Barbells fall into the category of free weights. These training tools do not have attachments, cables, pulleys or chains regulating their movement. Blending these into your workouts causes you to recruit more muscle fiber to maintain your stability. When it comes to choosing a barbell, you have many options. Each one has its own shape and purpose.
Olympic Bar
An Olympic barbell is the type used for many powerlifting exercises such as bench presses, squats, deadlifts, clean and presses, and military presses. This bar weighs 45 lbs. and is about 7 feet long. The ends of the bar have areas to slide weight plates onto. Weight plates start at 2-1/2 lbs. and go up to 45 lbs. They get anchored on with collars that are either spring-loaded or have a twisting clamp. The middle of the bar is knurled, which gives you a better grip during exercises. Because the Olympic bar has room for a high amount of resistance, it is made from durable steel.
Curl
The curl bar is also known as an EZ bar or preacher bar. Unlike a standard barbell, this has a wavy design that enables you to grasp the bar with your hands at a slight inward angle. Performing exercises like this takes stress off your wrists. A basic curl exercise is often done with the bar and a preacher curl bench from a seated position. Your upper arms are pinned to a padded support as you raise the bar upward. In similar fashion to an Olympic bar, you have the option of sliding weights plates on the ends to increase the resistance. Preacher curl bars alone generally weigh 25 lbs., but this is dependent on the manufacturer.
Triceps Bar
A triceps bar has a rectangular shape with rounded corners and it has two parallel handles in the center. This bar is often used for exercises like lying triceps extensions -- also known as skull crushers. You also have the option of using the bar to work your biceps and brachioradialis with a hammer curl. The brachioradialis runs down the top of the forearm. This exercise gets its name from the fact that your palms are in the same position they'd be in while swinging a hammer. Weight plates slide onto the ends of the triceps bar to increase the resistance.
Trap Bar
A trap bar is diamond shaped and you stand inside of it to do exercises. Its name derives from the fact that it is used to do a shoulder shrug for the large trapezius muscles in the upper back. This bar also allows you to do deadlifts by standing in the center, lowering it to the floor and standing back up. The handles on the bar are parallel to each other and they have a knurled pattern to improve your grip.
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