Weider International plates

[dtrrman]

I have seen many used Weider International Oly plates in the KG international units from time to time at used stores, online auctions etc.. When did weider produce these "International" sets and plates? I am assuming 70's or early 80's. Anybody have any data?

[Pillager]

I purchased a set in either '90 or '91.

[C Man]

They were still making them in the late 90's. My friend bought a weights/bench combo for his son and those are the kinds of weights that came with it.

[AZIronMine]

I purchased a set in either '90 or '91.

Almost the same here. I purchased my first Weider International Olympic Set around 1986 or 1987.

[dtrrman]

Any info on whether they were made in the US or overseas? Shame that theres no real central info on the collecting and historical aspects of barbell plates, bars, sets and companies who made them. There was 6 used Iron Grip 45lb plates on EBAY the other day with "US Army Golden Knights" inscribed on the plates.

[dtrrman]

AZ, you spoke of doing a book on home gyms, why not also include info on the equipment evolution, the different companies, York, Milo, Weider, Billard, the sets and types of plates they produced from era to era. etc. I would love to know what and when some of those old plates and bars, sets were made, who made them. Looking at some of those old iron plates at used stores and on EBAY really has peaked my curiosity on where, whom, etc.

[dtrrman]

Any info on whether they were made in the US or overseas? Shame that theres no real central info on the collecting and historical aspects of barbell plates, bars, sets and companies who made them. There was 6 used Iron Grip 45lb plates on EBAY the other day with "US Army Golden Knights" inscribed on the plates.

[dtrrman]

I had a chance to buy some used York olympic competition bumber plates about 8 years ago from a club auction, 70's vintage, 4 red 25 kilo plates, 4 blue 20 kilo plates and a group of smaller sizes for $150 and am still kicking myself in the asss. Those are getting very difficult to find.

[Biggerfoot]

Any info on whether they were made in the US or overseas? Shame that theres no real central info on the collecting and historical aspects of barbell plates, bars, sets and companies who made them. There was 6 used Iron Grip 45lb plates on EBAY the other day with "US Army Golden Knights" inscribed on the plates.

I bought my 100 pound Key Grip plates off the guy that was selling them...in fact, I bought 4-44 pound Weider International plates from him too! He trades and buys stuff for a hobby and is also a lifter. He is a nice guy and I always check out what he has to offer.

The nice thing I like about the Weider International plates is that they are a slightly smaller diameter and I can shimmy them on my Grip Machine that is made for 35 pounds and they also are just a little smaller than my 45 pound bumper plates on my trap bar so they do not hit the floor.

[C Man]

This is slightly off topic, but does anyone know why with olympic style plates they use 45 lbs for the largest plate as opposed to 50 lbs with standard plates? (I know you can get 100 lb plates but I left them out for the sake of the discussion)

In actual Olympic/International competition they use kilogram based plates, correct? What about in offical strength competitions based only in the USA, do they use pounds or kilos??

For olympic style pound-based plates, I just never understood why they made 45 lb plates instead of just making them 50 lbs.

[Pillager]

This is slightly off topic, but does anyone know why with olympic style plates they use 45 lbs for the largest plate as opposed to 50 lbs with standard plates? (I know you can get 100 lb plates but I left them out for the sake of the discussion)

In actual Olympic/International competition they use kilogram based plates, correct? What about in offical strength competitions based only in the USA, do they use pounds or kilos??

For olympic style pound-based plates, I just never understood why they made 45 lb plates instead of just making them 50 lbs.

That's a good question and on a related topic I've wondered why 55 Lbs. or 25 Kilo plates are not more popular. A nice even number in both imperial and metric. I know they are common in bumpers and rubber comp plates but why not in standard barbell?

[dtrrman]

Why the 45lb large Oly plate became the standard is a good question. I would assume it morphed from the 20 Kilo bumper plate somewhere way back when for some reason. The 25 Kilo(55lb) plate would have been a better high end weight plate than the 45. One guess would be powerlifting, since they don't use bumper plates or at least not in the early years, somebody decided to produce a 20KG non-bumper plate at 20 kilos and it somehow got rounded off into a 45 since it meshes better with standard LB plates than 44 would. My bet would be Eleiko or York made the first ones and they just got copycatted by the rest of the makers over time and by default became the standard large plate for sets. I would wonder if anybody ever produced a 25 Kilo 55 lb non-bumper plate early on and it just never caught on as a standard plate for sets. My guess is York made the first ones. Nowadays, the cheaper bars are assumed to be 45 lbs, but they seem to be built to "look" like a standard 20 KG Oly bar instead of actually being one!

[C Man]

It's not that big a deal, but it'd be easier to do the math when you're loading up the bar if the 45 lb plates were 50 lbs, and if the bar itself was 50 lbs. Just makes you think there's no rhyme or reason to how some things get standardized in the first place. Like you said, someone produced something and everyone else copied it. Where's the original thinking? I bet if someone started manufacturing 50 lb olympic plates they'd immediately start outselling 45s.

[dtrrman]

I would agree on the 50's. The standard stuff followed that pattern, 5's, 10's, 20's, 25's, 50's, 75's and so on. I think since the Olympic style sets came out their foreign international competition roots dictated a unusual path for the larger plates. The 45's kind of killed two birds with one stone, close enough for the US weight systemto round off at 45 and close enough for the Metric international system to round off at 20KG. Powerlifting really dictated the birth of the 100lb oly plates, not olympic style lifting. The 50's would be a good seller, both in sets and as add on's, especially with the popularity of powerlifting over olympic lifting. Surprised nobody took that challenge.

[AZIronMine]

AZ, you spoke of doing a book on home gyms, why not also include info on the equipment evolution, the different companies, York, Milo, Weider, Billard, the sets and types of plates they produced from era to era. etc. I would love to know what and when some of those old plates and bars, sets were made, who made them. Looking at some of those old iron plates at used stores and on EBAY really has peaked my curiosity on where, whom, etc.

Surprised you remembered. Thanks. Still not sure if I will action the idea or not. Interesting thought though. I'll keep it in mind.

[AZIronMine]

This is slightly off topic, but does anyone know why with olympic style plates they use 45 lbs for the largest plate as opposed to 50 lbs with standard plates? (I know you can get 100 lb plates but I left them out for the sake of the discussion)

In actual Olympic/International competition they use kilogram based plates, correct? What about in offical strength competitions based only in the USA, do they use pounds or kilos??

For olympic style pound-based plates, I just never understood why they made 45 lb plates instead of just making them 50 lbs.

Hi C Man. Just an FYI, but you can also find 75lb. Oly plates too. Rare and typically older vintage. I have a couple of York 75 lb. Oly plates myself.

[AZIronMine]

Interestingly, the collection of vintage weights and equipment is quite a hobby for some. I have a large and diverse mix of manufacturers for my equipment. I also have some vintage, but not a large amount. I know of several people who collect them. Things like "globe" barbells and dumbells, and manufacturers like York and Jackson. There is some pretty neat stuff out there to be found.

[C Man]

I have no idea if they're considered collectable or hard to find, but my two 25 lb standard plates are Healthways Hollywood brand and are about 40 or more years old.

[AZIronMine]

I have no idea if they're considered collectable or hard to find, but my two 25 lb standard plates are Healthways Hollywood brand and are about 40 or more years old.

I too have healthways plates (among many others). Although mine are vintage 1986. The casting mark is "hi" on mine. I just verified the manufacturer with a few guys I know who are experts/collectors of classic equipment. I am doubtful that the Healthways plates are considered as "rare" like vintage Jackson or Yorks might be. However, they are not that common any more. I am hanging on to mine. Although they get put to use

[evhunter]

Any info on whether they were made in the US or overseas? Shame that theres no real central info on the collecting and historical aspects of barbell plates, bars, sets and companies who made them. There was 6 used Iron Grip 45lb plates on EBAY the other day with "US Army Golden Knights" inscribed on the plates.

dtrrman,

I agree with you. I am a returning weight trainer (after several years of not lifting), and I have been researching some of the vintage barbell plates and sets. It has been hard to find any information on many of the plates that I have been buying. Have you found any central source for information of this type? Please advise as I am trying to find out where Billard Barbell weights were made. I bought my first set in the mid to late 1980s, but I can't remember where they were made.

Please advise.

evhunter

[evhunter]

AZIronMine,

I am a returning weight trainer (after several years of not lifting), and I have been researching some of the vintage barbell plates and sets. It has been hard to find any information on many of the plates that I have been buying. Have you found any central source for information of this type? Please advise as I am trying to find out where Billard Barbell weights were made. I bought my first set in the mid to late 1980s, but I can't remember where they were made. I have some of the Hollywood Healthways plates among others now, but do not know much about any of them.

Please advise.

evhunter

I too have healthways plates (among many others). Although mine are vintage 1986. The casting mark is "hi" on mine. I just verified the manufacturer with a few guys I know who are experts/collectors of classic equipment. I am doubtful that the Healthways plates are considered as "rare" like vintage Jackson or Yorks might be. However, they are not that common any more. I am hanging on to mine. Although they get put to use