight plate for you. With a huge range of Olympic weight plates on the market, knowing which type to suit you best is extremely important, and will also save you money in the long run. We'll run through Tri-Grip, Black Series Bumper Plates, Competition Plates and more.
Tri-Grip
One of the most economical options in the Olympic Plate range is the Tri-Grip Olympic Weight Plate. These plates are made from heavy duty rubber that will protect your floors, are easy to handle and are great options for loading onto gym stations pulley systems, or onto the barbell for low to moderate workouts where the weights won’t be dropped onto the ground. These plates are great for topping up weights, with a range from 1.25kg, 2.5kg, all the way to 20kg. It’s always handy to have these plates in your home gym as you’ll be able to push through and increase your weight gradually with smaller increments. The Cortex Tri-Grip Weight Plates will come with a thin integrated steel core that makes loading plates onto the barbell seamless and easy. With 3 gripped handle positions, the tri-grip plates offer easy handling making switching between weights quicker, and also double up as a handheld weight allowing you to do some quick isolation exercises.
Black Series Bumper Plates
Next up, we have our Black Series Bumper Plates. These plates are highly recommended if you’re getting into your compound lifts such as deadlifts or squats, as these plates are packed with high density rubber that will keep your floors, walls and workout area protected from damage. All bumper plates will have the same 450mm diameter, giving you the same consistency and height of the bar, when resting on the ground. This is exceptionally important for compound lifts, such as deadlifts, clean & jerk, snack and jerk variations. Our Black Series plates start at 5kg, going up to 25kg, and comes with an inner steel ring making it easy to slide weights on and off the bar.
Competition Bumper Plates
If you’re chasing for the best performing and extremely durable bumper plate, look no further than the Competition Bumper Plate Series. Built for competition use, these plates are designed to take a beating, perfect if you’re serious about compound lifts such as deadlifts or clean & jerk variations. Made with the highest quality, highest density polyurethane, these plates are extremely durable and provide minimal bounce. Having no bounce from your barbell is extremely important, as less bounce means less time waiting for your bar to settle for the next rep on your deadlifts, as well as less damage caused by unpredictable bounces if you’re working out in tight spaces in the home gym. The noticeably big, reinforced inner steel ring shows just how sturdy these plates and how well they’ll hold up to the heavy use and impact. Our competition bumper plates are also colour coded making the weights easily identifiable, saving you time while switching plates. Like the Black Series bumper plates, competition plates start at 5kg going up to 25kg.
Key differences
Now that you know the key points in each type of weight plate, let’s break down how these plates will suit your needs.
First let’s talk about the purpose of your home gym. If you’re looking for weight plates to throw onto your machine loaded weights, such as a leg press, gym station or smith machine, Tri-Grip plates will work extremely well. If you’re looking for a lighter, moderate weight range for bench press, curls and squats, Tri-Grip plates can also be suitable.
Once you get into the territory of effective workouts such as deadlifts, squats and other extremely effective, high intensity compound lifts, bumper plates are the way to go. A combination of Bumper Plates and Tri-Grip is also a great combo, to help you top up on weights to help you gradually progress. Keep in mind that Tri-Grips can start from as small as 1.25kg per side. If you’re looking for an even smaller increment, we’ve also got a range of fractional weight plates that start at 0.25kg.
Dropping the plates
One of our most frequent questions is, which weight plate can be dropped? Most bumper plates can withstand moderate drops, for higher impact drops we recommend going for the competition plates, due to their exceptionally durable build. It is important to note that not all barbells can withstand drops, our ZEUS range will be your best option for high impact drops. For more information on our barbell range, we’ll have a link at the end of the video to see our Olympic barbell comparison video.
Bounce Factor
Another really important factor is the bounce factor in these weight plates. The less bounce, the better. At CORTEX we classify the Black Series Bumper Plates as Low Bounce, and the Competition Bumper Plates as minimal bounce. There are other plates such as the Crumb Plate which will offer higher bounce.
Thickness
The thickness of the plate is also a great consideration when purchasing your next weight plate. Competition plates are noticeably thinner than most plates, allowing for more plates to fit onto a barbell, gym station or weight tree. If you’re aiming for some serious PBs, you’ll want to fit as much weight as possible.
From functional training to competition lifting, we’ve got a variety of Olympic weight plates on offer that will suit any lifters needs. If you are starting your weightlifting journey, we have weightlifting packages available online that include both weight plates and barbells. Otherwise, weight plate pairs are available for increasing your current collection. If you have more questions, please reach out to our team. Otherwise, check out our range online.
Latest Posts
Cardio | July 13, 2026
Best Cardio Machines for Winter Home Workouts in AustraliaWinter is a real test of your resilience when it comes to workout consistency. 33% of Australians report that they f...
Read more
Cardio | June 22, 2026
EOFY Home Gym Upgrade Guide: Where to Invest in Treadmills, Bikes & Strength EquipmentThe end of financial year is coming up, which we believe is one of the best times to evaluate your long-term fitness...
Read more
Cardio | June 09, 2026
Low-Impact Cardio Machines for Home: Best Options for Joint-Friendly WorkoutsAre you someone who's avoided running because you're worried about your knees? Maybe you've taken a break from cardi...
Read more
gift | May 05, 2026
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas 2026This year, get your Mum a gift that's functional and life-enhancing. If you've got a Mum who likes early morning jog...
Read more
Training | May 01, 2026
Lifespan Fitness Customer Transformations: Bec ChristensenFor most people, a fitness journey starts with a simple goal. For Bec Christensen, her initial drive to get her fitn...
Read more
Exercise | April 24, 2026
How to Stay Consistent with Home Workouts Over Long Weekends & HolidaysMost people will say that they lose motivation over long weekends, but that's rarely the real issue. What actually d...
Read more
Cardio | April 15, 2026
Treadmill vs Exercise Bike vs Cross Trainer: Which Is Best for Your Home?Treadmills. Exercise Bikes. Cross Trainers. These are the big 3 when it comes to home cardio equipment. While most o...
Read more
Treadmill | April 02, 2026
Scott Clark’s 24-Hour Marathon JourneyOn the morning of 15th March, a battered Scotty Clark was lowered into an ice bath, feeling the cool sting calm his ...
Read more
Training | March 10, 2026
Meet the Man Who’s Running for 24-Hours StraightThis former AFL sports trainer is taking ultra-marathons to another level with his 24-hour treadmill challenge.
Read more
Ice baths | February 20, 2026
A Cold Plunge to HealthIn 2002, British long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe won the 10,000m gold medal at the European Athletics Champions...
Read more
Cardio | February 06, 2026
Effects of Exercise on Mental HealthDid you know that regular physical exercise can actually increase the volume of parts of your brain? Namely, the par...
Read more
Cardio | January 12, 2026
Belt Slipping: Cause and CureBelt slipping is what happens when the belt moves out of sync with the treadmill motor and rollers. This can happen ...
Read more
gift | December 19, 2025
Christmas Gifts for Gym Lovers: The Ultimate Holiday Fitness Gift GuideDo you have someone in your life who's a meal-prepping, gym-obsessed, endorphin-chasing fitness junkie? Then you hav...
Read more
Cardio | December 08, 2025
12 Days of Christmas Fitness: Unwrap Your Best Self with These Holiday WorkoutsThe 12 Days of Christmas Fitness is a simple, engaging way to stay motivated during the holidays. Each day introduce...
Read more
November 06, 2025
Your Questions Answered: Our Most Common Service & Product QueriesEvery day, we hear so many interesting and unexpected questions from customers in-store, online and over the phone. ...
Read more
November 05, 2025
Kettlebells vs Dumbbells - Which is Best for You?They may look the same (and have very similar names), but dumbbells and kettlebells can create very different workou...
Read more
October 20, 2025
The Different Types of Weight Plate (and How to Tell them Apart)If you're at all serious about building a solid home fitness setup, you can't skip on weight plates. They have a spe...
Read more
Exercise | October 02, 2025
Gym Rubber Flooring: How Good Is It for Home GymsTo build the home gym of your dreams, you've got to start from the ground up. Gym flooring often gets overlooked, as...
Read more
Treadmill | September 22, 2025
Lifespan Fitness WalkingPad M2 Featured on SunriseOur WalkingPad M2 treadmill was recently featured on Sunrise, where wellness expert Lizzie Williamson showed just h...
Read more
pilates | September 12, 2025
Lifespan Fitness Contour Pilates Reformers Featured on The BlockWeek 6 of The Block saw police-officer duo Britt & Taz take a bold leap: transforming their rumpus room into a P...
Read more
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Join our subscribers list to get the latest news, updates and special offers delivered directly in your inbox.
Connect with us
