Are cast iron plates REALLY necessary for home gyms? It depends. [Exercises performed] If you’re doing things like squatting and benching inside of a rack with safeties, metal plates are perfectly fine in case you need to bail. Where things start to get a little iffy is on movements like deadlifts and Olympic lifts. [Floor protection] Deadlifts are fine with metal plates as long as you have the proper protection for your floor. This means a proper deadlift platform with ample space between the plates and your floor. With clean&jerks and snatches, flooring isn’t as important. But because these movements are frequently dropped overhead, you absolutely need bumper plates. What plates do you have for your home gym? #fringesport #homegym #garagegym