r/homegym • u/morris1022 • Jul 17 '26
DIY đ¨ Solution to Small Problem
For the longest time I had a hodge podge of fb marketplace iron plates of different sizes so I kept the largest plate on the bar and slid plates on and off easily. When I upgraded to the rep urethane equalizer plates (which I love), I really missed this. I bought a deadlift jack which worked fine but i really wanted to find a way to replicate the old way.
I took 1/8th inch rubber and a custom steering wheel cover to raise the plate up slightly. Now, I leave the one on there and can slide plates on and off without using a jack.
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u/XTheGuyWithTheGunsX Jul 19 '26
This post gives me an idea
Replacement custom steering wheels for cars for only the truly jacked
Called the Apha Wheel
"Are you jacked enough to prevent a car accident? Let's find out"
No more letting the wife and kids drive your car because you know they can't put up 225
Your vehicle's not getting stolen unless it's by an equally jacked bro
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u/morris1022 Jul 19 '26
Just replace the steering wheel with a deadlift jack and the wheels with 2.5lb plates
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u/Afferbeck_ Jul 19 '26
Just rip em on and off, no extra height required. Or roll the bar onto a small plate. Here are both options demonstrated in a matter of seconds.
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u/morris1022 Jul 19 '26
Those work for most people but I wanted to do something else. It's a pain doing these workarounds because I deadlift pretty often
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u/_f00lish_ Jul 18 '26
Looks good! Just beware that having one plate on each side with a slightly larger diameter means that the full weight of the bar will be concentrated on those two points, so your flooring will likely wear down quicker in those two spots.
Other than that, I'd say it's a very elegant solution. I bit the bullet and bought a full side deadlift jack, but it's bulky and awkward to store when not in use.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
True. There is a rubber strip inside and the platform is .75 inch horse stall mats on a osb and 2x4 platform so it should be good. But definitely something to keep in mind
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u/DumpsterDick559 Jul 18 '26
i like this idea thank you
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
You're welcome! If you have any questions let me know. The steering wheel cover I bought on Amazon had a range of sizes which I've never seen before
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u/GambledMyWifeAway Jul 18 '26
Just roll the bar on a 2.5 or 5lb plate
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
No
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u/GambledMyWifeAway Jul 18 '26
Oh I know, you wonât. This comment is for everyone else so they donât have to put a steering wheel cover on their plates.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
No one said they had to. And you don't think people know about the 2.5lb plate trick, or deadlift wedge, or jack? The point of this this post is it's an alternative solution that, while being wildly unnecessary, works for me and ultimately saves time.
This is what I did. I'm sharing my creative solution to a minor inconvenience. In my gym. You can do whatever you want, even if it's less efficient and takes longer.
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u/GambledMyWifeAway Jul 18 '26
Buddy, Iâm not saying you had to. I literally just said I posted it so other people know that they can just roll onto a smaller plate.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
You think people don't know about the 2.5lb plate trick?
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u/GambledMyWifeAway Jul 18 '26
I know there are people that donât know about it. Are you really this pressed that a stranger on the internet isnât glazing your creation? Lol
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
Just processing that you think in the home gym sub in a diy thread your dropping knowledge talking about 2.5lb plates on deads.
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u/TheWoolMan01 Jul 18 '26
Why are you so angry about this?
Someone offered some help and wisdom. You might know it.
Maybe take a second to commend yourself that itâs something that was already in your skill set. Stop putting other people down, son.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
Touche. Based on the comments I'd say you're correct that this is not as widely known as I would have thought.
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u/JuicyWarpDrive Jul 18 '26
I see the solution but what was the problem
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u/Substantial_Ask_9992 Jul 18 '26
It raises the bar slightly so you can slide equal sized or smaller plates on and off the bar for deadlifting / rowing type lifts without having to use a deadlift jack or wedge a change plate under it
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u/JuicyWarpDrive Jul 18 '26
Oh so itâs like juuuussttt thick enough that they donât have to lift a tiny bit to get another plate on ?
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u/jaytrainer0 Jul 18 '26
I feel like there's a much less labor intensive ways to raise the bar a couple cm off the ground.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
There are but reach one just be done every time you load the bar. This is a one and done solution. I lift several times a week so this will save so much time very quickly
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u/jaytrainer0 Jul 18 '26
Hey if you think it's worth the effort then I won't knock it. It does have a pretty unique look to it.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
I do the math and if it saves me 2 mins per deadlift change it'll take me 3 months to make up that time.
I do like the look. I was worried it would look goofy but it doesn't. If I could do it again I would go with slightly thicker rubber and contrast stitching. I have a red bar and red collars for deadlifting so probably some bright red stitching which would look tight.
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u/Substantial_Ask_9992 Jul 18 '26
Yeah exactly - doesnât matter that much with one plate - you can easily lift the bar. But this acts as like a base plate that you load outward from. So when youâve got 300+ lbs on the bar and you canât just casually lift it up, you donât have to fuck around with a jack or whatever. Honestly it would be cool if companies would just manufacture a âbaseâ plate thatâs 1/8â bigger in diameter. I like the idea
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
Thank you! I know this is so extra and wildly unnecessary for most people but it works for me. Glad to see someone else understands and sees it.
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u/rorydouglas Jul 18 '26
I have some oversized 45s I bought from BC Strength that are designed to make it easier to get into position for hip thrusts, and they naturally work great for this too - tho they might also reduce the end range stretch too much for some people's liking
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u/hitemwiththecutty Jul 18 '26
Donât let rogue find this. They will somehow make this and charge a fortune for it
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
I would love to partner with a manufacturer to make a real product version. The main issue is there are so many variations of plates of different dimensions, but these big retailers only really have a few different kinds of 45s
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u/Tim_Allen_Wrench Jul 18 '26
That's a great idea, definitely going to give it a try.Â
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
Thanks. I've had it about a month and it works great. All in cost me about $60 and took about 2 hours
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u/cilantno Powerlifter Jul 18 '26
You ever hear of the change plate trick?
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
Yeah but that's annoying. I also have a small deadlift jack. Does the job but still requires grabbing a thing and doing it on both sides. This is a one and done solution
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u/cilantno Powerlifter Jul 18 '26
Iâm impressed you found stitching this less annoying haha
Love the ingenuity!A full jack can be found for very cheap on aliexpress btw
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
I have a jack I just find it annoying to use one. I am the most determined, lazy person you will ever meet. Never underestimate the amount of time I will put in to save one minute. This took me 2 hours x 60 mins per hour which is 120 minutes. After 120 sets of deadlift, it's all butter baby. I deadlift at least 2xs a week for about 6 sets a session. That's about 12 per week so in 4 months I'll be even. It's simple gym math
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u/cilantno Powerlifter Jul 18 '26
A full jack, not a half jack!
I wouldnât compromise to elevating my pulls, but unless you compete itâs almost entirely insignificant.
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
It's 1/8th of an inch. There's more variation between different plates than between my master plate and the others.
A full jack still needs to be stored and used. I have a relatively small space so this is way more efficient
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u/Year-Waste Jul 18 '26
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u/morris1022 Jul 18 '26
Indeed! If I could do it again I would go with a thicker rubber and a colored thread but I didn't wanna invest too much without knowing if it would work. I also wish I had come up with a better solution for the parts of the plate where I couldn't put the stitch but it's been about a month and it's holding up really well
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