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Sam does a deficit deadlift with 85 kgs. She is using a t-bell.
There are 7 plates of 5 kgs each. 2 plates of 17.5 kgs each. And the t-bell weighs 15 kgs.
Her feet are positioned 17 inches apart.
Anyone who knows equipment knows that bumper and powerlifting plates are a standard 450 mm (just under 18 inches) in diameter. So you can’t use those plates to perform a shoulder width deficit deadlift.
The origin of the 18 inch plate is attributed to the space needed in the event of a failure while performing a push press, snatch or a clean and jerk. If you fail and the bar drops, there is enough clearance between the bar and the floor for a turned head or neck to escape the falling bar. Basically plates hit the floor before the bar hits your neck or head. This is unverified but it is plausible.
The 18 inch plate is far too wide to be used on a t-bell. So we machined a plate that is between 9 and 15 inches in diameter. Shaving off 3 inches allows for a closer-to-shoulder width stance deadlift. This approximates a conventional pull reasonably well. And it comes with all the advantages of having the center of mass of the load you are lifting (the t-bell) positioned directly in line with your mid foot. And the load can travel in a neat vertical line. I think it’s a very underrated move!
The plates are between 2.5 kgs-17.5 kgs in weight. I often pick up scrap flanges and increase the bore size. We have also commissioned flanges with the 50.4 mm diameter holes needed for a snug barbell fit. That’s the one standard I cannot argue with given how many trap bars, barbells and conventional 50 mm shafts we have in our gym.