Big Josh's Reviews (40)


(3.67)
3/2/2026
These are one of the cheapest options for a rubber change plate set, mine came in at $3.7 per pound. They feel nice in the hand, and uniquely are printed with the markings are both sides of the plates. The markings are just screen printed in a flat section of the plate, so I'm sure that will wear off with time.
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(5.00)
3/2/2026
I think these are probably the most fun plate currently made, and has a real vintage charm. The outer edge having a rounded profile is also a very unique look on the bar. The plates in the image of the review were custom painted as an homage to the Zuver Gym plates.
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(4.67)
2/28/2026
I bought this specifically because it's smaller than the other trap bar options for use in my small bedroom gym. The knurling is very passive, and it can be a little cramped for a big guy. I used it to train a 400lb frame carry, running around the yard with it and it held up fine. The spinning sleeves are mostly useless, but you can roll it around that way.
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(4.00)
2/28/2026
I picked up some of the CAP "competition series" bumpers for my mom's gym. They're less greasy than some of the other cheap plates out there, but they do still stink. The color they're molded in looks pretty nice, but the painted text looks pretty cheesy.
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(4.33)
2/26/2026
It's nicely machined from solid steel with tig welded flanges, and perfectly bomb proof. It is pretty expensive for a single use handle, but it's a lot cheaper than the dumbbells it replaces.
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(4.00)
2/24/2026
The original Pepin Dumbbells. These are an extremely high quality set of adjustable handles that use a screw to hold your plates on. Pepin makes two lengths of screw based on how many plates you need to fit. The screw design is very sturdy, and you can lock it down tight, but it's pretty slow to adjust as you basically need to make a vertical stack of plates and drop the screw through the middle. The two inch and one inch plate models only differ by having a plastic bushing to align the 2" plate onto the screw. If using more than two plates per side I find it helpful to use an additional spacer to keep the weights aligned.
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(4.67)
2/24/2026
The Hell Box is an extremely high quality add on for your belt squat. It makes it easier to load and unload plates, as well as improving your ability to maintain balance with the handle while not being able to cheat by pulling yourself up by the handles. I have mine configured to be as close to the end of the lever arm as possible to maximize felt weight, which is about 80-85% of the plate weight. The only disadvantage to that outboard configuration is your knees have to go on either side of the plates when squatting so you'll want thin plates to go heavy. The handle position has a ton of adjustment so it will work for any size person.
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(4.00)
2/22/2026
The Prime super squat bar is my preferred bar for good mornings. The steel back plate keeps the weight planted on your back and not rolling up you neck when you bend over. For regular ssb squats the shoulder pads are less comfortable when compared to the Rep SSB, being harder and smaller diameter. There's also a decent size gap behind the back of the shoulder pad and the back plate. This means the bar just doesn't work for smaller people like my fiancé.
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40 total