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Training plates: Why would you buy them?

Image of AR500 Armor steel training plates

We are often asked about our training plates, why we offer them, and who would buy them. To answer these questions, it would be good to take a look at how they evolved.

"Murph"

In June, 2005, Lt. Michael P. Murphy and three other Navy SEALs were dropped in the Afghanistan mountains on Operation Redwings. During the operation, he and two other SEALs were killed in battle, with Marcus Luttrell being the only survivor.

Later that year, a Crossfit workout was created “Murph” to honor Lt. Murphy, with one version of the workout using tactical armor or a weighted vest. Local Crossfit gyms held Murph as their only workout on Memorial Day each year, and in 2016, Murph was introduced into the annual Crossfit games. Weighted vests suddenly had a national audience.

Weighted vests

Using weighted vests isn’t new and certainly wasn’t an invention of Crossfit; indeed, athletes have been using weighted vests for years. But using a weighted vest during a grueling workout was suddenly very popular, especially since some military and law enforcement gym members wore their tactical vests for the workout.

Since most folks don’t own tactical vests, repurposing armor carriers for use in the gym and training gained popularity, but people were hesitant to spend hundreds of dollars on ballistic vests and plates they didn't need and which, depending on the type, could be damaged if dropped.

Steel ballistic armor has been around for a number of years, and became an inexpensive way to have a weighted vest. Steel armor, however, tends to be the same weight, so there was no way to adjust weights to account for different training or fitness levels. Enter steel training plates.

Steel training plates

A question we’re often asked is “why would I use non-ballistic steel training plates instead of actual body armor?”

We can think of three reasons:

  1. Variety. We offer steel training plates in a variety of weights, from 5.75 pounds to 15 pounds per plate, which is heavier than the heaviest ballistic plate we offer.
  2. No expensive pouches, gear or plates to worry about. Even if you have a ballistic / tactical vest, having a dedicated training vest alleviates the potential for damage to your life-saving equipment. 
  3. Cost. Steel training plates are less expensive for the same weight of ballistic steel armor.

If you’ve ever thought about training with a weighted vest but didn’t want to use your dedicated armor (or don’t have body armor to use), consider our non-ballistic training weights and vests. Enjoy your workout!

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