Solution for deadlifting without a platform?

[wingman11]

Can someone recommend some like...slabs of rubber or something I can get so I can D/L in my basement? Perhaps some wooden boards might work? What do you guys do?

[animalfan]

Can someone recommend some like...slabs of rubber or something I can get so I can D/L in my basement? Perhaps some wooden boards might work? What do you guys do?

i just dead on a horse stall mat, they are about 3/4" thick. i don't let the weights down very fast, though. if you are concerned, maybe double them up? or just put one on top of a sheet of 3/4" plywood. could lean it against a wall when not in use- but it's gonna weigh about 90#, so put a handle on it.

[daniel327]

I use rubber bumpers and a rubber mat.

To date I haven't caused any damage to the floor = domestic bliss

[wingman11]

i just dead on a horse stall mat, they are about 3/4" thick. i don't let the weights down very fast, though. if you are concerned, maybe double them up? or just put one on top of a sheet of 3/4" plywood. could lean it against a wall when not in use- but it's gonna weigh about 90#, so put a handle on it.

90lbs?! damn!

I use rubber bumpers and a rubber mat.

To date I haven't caused any damage to the floor = domestic bliss

what kind of mat?

[animalfan]

90lbs?! damn!



what kind of mat?

it was just a guess, but i think the stall mats are about 75-80#. i don't move mine often, so it doesn't matter to me.

i haven't caused any cracks in my floor, either (at least i don't think so, but i do have some minor cracking that was there before).

[daniel327]

what kind of mat?

I'm using a large rubber treadmill mat.

It's about 10mm thick (~3/8"). It's probably not ideal, but given I use rubber bumpers not iron, it does a good job. (I don't do any overhead lifts, just deads and trap bar work).

[Keetman]

For deadlifting you're primarily going to be protecting your weights/bar aren't you? I mean if you're going to the floor on every rep (and I'm pretty sure you should be....but just my opinion), then the "jarring" and concussion from each rep will take its toll. I guess it will beat up the floor too, but the point I'm trying to make is that for typical deadlifting we're going to be doing at home, the platform isn't a necessity because the extra cushion is going to be mostly needed for a drop. One stall mat cut in half for a landing area under each side of the bar would help you here.

That said, there may come a time when you want to drop those dudes! I got a nice 1rp max a couple weeks ago and once I got it up I had no desire whatsoever to bring it back slowly.....I just let 'er go. This was good because my form was terrible and I strained my back a little anyway, by dropping it I reduced the chance of further or greater injury.....which is the only point of dropping it anyway.

Point is, you may want to have a plan for this. Either doubling up the mat, putting some plywood under the mats, building your own platform (lots of info on the web for this), or like me....get you at the very least a set of 45lb bumpers.....two pair would be even better, but you can use smaller plates after that.

Something like this could get you what you need for not a ton of money. You can probably find some deals on bumpers, but the mats will most likely be your cheapest solution.

[lpsevier]

I don't have any mats in my garage. I just go off the floor, no issues.

[biggerthanlavar]

I use horse stall mats too but I'll be building an oly platform in the spring.

[xcrucialsx]

I use 2 pieces of plywood on my concrete garage floor.

[chris423]

I use 2 sheets of 3/4" plywood covered with 2 1/2" rubber mats. I use this as my permanent power rack platform like this. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attach...1&d=1257696772

The 2 4x6 rubber mats leave a foot of exposed plywood on each side but it works fine this way with barely enough room to keep the plates over the rubber during deads. The plywood and mats are just thrown down. Nothing is fastened together. I just made sure the seam from where the 2 pieces of plywood join run the opposite way of the seem between the 2 rubber mats. The weight of everything holds it together well enough.



There's a good 3 feet or so of this make shift platform in front of the rack. I do my deads as well as any other standing barbell or dumbbell exercises right in front of the rack.

[Wildtim]

I've got a couple chunks of rubber stall mat that I toss down, they aren't all that big but neither is my deadlift area, before that I just used carpet squares.

[wingman11]

Interesting. Well, I have a couple random pieces of plywood laying around so I might just try to get a pair of 45lb bumper plates. For some reason I never even thought of that. What are the best brands for those?

http://www.christiansfitnessfactory....ber-Bumper-Set

Any good?

[Wildtim]

You know for $260 you could build a hell of a nice platform. Seriously, with hardwood and everything.