A barbell is a metal bar, 5 to 7 feet long, that holds weight plates. Olympic barbells take Olympic plates, and standard barbells take standard plates. The process is the same to load either type of barbell. Manufacturers produce barbells with different features and specifications. Each barbell has a load capacity, which is the amount of weight it can safely hold. Know the weight capacity of a barbell before you load it with any weight plates.
Step 1
Place the barbell on the weight rack. Select the largest weight plate and slide it onto one end of the bar. Make sure you push it as far as it will go. Repeat on the other side.
Step 2
Add plates evenly on each end of the bar until you have the desired weight.
Step 3
Slide a weight collar on the bar to hold the weights in place. If it is a spring-loaded collar, squeeze the end of the springs, slide the collar on the bar and release the springs. If it is a standard collar, slide the collar on the bar and turn the locking pin until the collar is tight.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are loading the barbell on the floor, kneel down next to one end of the bar. Lift the end and slide the largest weight plate on the bar. Repeat on the other side. This lifts the bar off the floor, making it easier to load the other plates. When calculating the total weight you will be lifting, consider the weight of the bar itself. Olympic barbells weigh 45 lbs.; standard barbells weigh between 15 and 30 lbs. Make sure the weight collar is snug against the weight plates so the plates don't bang around. Choose weight plates that go with the barbell. Olympic bars take plates with 2-inch center holes; standard bars take plates with 1-inch center holes. If you want to use Olympic plates on a standard barbell, first slide an Olympic adapter onto the barbell. This turns the 1-inch weight sleeves into 2-inch weight sleeves.
- Adding weight plates to one side of the bar first before adding any to the other side may cause the bar to tip over. This is especially true for standard barbells, which are lighter than Olympic barbells.
Things You'll Need
- Plate collars
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