Fractional weight plates for Olympic bars (1kg or less) are, somewhat ironically, a great asset for heavy lifting as they allow progressive overload to continue at the point where a plateau usually sets in and larger weight increases aren't a viable option - those times when you're walking the fine line between overload and failure where adding an extra 5kg is the difference between the bar leaving the floor and being stuck there, but an extra 0.5kg can be done.
So, fractional plates are yet another tool you can add to your box to fight plateaus, along with things like bands, chains and assistance lifts. The more options you have to fight a plateau, the more likely you'll be to blast through it.
Fractional plates are also great for any sort of training where a small difference is a big difference, for example grip training where you're only working with small muscles and 0.5kg may represent a 10% increase in weight. Of course, they're also an essential for any serious 1RM tests.
Fractional plates have typically been quite hard to come by in Australia, so Iron Edge has had their own high quality, precision fractional plates manufactured. Iron Edge's Precision Fractional Plates pack come with 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1kg pairs that are powder coated to prevent rusting and will fit on any standard Olympic sized bar or pin.
For more information or to get fractional weight plates in Australia click here.