 First question is from Seacuff Fitness. What's the difference between lifting steel plates versus bumper plates? Are there advantages and different disadvantages to both for lifts such as squats, deadlifts, cleans, et cetera? You know what's funny about that is you think like, oh, it's ways the same as no, but if you really break it down, there's a little bit of a difference. No, there's absolutely a little difference to it. And I also forget, you know, we're so surface area. That's for sure. Well, we're so into the space for so long that you forget. Like if you were entering into. I would ask that question. Right. Like why are these people using rubber, you know, these bumper plates that bounce and why are these other ones using iron? And, you know, is there a vantage to one or the other? Steel inserts like the Olympic style. I mean, I mean, I prefer certain ones for certain things. Yeah. So yeah. So I think for specific exercises, ones are more valuable. I like iron and steel plates for almost all lifts, mainly because I like the feel and the sound and it's just it's nostalgic for me. But if I'm going to do something off the ground, if I'm going to do something where I'm dropping a weight for sure, I want bumper plates. But if it's off the ground, a deadlift, I like bumper plates because even when I put the weight down, I like to have a little bit of bounce because the metal plates are just so jarring and so loud. I'll tell you the plates I don't like, which I remember. That's a gone place. Yes. Oh, that's fucking piss me off. Every 20 for our fitness too. It became a big thing in that the whole thing was, oh, they don't roll, you know. But you do anything off the ground is dangerous. So you put a deadlift down with hexagon plates on one side's over here, one side's over there. Yeah, it definitely throws off your entire trajectory of your bar path. The bumper plates, the other thing I liked about them when they first came out was that the lighter plates were the same size as the of your plates. So you look strong. Yeah. I got five plates on the bar, but no, not really. Honestly, I think there's something to that though for some, especially beginner, intermediate lifters. It's like it's psychological. You just don't feel like such a complete wuss. Yeah. You know, it's funny though, how many times have you heard this? I've actually seen memes like this where people are like, I don't care what you say, the metal plates are heavier than the bumper plates. Oh, some people swear by. They do. Well, I mean, you can make a case for like old war rubber plates. If you're slamming them on the ground, they're going to chip a little bit and the rubber will, but I mean an ounce. The other thing too is with bumper plates, you can fit less of them on the bar. So like, for example, if I'm going to do a deadlift or a hip thrust, something where I can use quite a bit of weight, I can't go past, I think, five plates. Oh, that's the main reason why I like competition plates with the steel inserts instead. So you get sort of that hybrid where you can load. They stay skinny and they're pretty standardized. So each plate is almost like the same width. But yeah, because it's so annoying if you're trying to do anything from the ground and it's like, you get to four of those bumper or those rubber plates and you're done. Especially the ones, here's the other ones I hate, the ones that back in the day, the Crossfitters would post, which were, they were not just rubber, they were huge. Yeah. Like they put like, and they were 10 pounds or 15 pounds. They were this fat and it's like, you know, five plates on each side and it's only, you know, 95 pounds. Yeah, I think, because I'm not really, I'm not doing a lot of Olympic type of moves. Like maybe Justin might do more of this. The only thing I'm really doing off the ground with the barbell is the deadlift. And I actually just liked the first one, a bumper plate. So you could actually do the first one, a bumper plate and then the rest iron because the bumper plates are normally a little... Just a tad bit bigger. Yeah. And that's all you need. So when you slam it, it slams the bumper and you still get that iron clinging sound that you like, you know, which I agree. I like that same sound. For sure. For Olympic lifts, like I want everything as close to me as possible. Like with that width, it's just so clunky, you know, to have the weight distributed way outside my body. That, okay. That's a great point, right? So it will change the feel of the exercise because the weight starts to extend out past with a longer lever. I noticed this with squatting. So I noticed I like squatting definitely with the skinny iron, the skinnier the plate because it is close to my body. And when it's all out there, it tends to have this more kind of bouncy left to right. So I do prefer that for squatting. 100%. A lot of this is based off of feel. Okay. So yes, definitely bumper plates. If you're dropping the weights on the floor, it's safer. It's not going to break or make a crazy amount of noise and get thrown out of the gym. Yeah. But there is a feel aspect, right? Like, for example, I remember years ago, I went to this old iron dungeon gym and I didn't realize how old this equipment was until later when I became more educated on how equipment changed over the years. But this place literally had dumbbells and barbells where the dumbbell had to handle. And then the ends were round iron balls. Like these must have been dumbbells from the 50s and 60s and they had barbells that were like that. So and I didn't like the feel as much because the weight came out and it just felt different versus when they would have the plates or whatever. Then later on, of course, you'd work out the one with plates. It was like caveman dumbbells. Yeah, I've seen those. This is crazy. Really weird. And they had barbells like that. They had this rack with barbells lined up on it and they were all big round, you know, cannonball ends on the barbells. And it was really weird. So old-timey. It was and not only was it like that, I remember this to the handles. So rather than having a thick, right? Well, well, there was one like that. But they instead of just having, you know, the straight bar all the way across, it was the bar. And then there were like there were like places where you're supposed to put your hands. Now what I don't like about that was if you went wider or more narrow, it was kind of weird. And if like half your hand was on the handle, it wouldn't feel very good. So you could tell that they when they created these, they were like some of the first weights, you know, that they kind of. It's so funny to see, like if you look back, like how much technology has influenced now and upgraded a lot of just regular fitness equipment, like even barbells, you know, the ones that like spin and the ones that have flex in them. And, you know, like the Texas bars and some of those Olympic bars now, like I love that. Like I love like how they've innovated a very simple thing like a barbell. Now, do you guys have a favorite types of barbells and dumbbells just for yourself? I really liked what was the brand that Ben Pakolsky had at his gym? Oh, yeah. I really liked those. Like those kind of like a chrome, chrome weights or whatever. Yeah, those dumbbells. Yeah, those dumbbells. They felt really good. Yeah. Do you remember the name of that brand, Doug? I'm looking them up right now. Yeah, he'll let us know. You know what I really liked that he had too? So back in the day, the first incline benches that were invented was a bench that was inclined, but you didn't sit on anything. You stood up against it. And the way that people would work out is you would have to clean a weight. So there was no rack, right? So you'd clean the weight and then you'd lay back on this incline, do your press and then come forward. And of course, the limiting factor was like how much you could clean, right? Later on, they invented the incline bench that you sat in with the rack. Now what he had, what Pakolsky had, which I love, was a combination of both. So you could stand back and have the rack. If you've ever done an incline press where you get to stand and plant your feet, put your feet into it. Oh, the feeling is so much better. I really like it because it's actually, it's really challenging for me. I'm still not good at that technique with really grounding and using my leg drive. My leg drive. I just, I'm still not good at it. Like I have to actively get into the bench press and really think about loading my legs and using them. Or otherwise, I've trained myself for so long of not using my legs at bench press. But that's something where when you're in that, it forces that because you're standing up on them, right? So you're already naturally in that position where, you know, when you do a bench press, your legs are kind of wrapped kind of behind you and you're trying to do that, just doesn't feel as, I don't feel like I can drive as well as I am when I'm standing up. So I really like that. That's why I like it. You activate your CNS and you're much tighter with that. Is that the brand? I think it might be. It's Watson Gym Equipment from the UK. Oh, there's a free plug, free plug for you guys. Send some more away. Yeah, it feels really good. You know, since we're on the topic, I like this is a fun topic for me. Machines. Do you guys have a favorite brand of machines that you've ever used? Hammer straights. Yeah, like hammer straights. Really? I've always liked it just because it's got like the plate loaded. And I just like the different angles they use a lot more so than some of the other. But I mean, even there was some at, what was that? Gym at the Cyan Gym. I'm trying to remember. Hoist is really cool, too. What they've done now with like leverage, I think those are pretty neat. Very interesting. Yeah, but I still I don't necessarily have a favorite brand, but I do have favorite machines within a specific brand. For example, the Nautilus old school Nautilus chain, not cable, I use the chain pullover machine. I have yet to ever use a pullover machine that feels like that. And Nautilus had a couple pieces of equipment. They had this really awkward tricep extension machine. You'd have to squeeze in like this and put your elbows on these pads. And then the top was like this and it was also used the chain. But oh my God, it was like simulating a skull crusher. It was a great tricep exercise. And you won't find them with the chain anymore because I'm sure somebody got their finger in there. Probably lost their hand at some point.