Found out my gym's leg press machine is way off on weight

I've been adding 10-pound plates for months and hitting what I thought was 300, but last week I used the calibrated plates at a different gym and could barely move 250. Turns out those old plates at my gym have been worn down or mislabeled for years, so my progress numbers are totally fake. Anybody ever check if their gym's plates match the stated weight?

2 comments

2 Comments

carr.blake8d ago

Used to roll my eyes at people who brought their own plates to the gym (like, who has time for that?), but after reading this I totally get it now. My old gym had those rubber-coated hex dumbbells that were supposedly 50 pounds but felt way heavier than the 50s at my new place. These manufacturing tolerances are terrible across the board, especially with cheaper equipment. I actually weighed some plates at my current gym with a luggage scale last week and found a 45 pound plate that was only 38 pounds. Makes you wonder how many people think they're making real progress when they're just lifting lighter steel. Might be worth packing that scale in your gym bag if you really want to know where you stand.

jamiew838d ago

Wait, did the handle actually feel uneven or just the weight?