Plate Mate 2.5 lbs

Every bodybuilder knows that progressive resistance is one of the core concepts of building muscle. The trouble is, most fixed dumbbells go up in 10-pound increments or, if you’re lucky, five-pound jumps. That’s fine for a power exercise like rows, but what happens when you add 10 pounds to your lateral raises? You go from eight reps to three. Doing triples on laterals is better for injuring your shoulders than building cannonball delts. What’s the answer? The Plate Mate.

This ingenious invention is a magnetized disk that weighs in at 2.5 pounds. Slap one on each end of your dumbbell, and you’ve made a progressive-resistance jump you can handle with the most isolated exercise and a more comfortable jump for compound movements as well. Taking small steps up the poundage ladder means you build muscle faster and safer.

A couple of Plate Mates are also great for sticking on a weight stack or barbell to get that all-important progressive-resistance kick. Every home gym should have at least two of these disks, and commercial gyms should have a pair at every lifting station.

You can get 1 1/4-pound or 2 1/2-pound versions.

Available in round only. Price per pair