Before starting a resistance training program, you need to know which tools to use. By knowing the weight of different types of barbells you can easily factor this resistance into your training regimen. The standard weightlifting bar is the Olympic barbell, a free weight which is held with two hands. You can also perform resistance training with dumbbells, free weights which you grasp with one hand.
Weight of Olympic Bar
An article on LeeHayward.com notes a standard Olympic barbell is between 4 and 7 feet long and weighs 45 lbs. Olympic barbells are heavy duty pieces of equipment which can hold weights of more than 1,000 lbs. Smaller versions of the traditional Olympic barbell are between 4 and 6 feet long and weight approximately 10 to 20 lbs. Some gyms provide a barbell rack with fixed weight barbells, ranging from 20 to 100 lbs., moving up in 5 to 10 lb. increments. Fitness stores offer standard barbells that are 1 inch thick and 5 to 6 feet long. These smaller, lighter barbells are ideal for a home gym.
Exercises
The 45 lb. Olympic barbell is used for exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and military presses. Intermediate to advanced weightlifters train with Olympic barbells to handle the heavy weights used for these compound movements. Athletes might use the 10 to 20 lb. Olympic barbell for movements like bent rows, bicep curls and front lateral raises. Using a lighter weight and smaller bar helps you effectively isolate the muscle for these shaping movements. One inch thick barbells can be used for a variety of resistance training movements but you can't load a significant amount of weight onto these bars.
Plates
Barbells are loaded with iron, rubber or plastic plates. Olympic barbells are loaded with heavier Olympic plates ranging from 2.5 to 100 lbs. and the smaller, standard barbells are loaded with one inch thick standard barbells typically running from 1/2 to 10 lbs.
Olympic Movements
The barbell used for competitions like the Olympics is a steel bar loaded with rubber-coated discs. The weight of the discs range from 0.5 to 25 kg. The weights are fastened with two metal collars which are approximately 2.5 kg, adding 5 kg to the lift weight.
EZ Curl Bar
The EZ curl bar is used to exercise the triceps and biceps with movements like skull crushers or preacher curls. The bar has angled hand placements and is significantly shorter than an Olympic barbell, usually measuring no more than 4 feet. Using the angled hand placements helps you effectively isolate your muscles by placing more tension on the desired muscle group.
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