- .... If you have calibrated plates available, use them exclusively. If there are no
calibrated plates, try to persuade the management where you train to invest
in some. Otherwise you need to do the next best thing. First convince the
management of the importance of accurate weights. en get permission to
check all the plates and bars in the gym. e owner should be delighted you
are willing to do this, but most owners will probably be resistant, especially
in large facilities.. Assuming that the gym’s scale is not already calibrated, you need to do some
calibration. Take an object of about pounds to a post office (or some-
where else that has a calibrated scale), and have it weighed. Next weigh the
same object on the gym’s scale and compare the two weights. en make
the adjustment that may be necessary to the scale, or make an appropriate
allowance when you use it.. Weigh the gym’s plates during a quiet time so that you do not disturb many
people. Using permanent paint, and only whenever a plate does not weigh
what it is supposed to, mark the actual weight on each plate (other than
those on fixed-weight dumbbells). Also find the true weight of each bar and
fixed-weight dumbbell you are likely to use.. en when you train you will know precisely what you are putting on the
bar. You will need to match equally weighted plates for balance (or use
matching combinations), or use small discs to even out discrepancies.. If you are unable to mark inaccurate plates with their actual weights, manage
as best you can. At least try to discover the plates that are the worst offend-
ers, and avoid using them. Or find the brand that is the most accurate, and
stick to that brand whenever possible, especially when you use big plates.. If you train at home, there will be no problem finding out the true weights
of the individual items you lift.. Suppleness
. A flexible body helps protect you from injury, so long as you do not perform
your stretching exercises in a way that exposes you to injury in the first
place.. As with all forms of exercise, it is much better you start out modestly, and
be consistent with it, rather than start out with so much that you cannot
sustain it for more than a few weeks. Better to start with – stretches on