Short answer: Yes, if you've stalled on presses, rows or cable work where a 5 lb jump is too big. Rubber-coated change plates are the cheapest and simplest way to microload a barbell. A magnetic weight adder like the Midas Touch does the same job and also works on steel weight stacks, so one tool covers your bar and your cable machine.

Magnetic Weight Adder vs. Change Plates: Side by Side

Here are the specs from our product pages:

Why Small Jumps Matter More Than You Think

If your smallest plates are 2.5 lb, putting one on each side raises the bar 5 lb. That feels small until you look at it as a percentage of the lift.

• Squat at 315 lb: a 5 lb jump is about 1.6%. Not much.
• Bench at 185 lb: a 5 lb jump is about 2.7%.
• Overhead press at 95 lb: a 5 lb jump is about 5.3%.
• Cable lateral raises at 20 lb: a 5 lb jump is 25%.

Heavy lower-body lifts can absorb 5 lb jumps for a long time. Upper-body pressing, isolation work and cable movements can't. That's where people stall and start "progressing" by cheating reps or bouncing the bar. A 1.25 lb change plate on each side cuts the jump to 2.5 lb, which is about 1.4% on that 185 lb bench and 2.6% on the 95 lb press.

Hybrid athletes run into this more than pure lifters. When running volume is high, strength on the bar tends to climb slowly. Smaller jumps let you keep adding load week to week instead of holding the same weight for a month.

Cable Machines Are Where Microloading Pays Off Most

This is where the two options really differ. Change plates have a 2" hole, so they only work on a barbell or a plate-loaded pin. They can't go on a selectorized weight stack.

The Midas Touch is built for both. The open U-shape slides onto an Olympic sleeve, and the built-in industrial-grade magnet holds it on a steel weight stack. If you own a functional trainer, a lat pulldown tower or a rack with a stacked cable system, that's the main reason to pick it.

Plates on a weight stack often go up in 10 lb or larger steps. On lat pulldowns, seated rows, face pulls and triceps pushdowns, that step is a big share of your working weight. A magnetic adder lets you split the gap between two pins, so you don't have to jump a full plate before you're ready.

One thing to check first: the magnet needs a steel surface. If your machine's stack has plastic or coated plates, or a top plate that isn't steel, test it before you load a working set.

How to Microload a Barbell With Change Plates

1. Load your main plates as usual. Biggest plates go on first.
2. Put change plates on last, on the outside of the stack. The 1.25 lb plate is only 0.525" thick, so it takes up almost no sleeve space.
3. Collar them. Small plates slide around on the sleeve, especially during Olympic lifts. A spring clip or collar keeps the load even.
4. Progress in steps of 2.5 lb total (1.25 lb per side) on presses and rows. Save 5 lb jumps for squats and deadlifts.
5. Write down the exact load. Microloading only works if you know what you lifted last week.

Lifting in kilos? The kg set suits percentage programs. With 0.5 kg plates per side you can move in 1 kg total steps, and the 1, 1.5 and 2 kg plates let you hit almost any target number without stacking lots of small plates.

Durability, Smell and Garage Conditions

The Savage change plates are cast iron with a virgin rubber coating. The coating protects your barbell sleeve from scratches when you load and unload often, and the plates hold +/- 1% tolerance. One heads-up from the product page: the 0.5 kg and 5 kg plates in the kg line arrived with an oily finish that couldn't be fully cleaned, and they're priced lower to reflect that.

The Midas Touch is solid A3 steel with no rubber. The listing points out that it won't crack, melt or off-gas in hot or humid garages, and its PVD coating resists corrosion. If your gym is in an uninsulated garage, that's a fair point in its favor.

Who Should Buy, Who Should Skip

Buy the Midas Touch if:

• You own a cable machine, functional trainer or lat pulldown with a steel weight stack and you keep getting stuck between pins.
• You want one microloading tool for both the bar and the cables.
• You hate digging through a bin of loose plates. It sticks to your rack upright between sets.

Buy change plates if:

• You train almost only with a barbell.
• You want the lowest cost per increment. A 1.25 lb pair is $30.
• You want several sizes (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 lb, or the full kg range) for warm-ups, technique work and percentage programs.

Skip both (for now) if:

• You're still adding 5–10 lb a week to your main lifts. You don't need small jumps until progress slows.
• Your program is based on reps or RPE and you rarely change the load.

Common Mistakes

• Microloading everything. Squats and deadlifts usually handle 5 lb jumps far longer than presses. Use small plates where the percentage jump is largest.
• Skipping collars on small plates. Loose change plates shift and can leave one side heavier.
• Assuming a magnet sticks to every stack. Check that your stack plates are steel before you load a working set.
• Buying only one size. A single 2.5 lb pair still means 5 lb jumps. For true microloading on a barbell, you need the 1.25 lb pair (or 0.5 kg).
• Not logging exact loads. "About 190" isn't a progression plan. Write down the real number.

FAQ

Are fractional plates worth it for a home gym?

For most intermediate lifters, yes. A 1.25 lb pair starts at $30, and small plates help most on upper-body lifts, where a 5 lb jump is a big percentage of the load.

Can I use change plates on a cable machine?

Not on a selectorized weight stack. Their 2" center hole fits barbell sleeves and plate-loaded pins only. To add small weight to a stack, use a magnetic adder like the Midas Touch.

Does the Midas Touch need a collar on a barbell?

The product page says it slides on and off with no collars or tools needed, thanks to the open U-shape and magnet. Many lifters still collar the outside of their plates for Olympic lifts.

Should I buy pounds or kilograms?

Match the plates you already own and the way your program is written. If your program uses percentages of a kilo max, the kg set gives finer steps (0.5 kg plates). If your bumpers are in pounds, stick with pounds.

How much weight should I add each week?

That depends on your program. A common approach is 2.5 lb total jumps on pressing and rows, and 5 lb on squats and deadlifts, for as long as you can keep hitting your target reps.

Start Microloading

If you train with both a barbell and a cable stack, the Midas Touch Magnetic Fractional Weight Adder covers both, and a pair ($75) keeps barbell loading balanced. For barbell-only training, grab a 1.25 lb pair of Savage Change Plates or the kg set and collar them with Midas Spring Clips.

Related reading:

• Bumper Plates vs. Iron Plates: What's Right for a Home Gym?
• Lat Pulldown Machine vs. Rack Attachment: Which Is Better for a Home Gym?
• Functional Trainer vs. Cable Crossover Machine: Which One Actually Fits a Home Gym?