Free weights, including barbells, force your body to control and stabilize the weights through the entire range of motion. Although this provides an effective, versatile workout, it also creates the additional risk of getting trapped beneath the barbell, or having a weight plate slide off and land on you, or someone else. Lifting the appropriate amount of weight and using a spotter helps mitigate the risk of trapping yourself beneath the bar, and loading weight plates onto the barbell properly is the best way to keep them from sliding off.
Step 1
Decide ahead of time how much weight you're going to use. The weight should be light enough that you can do at least eight repetitions with good form, but not so light that you can do more than 12. If you keep track of how many reps you do of how much weight in a notebook, determining the correct weight is as easy as glancing at your records.
Step 2
Place the barbell on a rack designed specifically for holding barbells. The rack should either have a broad enough base to be stable on its own, or be attached to a weight bench. Make sure the barbell is level.
Step 3
Load the heaviest weight plates onto the barbell first, then work outward, adding progressively smaller weight plates. Putting the heaviest weights toward the middle of the bar leaves the smaller weights, which you're most likely to adjust between sets, where you can get at them easily.
Step 4
Load weights onto the barbell evenly. In other words, you should have the same amount of weight on each end of the barbell, and you should alternate loading plates onto first one end, then the other of the barbell. If you load all of the plates onto one side of the barbell at once you might imbalance it enough that it flips over, creating a serious safety hazard.
Step 5
Slide a weight collar onto each end of the barbell, close against the weight plates. This keeps the weight plates from shifting as you exercise or even, in a worst-case scenario, sliding off the bar.
Tips and Warnings
- Make sure the weight plates you're using fit the bar. So-called "Olympic" weight plates have a two-inch-wide hole in the middle and are designed only for use with Olympic bars. "Standard" weight plates only have a one-inch hole, and are designed only for use with "standard" bars.
Things You'll Need
- Weight plates
- 2 weight collars
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