In order to know how much weight you’re lifting, you need to know the weight of the bar in your hands or across your back. However, there is all manner of barbells found in the gym, each with a different weight. You might also be interested in learning more about the best barbell for your home gym. In this article, we’ll break it down so you can figure out exactly how much iron you’re pumping.
Olympic Barbell
An Olympic men’s barbell weighs 44.1 pounds or 20 kg. A woman’s Olympic barbell weighs 15 kg or 33 pounds. The key difference between the men’s and women’s versions is that the women’s bar is thinner to make it easier to grip.
The difference between an Olympic and a standard barbell is that the Olympic bar has a lot more flex to it. The cuffs at the ends of the bar also spin and have a 2-inch diameter to accommodate Olympic barbell plates. Olympic bars also provide more ‘whip’ than a standard bar, which refers to the amount of flex a barbell can withstand without permanently bending.
In selecting an Olympic barbell, you can choose between different shaft diameters, types of knurling, and bearings and bushings.
Squat Barbell
When we talk about the squat barbell, we are referring to one of two bars:
- The Texas Power Bar
- The Safety Squat Bar
The Texas Power Bar is more rigid, with deeper knurling than a standard Olympic bar. A Texas power bar weighs the same as a standard bar, that being 44.1 pounds or 20 kg.
The Safety Squat Bar is a squat bar that includes handle grips. It is designed to reduce the rotator cuff strain that comes with the standard squat shoulder position. This addition significantly increases the weight of the bar safety squat bar to 70 lbs or 32 kg.
EZ Curl Bar
The EZ Curl Bar does not have a standard weight. That is because they aren’t used in competition and so do not have to conform to a constant weight. EZ curl bars generally weigh between 11 and 22 pounds (5 and 10kg).
Olympic EZ Curl Bars weigh more because they have two-inch diameter cuffs to cater to Olympic barbell plates. Olympic EZ curl bars generally weigh between 15 and 30 pounds.
Standard Barbell
A standard barbell that is often used in home gyms will usually weigh around 20 pounds. However, this can vary widely. Obviously, a 6-foot long bar will weigh more than a 5-foot long bar. Standard barbells have a one-inch diameter to fit a standard weight plate.
Youth Weightlifting Bar
Youth weightlifting bars are specifically designed for teens and pre-teens to use as a stepping stone to an adult bar. Most youth weight lifting bars weigh 11 pounds (5 kg).
Smith Machine Bar
The bar on a Smith Machine usually weighs 22 pounds (10 kg). However, some Smith Machine bars are only half that weight at 11 pounds (5 kg).
This article was last updated on March 24, 2022 .
