Proper weights for a small setup.

[Jeff Gullicksen]

I am considering putting a small set of weights in my martial arts studio as opposed to going to a gym. My biggest concern is space and the total amount of equipment lying around. I teach kids as well as adults and don't want the kids to hurt themselves. Right now most of my strength equipment is related to grip. It is easy to hide in a cabinet.

I would like to get into olympic style lifts as well as return to deadlift, squats, bench, etc.

To cut down on the number of weights in my studio, what are the downsides of using the bumper plates for non olympic lifts?

I have about 13 linear feet of wall space that I will use to store the equipment. Hopefully I can figure out a way to hide all this stuff.

[Chris Rice]

Bumpers really only have two "downsides" to them. First is the cost is quite high compared to steel. And secondly they are thicker so you cannot get as many of them on a bar as the thinner steel plates - but you can get more than enough bumpers on a bar for most people out there. And don't put on a bumper and then load up a whole bunch of smaller steel plates and end up breaking down your bumpers - add more or heavier bumpers instead. The advantages are nice though - the occasional dropped bar etc won't break anything as easily and Olympic lifts can be done more safely for both you and your surroundings. If they will be getting a lot of use - buy quality bumpers - especially the lighter ones like 5K or 10# ones for teaching snatch etc. Oh and remember that bumpers bounce when dropped so be aware.

[Jeff Gullicksen]

Thanks for the info Chris.

[Randall Strossen]

Jeff -

As Chris mentioned, you can't overload bumpers or you will trash them; they also cost a lot more than metal plates; plus, you will want a lifting platform if you are dropping them a lot. Solid rubber plates might be a better way for you to go - you can still drop them, they are a lot cheaper than bumpers and you can get by dropping them without having a platform.

Sounds as if you have plenty of space to train on the basics, so I like your plan - good luck and have fun with this addition to your martial arts studio!