Iron Man Vintage Weight Plates

Name: Iron Man Vintage Weight Plates
Brand: Iron Man
Rating: 4.33 (4 reviews)

Iron Man Vintage Weight Plates were produced by Peary Rader, publisher of Iron Man Magazine from 1936 to 1986 and one of the most influential figures in mid-20th-century strength training. Rader sold his own line of cast iron plates – distributed through Body Culture Equipment Company of Alliance, Nebraska – as a companion to the magazine, and the line is now recognized by vintage-iron collectors as a distinctive, historically significant brand. The signature pieces are 2” bore Olympic-style plates in 50 lb and 100 lb, purpose-built for loading leg press and other plate-loaded machines rather than general barbell work. Rader also produced a full range of standard 1” bore plates from 1 1/4 lb up to 50 lb. Like most genuine old-growth cast iron, original plates commonly run heavier than their stamped face weight. Production ended decades ago and the line is no longer sold new by anyone – today these plates circulate only on the secondary collectors’ market, where the rare 2” bore 100s command a real premium while the more common 1” plates remain comparatively accessible.

Buying guide

Best Weight Plates for Your Home Gym — July 2026 Bumper Plates or Iron Plates? How to Pick Your First Set — July 2026 Do You Need Calibrated or Competition Plates? — July 2026 How Much Do Weight Plates Cost Per Pound? — July 2026 What Weight Set Should a Beginner Buy? — July 2026 Will Dropping Weights Damage Your Floor? — July 2026

Material	Cast iron
Center hole	2" Olympic bore (50/100 lb plates) or 1" standard bore (smaller plates)
Availability	Discontinued -- no longer manufactured or sold new; secondary/collectors' market only
Manufacturer	Peary Rader / Body Culture Equipment Company (Alliance, NE)
Actual weight	Commonly runs heavier than stamped face weight, typical of vintage cast iron
Available weights olympic	50 lb, 100 lb (2" bore, designed for leg press/machine loading)
Available weights standard	1 1/4 lb to 50 lb (1" bore)

What is a Weight Plate?

What weight plates are

Weight plates load your barbell — but “plate” covers two very different tools. Bumper plates are rubber discs around a steel hub, all the same ~450mm diameter, built to be dropped from overhead without damaging your floor or bar; they’re the default for Olympic lifting and CrossFit. Iron/steel plates are denser and thinner per pound, cheaper, and quieter to load, but most aren’t made to be dropped — better for slow, controlled powerlifting-style work.

What actually matters

Bumper vs. iron. Buy bumpers if the bar might hit the floor; iron (or rubber-coated iron) for controlled lifts and compact loading.
Weight tolerance. How far a plate strays from its stated weight (±1% is tight, ±3% loose). It barely matters for general training but adds up if you chase a specific total — which is why serious lifters add small change / fractional plates.
Collar fit & bounce. The center hole should fit your bar’s sleeve snugly; rubber durometer (around 88 Shore A) controls how “dead” a dropped plate lands.
Coating & set composition. Virgin rubber holds up and smells less than recycled crumb rubber; plan a starting set (usually a pair each of 45/25/10/5 lb plus change plates) around the lifts you actually do.

Who it’s for

Every barbell gym needs plates. Most home lifters should start with a bumper set, then add iron, change, or specialty plates as a second purchase once they know what their training is missing.

How it compares

	Iron Man Vintage Weight Plates	VTX Colored Bumper Plates	2.5 lb PlateMate Brick	BFCO Vintage Weight Plates
GymRadar rating	4.33/5	4.33/5	4.33/5	4.33/5
Price		$127.00	$49.90
Material	Cast iron	Solid rubber shell with a steel center insert		Cast iron, no post-cast machining
Center hole	2" Olympic bore (50/100 lb plates) or 1" standard bore (smaller plates)
Availability	Discontinued -- no longer manufactured or sold new; secondary/collectors' market only
Manufacturer	Peary Rader / Body Culture Equipment Company (Alliance, NE)	Troy Barbell & Fitness (VTX line)		Bell Foundry Company (Los Angeles, CA)
Actual weight	Commonly runs heavier than stamped face weight, typical of vintage cast iron
Available weights olympic	50 lb, 100 lb (2" bore, designed for leg press/machine loading)
Available weights standard	1 1/4 lb to 50 lb (1" bore)

4.3/5 · 4 GymRadar reviews

Reviews by source

Expert	4.33/5	4 reviews
Youtube	4.2/5	1 reviews

These are a genuine piece of strength-training history rather than a live product line: Peary Rader, publisher of Iron Man Magazine from the 1930s through the 1980s, sold his own plates alongside the magazine, and today they survive only on the secondary collectors’ market. Build quality and durability stand out — the cast iron on original 100lb and 50lb Olympic-style plates plus the full 1” standard range (1 1/4lb to 50lb) has held up for 50+ years and typically runs heavier than face value, a hallmark of genuine old-growth iron. Versatility is the weak dimension: the 100s and 50s were purpose-built for loading leg presses and machines, not general barbell work, and the 2” bore plates in particular are scarce enough ($1,500-2,000 per pair of 100s reported by owners) that most buyers will only ever find the more common 1” plates.

+Build quality: original cast iron plates run heavier than their stamped face value, a trait owners flag as evidence of genuine old-growth iron construction (GymRadar owner reviews)
+Durability: plates from the 1930s-1980s production era are still in daily gym use decades later (GymRadar owner reviews)
+Value: 1" standard plates (1 1/4lb-50lb) are common enough on the secondary market to be accessibly priced, unlike the rarer 2" bore Olympic plates (GymRadar owner review)
+Functionality: 50lb and 100lb Olympic-style plates were purpose-designed for easy loading on leg presses and machines, a use owners still favor today (Massenomics: The Iron Guide)

−Versatility: the signature 50lb/100lb plates were designed specifically for leg press/machine loading, not general barbell training (Massenomics: The Iron Guide)
−Value: 2" bore 100lb pairs are scarce and expensive on the collectors' market ($1,500-2,000/pair reported), pricing out casual buyers (GymRadar owner review)
−Functionality: this is a discontinued vintage line with no current manufacturer or retailer availability — sourcing means hunting the secondary market (GymRadar, Massenomics)