When you’re heading into the gym, it’s important to feel confident with the equipment. Knowing the weight of a barbell allows you to carefully progress your fitness because you can track the exact amount you are lifting.
We’re going to give you a complete guide as to the different types of weight bar and their weights.
What are the different types of weight bar?
The main types of weight bar are:
- Straight barbell. This is the type of barbell that you imagine when you think of a standard barbell for deadlifting.
- EZ bar. EZ bars are angular weight bars, shaped like a zigzag, and intended to relieve your wrists and elbows from stress. This makes them perfect for moves like tricep extensions or bicep curls.
- Safety bar. The olympic safety bar is built with a square of support to distribute weight across your shoulders evenly. This can make squatting a lot easier.
- Trap bar. Working the trap muscles is difficult, but luckily they made a bar that targets them perfectly. Also known as a hex bar, the trap bar has a hexagon with handles in built in the middle.
- Thick grip bars. If you’ve been in the gym for any amount of time, you’ll know the feeling of being able to hold a lot of weight but struggling with your grip. These bars make it easier to work and train your grip so that you can start to lift heavier.
- Swiss bars. Swiss bars come with a range of handles to grip so that you can mix up your training and work your muscles in different ways.
How heavy is the bar?
Many different types of barbells weigh different amounts. So when it comes to the question “how heavy is the bar?” the answer is not completely straightforward.
Thick grip, straight and olympic barbells will usually weigh 45 pounds while a trap bar can weigh anything from 25 to 70. A swiss bar will weigh between 35 and 55 pounds where an EZ will weight between 20 and 40. An average safety bar will weigh between 45 and 70 pounds.
The key is to make sure you always practice a set with the bar alone to get used to the weight and to warm up!
What is your favorite type of bar?
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