Rogue Deep Dish Plates – Why Would You Want Them?

Weightlifting has gone beyond how many reps and sets you can do or how many kgs you can deadlift. The industry has also expanded to include the development of various variations of weightlifting facilities and equipment to make your experience more enjoyable. On this topic is the Rogue Deep Dish Plate, one of the numerous developments in the area of weightlifting equipment. This article will examine the various features of the Rogue Deep Dish plates and help you determine if and why you would want them. 

What are the Rogue Deep Dish Plates

Rogue Deep Dish Plates are made-in-America ductile cast iron weight plates from Rogue Fitness. Many users and reviewers have remarked on the plates’ nice old-school feel and appearance, exciting specs, and impressive user feedback. The old-school feel is largely from the plates being slightly based on the Arnold Classic Plates. The plates come in pairs and in four increments—25,  35, 45, and 100 pounds. You can get the plates here.

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Features of the Rogue Deep Dish Plates

Positives

One of the most popular features of the plates is their classic look. The plates sport loosely similar appearances as the classic Zuver Plates, Rogue Arnold Deep Dishes, and Ivanko OM plates. Aside from their looks, the plates also have an impressive feel. You get a smooth machine finish with the plates along the inner and outer lip and the back edge. This smooth finish ensures the plates fit nicely on your bar and feel good in your hand.
Likewise, the plates have a 50mm machined collar opening that prevents you from damaging your Olympic bars while you change weights. In addition, it guarantees easy and smooth weight plate change. This feature is especially important if your barbells have Cerakote sleeves that suffer frequent scratches from contact with rough iron. If you want to get such a bar, check out the Ohio Bar – Cerakote.

Rogue’s deep dish plates also feature a long-lasting E-Coat finish, protecting them from corrosion. In addition to corrosion protection, it reduces overall damage on your plates as they hit the ground or other gym facilities. This E-coat finish works with the smooth collar opening to keep your barbell and the plates safe from damage. 

Another cool feature the plates offer is their impressive weight accuracy, especially in relation to other cast iron weights. Several YouTubers have demonstrated that many cast iron weights that are purportedly 45 pounds actually weigh anything between 39 to 55 pounds, potentially resulting in unfortunate disparities in the weights at both ends of the barbell. However, the Rogue Deep Dish Plates do not have this challenge, as reviewers have noted their incredible accuracy. 

In addition to these features, the plates’ ductile iron component ensures they are immensely durable. The durability results from the strong graphite nodules in the cast iron. This means that the plates are far more likely to survive drops to the ground, especially during programs like deadlifts and some variations of squats. 

Negatives

Despite the plates’ impressive showing among customers and reviewers, it is not without some complaints. Chief among these complaints is the plates’ thickness. The deep dish plates are about half an inch broader than the other Rogue machined plates. As a result, if you have a home gym or a small gym, these plates may not be for you as they are more likely to take up more space on bars and racks. Furthermore, this increased thickness also means extra whip on the barbell while lifting, which will shift the feel while you perform a heavy bench or squat. If your gym needs a small squat rack, check out the PR-4100 Folding Squat Rack.

An extension of this is that it may be challenging to use for elite powerlifters. Because the plates are so thick, lifters can quickly run out of space on their bars as the extra thickness adds up and consumes significant real estate on the bars. 

There are also concerns that not all the plates come off as spotless as they look in the official pictures. Reviewers have lamented that some of the plates come with scratches and dings that one would not expect from brand-new plates. 

Tips on taking care of your weight plates

Here are some essential tips that can ensure you get the best of your weight plates:

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Store them properly after use

It is essential to properly store your weight plates after using them. Storing them ensures they are safe when you are not using them, limiting their exposure to damage only when you use them. Storing them after use also helps you with space, especially if you have a home gym. Littering your floor with weight plates can make your gym look smaller, so you can gain some real estate by packing and storing the plates when not in use. Several gym equipment, like racks or machines, come with bars where you can stack your weights after using them. 

Keep them from liquid

Keeping your iron plates free from liquid helps you increase their longevity by preventing rusting. Generally, more expensive plates feature finishes that stave away corrosion longer than their cheaper alternatives. Nevertheless, keeping water away from your weight plates to preserve them is a rule of thumb. 

Be careful with them

You should also be careful how you use your weight plates as you can easily damage them if not. Your care should extend to how you drop the plates while keeping them or drop the loaded barbell mid-set or reps. Pricier plates are typically more durable than the cheaper competition, but you should always be careful with their use. Besides protecting the plates, dropping them carelessly can also damage your floor, disturb your neighbors, or injure you.