When I was planning my full gym build-out, one of the first things that went on my list was a weightlifting platform. It seemed like every gym I looked at online had a platform.
I honestly didn’t even know why I might need one (or not). I simply figured it was something you needed if you were going to be training at home.
Did I mention that they looked cool? And who doesn’t want their home gym to look cool, right?
But here I am over a year after building my current garage gym and I have no platform. In fact, I have no plans to build or buy one at all. It turns out that I really don’t need one. There’s a good chance you don’t either.
Lifting platforms provide a protected area to drop heavily loaded barbells to the ground. This is most commonly done with Olympic-style lifting as well as deadlifts. The platform will protect the floor, weights, and your bar. Outside of this style of lifting, they are not needed in most home gyms.
What is a lifting platform?
If you aren’t familiar with lifting platforms, they are a fairly straightforward piece of gym equipment. They are a platform, usually made from a combination of wood and rubber, that comes between your floor and your weights.
There are two basic types, each with their own purpose.
A deadlift platform is usually 8′ wide by 4′ deep. The center 4′ by 4′ portion is wood and the outer 2′ by 4′ sections are topped off with rubber mats. This type of platform is used for heavy deadlifting.
If the amount of weight being lifted is high (over 400 lbs), is done with metal plates, and/or the weight is being dropped to the floor, a platform can be used to prevent damage to the plates and to the floor.
An Olympic lifting platform is used for highly technical Olympic lifts. Because of the dynamic nature of these lifts, a deeper platform is needed. This type of platform typically measures 8′ wide by 8-12′ deep. The center is wood while the outer edges are lined with 3/4″ thick rubber.