Choosing an Olympic barbell should not be that difficult for the average user, but there are a few things to consider before making your purchase. A standard barbell is 7 foot long and weighs 45 pounds, although there are other lighter(and shorter) options that can be useful for overhead work for example. Even without a weight bench or squat rack, there are still countless exercises that can be performed, such as side press, bent row, deadlifts, push press, and dozens of others. For most people, an average quality bar is sufficient in terms of the amount of weight that can be used with the bar, so beyond that you should consider the comfort of the grip or knurling, which is the texture on the bar that allows for a safe grip when lifting. Next we will talk about a few of your options when considering an Olympic barbell.

Standard And Heavy Duty Olympic Barbell

This barbell is most often seen in commercial gyms and serious home gyms. It is a high strength barbell used for simple movements and is made with a consistent knurling depth to provide a solid grip. The weight restrictions on a standard barbell can be up to 700 pounds depending on the particular products but the heavy duty barbells can go upwards to 1500 pounds, which of course is far above what is needed for the average user. Generally, each are equipped with rubber end caps to protect floors and other equipment.

EZ Barbells and More

These barbells are designed for specific lifts such as reverse grip rows. The bent-bar design provides balance and comfort that are not comfortable on a straight bar. These bars are shorter than standard bars generally ranging from 47” to 53”. There are other bent-bar designs such as the Super Curl barbell which has an even more defined bends to allow for better hammer grip curling and extension exercises. Tricep Barbells or otherwise known as Bomber Bars are specifically designed for tricep extension work and are actually a frame work of bars that allow you to grip each center bar. So as you can see, there are many options outside of the standard straight bar you can use to target specific areas more effectively(and safely).

Olympic Barbell Collars and Clips

Barbell collars/clips keep the weight plates in place. Clips are far less sturdy and through time can wear out and even break. This is not something you want to have happen when your lifting! Most collars and clamps will also slip on you a bit, which is why it’s important to check out your clamps and weight plates before each lift to make sure they have no become lose or off balance. Some collars and clips can be time consuming to remove and for some clips it can be difficult to pinch hard enough to easily remove them, especially for this with smaller hands. Muscle clamps have become a very popular collar because they are easily removed and but still a offer solid hold with minimal sliding. Muscle clamps tend to be more expensive but are a great choice for home gyms where a lot of weight is not required. One more thing to consider when purchasing Olympic barbell collars is the weight. Some are no more than a few ounces while others can be 5 pounds or more, each.

Standard Olympic Weight Plates

Standard Olympic Weights should not be confused with Standard Weights. An Olympic weight plate has a 2-inch diameter hole, whereas a Standard Weight has a 1-inch diameter hole, but when we talk about a standard Olympic weight plate, we are referring to the common and most basic form of this type of plate. There is nothing complicated about these weight plates, but like anything, some are better than others depending on the quality of the materials used. Standard Olympic weight plates can generally withstand the Olympic style drops at heavier amounts as compared to rubber plates which may deteriorate faster.. These plates are nice and noisy and tough on floors but have been the ol’ workhorse of the Olympic weight design for a very long time and are also usually cheaper.

Rubber Coated Weight Plates

A rubber Olympic weight plate are completely covered in rubber and unlike the silver or black standard weights, they can be found in many different colors. They aren’t has hardy as standard but for most people they offer much more convenience. They make much less noise when being placed on the bar or when they come into contact with other weights, and of course it’s much more forgiving on your floor if you happen to drop them. There have been some problems with rubber coated plates becoming damaged but this usually happens when very heavy drops occur from certain heights. Another benfifit of rubber coated weight plates is that they are more resistant to rust which can be a very annoying problem especially for those those in humid or ocean bound people. For almost anyone, and especially for home gyms I would highly recommend rubber Olympic weight plates.

Grip Weight Plates

Olympic grip weight plates can be either stand or rubber and offer easier handling as well as alternatives to some of the lifting you might see with dumbells and others. With grip plates you can be sure that there will be fewer drops and less pinches when managing your weight plates. An unexpected benefit however is that you can actually perform with these plates without the use of bars. Single handed bicep curls, tricep presses, and others can be performed almost just as easily as using regular dumbbells, but it might not look as cool!

Convenience vs. Price vs. Quality

As with any purchase there are many things to consider and buying weight plates is no exception. You can even choose to buy polygonal weight plates which of course resist rolling. Over the years, the materials and technology of plates offer the customer many more options than they had in the past but in the end it’s all about lifting with good technique and sticking to a plan. As with any Olympic weight plates, you get what you pay for and hopefully you have a better idea of the type you want to include in your gym.

If you have ever visited the free weights section at your local gym, you have most likely used Olympic weights. They are durable and most widely used by those interested in building mass. An Olympic bar can take several hundred pounds without bending very much as opposed to standard bars which will begin bending with much less weight. Since Olympic weights are thicker and heavier on each end, they are far more balanced and safer to use.

Olympic weights come in increments of 2 1/2-pounds, 5-pounds, 10-pounds, 25-pounds, 35-pounds and 45-pounds. A regular bar itself weights about 44 pounds but there are lighter version that are 33 pounds which some people find helpful when doing overhead work. Due to the fact the bars have revolving ends, there is no added torque which allows for a more solid grip when doing certain lifts.

Many stores and website will allow you to customize your Olympic weight sets however you will most likely get a better deal by just buying a complete package which start at 300 pounds. One might think that purchasing weights online would cost a fortune in shipping, but a lot of suppliers offer free shipping when entire packages are bought making it super convenient for you and an unexpected workout for the UPS guy!

Although resistance strength training has much to offer, good old fashion Olympic weights are able to hit those muscle groups you actually use more often in sports or other activities. Because you have to both balance and lift, you are more likely to be more effective in hitting muscle groups in a more organic way. The versatility of excercises that can be done with just a set of dumbbells astounding but it also involves more risks in terms of saftey, especially if you choose to lift without a partner.

Safety First!

No weight system is as versatile or provides natural movement better than using free weights, both standard and Olympic, but with this reward also comes risk if you do not know what you are doing or are simply careless. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to understand that it is always best to have at least one workout buddy, and two is better! But there are other things you can do to ensure a safe workout.

A squat rack is a valuable piece of equipment to have if you must work out alone. If by chance you lost control of the weight, it would not come crashing down on you. You can even go further than this with a complete weight cage/squat rack. With a system like this you can do bench presses, leg curls, squats, and much more while having the safety rails to back you up. A weight tree can also be useful and safe your back in the proccess. It simply keeps your weights off the ground and easy to reach when adding or putting away weight.

There is argument about the value of stretching muscles before lifting. Some say it is not needed or even harmful and others encourage it. Warming up muscle groups however is usually a good idea. This is done by doing a set or two of lighter weights and getting good blood flow to those areas before switching to heavier weights. By following a few of these basic safety tips you can achieve good and safe results with Olympic weights.

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