Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of athletes who think that powerlifting platforms are pointless. Unfortunately for most of these athletes, their time doing the serious exercises that powerlifters do, such as deadlifts and squats, are short lived. After all, you can’t expect to have a lasting powerlifting experience if you don’t consider the health of your knees in the long run.
Powerlifting platforms are about more than just providing relief for your knees, however. They can also protect the flooring of your fitness area, and they can help you avoid slipping while exercising as well. Overall, a powerlifting platform is a worthy investment that provides a variety of different benefits.
Even when athletes finally realize that a powerlifting platform is worth purchasing, there are still other questions that remain. For example, are all units the same? If so, why are they priced differently? If not, then how do you determine the difference between units when purchasing one that is perfect for your powerlifting goals?
If these sound like the sort of questions you have, then you’ve come to the right place. We are here to help you find the perfect powerlifting platform for your gym. No matter what your goals may be, what space limitations you may have, or what your budget looks like, we’ve got something for everyone.
Here is a further look at our top 3 powerlifting platforms that we would trust under our feet any time we hit the gym.
Rogue OLY Platform – The One the Pro’s Use
There is no wasting time for you, huh? You know that you love powerlifting and you’re willing to do whatever it takes to go all-in with this sport. If that’s the case, then look no further than the Rogue OLY Platform. Rogue is one of only a handful of companies that are trusted in Olympic sanctioned lifting events, and having their mats in your gym will get you ready for any competitions you do in the future.
The Rogue OLY Platform comes as 12 individually packaged 24×24” rubber tiles. Each tile is also 1.5” thick, which gives you plenty of stability under your feet. When all put together, the final platform is 6×8’ with an additional 2×2” frame along the outside. The goal is to not need all of the additional space, but it’s incredibly nice to know you have it while training. That peace of mind lets you focus your attention on what really matters, which is being able to squat, bench, clean, or deadlift a ton of weight.
The OLY platform is also made of a combination of rubber and plywood, which is easy on the flooring underneath. A lifting platform should keep the floor under it safe; not damage it even more. And yet, too many platforms out there will move around or have a hard underbody. That’s not the case with the Rogue OLY Platform, which will instead preserve your lifting area for years to come.
York Oak Platforms – A Recognizable Option
We know that being a powerlifter is more about results and less about looks. But every once in a while, we come across something that really perks our interests and makes us say, “we have to have this in our gym.” York Oak Platforms are those pieces of equipment, as they are as beautiful as they are reliable.
The first thing that you will notice about the York Oak Platforms is their beautiful two-tone surface. On each side is a rubber platform where you can easily rest your weights right before you blast off the ground for a new personal best. But in order to keep your feet sturdy beneath you, there is a hardwood flooring that provides for optimal protection against sliding around. Of course we recommend that you use the best shoes possible for lifting, which you can find in our section on powerlifting shoe reviews.
The one question that immediately comes up when people look at York Oak Platforms is whether or not they are worth the price – because, yes, they are expensive. The answer is that they totally are, assuming you plan on having this piece of fitness equipment in your home gym for years to come.
While a York Oak Platform may set you back a few hundred, or even a couple thousand, dollars, serious powerlifters will have no problem spending this type of coin on a platform that will last a lifetime.
XMark Fitness XMat Ultra Thick Gym Flooring
Don’t worry bargain shoppers, we haven’t forgotten about you. And just because you are about to come across a budget friendly platform, don’t be fooled because this is an incredibly superior quality unit.
You can find the XMark Fitness XMat Ultra Thick Gym Flooring for under $100, and that is a worthy investment into something that will last you for years to come. If, for example, you get 10 years out of this mat, that’s well worth the $1 per-month you’d pay for it over the course of its lifetime. Now you can see why we love the XMark gym flooring so much.
What we also really like about this mat in specific is the ability to adjust its size as you see fit. For those that want to add just a small space for lifting, that is easy to do so with the basic 4 ft. pad. However, if you want to later add more padding, there are additional options to do so. This is a perfect fit for those that are continually expanding their gym, or simply those that want to test the waters before going all in on their gym flooring.
When you exercise, you need to consider the impact it’s having on your body. The goal is that fitness will lead to a stronger and healthier body. However, if you don’t train properly, that may not be the case.
With powerlifters, there is a ton of weight that is being thrown around. In order to ensure your knees and the other parts of your body are going to last as long as you do, consider the benefits a platform flooring can have. And as you look to add one to your gym, these three are certainly the top choices to choose from.