5 tips for easy selection of barbell bars

If you want to strengthen the upper half of the body, you can't go wrong with a two-handed barbell! Its biggest advantage is, of course, that you can assemble it yourself exactly according to your requirements. All you need is a barbell bar, plates and a pair of threads. The first step is to choose the right barbell bar - let's see what criteria you should follow.

1. Barbell bar diameter

The diameter of the barbell bar is crucial because it must match the diameter of the hole in the plates you want to use. In the home environment, you will usually find diameters of 30 or 25 mm, with professional equipment, Olympic barbell bars are used almost exclusively -  with a diameter of 50 mm.

2. Barbell bar length

Barbell bars from 120 to 180 cm long are usually sufficient for normal weightlifting. If you are going for a bench press, first find out the spacing of the barbell stand and choose the length of the barbell bar accordingly - it will be usually in the range of 180 to 220 cm. Barbell bars for one-handed loading dumbbells are, of course, shorter and their length is around 35 to 40 cm.

3. Curvature and shape

The curvature of the barbell axis will help you focus on specific muscle groups. While the classic straight axis is suitable for bench press while lying down or strengthened biceps while standing, you can use the axis with curvature when strengthening triceps and other exercises focused on specific parts. An interesting solution is a double barbell bar with grips, specially focused on triceps.

4. Material

Because the barbell bar must withstand high loads, it is made of high-quality stainless steel. The highest load capacities can be found at the Olympic barbell bars.

5. Plate mounting

You secure the plates to the barbell bar with either sleeves or threads. The threads secure the discs more firmly, but it takes more time to screw them. On the contrary, it is enough to simply thread the sleeves onto the rod.

Olympic barbell bars are a specific loading part that rotates. Thanks to this, they are able to compensate for the movement of the discs on the shaft during sunnden movements with the barbell. Inside the loading part you will find either bearings or sliding bushes, while the movement of the discs will always be inhibited by the bearing bars.

Read more about weight training with dumbbells:

• How to Choose a Dumbbell?
• How to choose the right plates?