How much can my bar hold?

[Edudbor]

I know that sounds like a silly question; but I was wondering about it.

I picked it up used from a Play It Again store - it's 7 feet long, Olympic bar, not sure of the weight to be honest. If that makes a difference I can test it.

I'm sure it can hold more weight than I can handle, lol, but is there any way for me to know what the safe upper-limit would be? I've heard people talk about paying extra for the bars that can hold 1000 pounds; so I'm assuming this one can't handle that much?

[¡STFU!ˇNˆLIFT!]

If it's one of those that came with a set probably 500 lbs .. If it's a CAP run of the mill barbell like 700 or so ..

[rplass]

Keep loading it up with weight until it finally snaps in half. Write down the weight you put on it right before it snapped in half. Go buy a new one at the same store and... there ya go, now you know for sure. (after Bill Watterson)

[HudsonHicks]

My cheap olympic barbell is rated for 320kg (640lbs) I think most cheap ones are rated around there.

To be honest I'd never trust it with that much though.

[Fat Bastard]

I got a 300 pound set from the sports authority. How much can those bars hold? When I do squats if I come up too fast I can feel the bar bounce up and down. I did 225x20 today I'm kind of scared to add more weight with this bar I don't want it to snap. I'm gonna get one of those pendlay bars.

[Accutron]

Ive seen all pretty much the same bars (from the 300lbs weight set, 255lb plates and 45lbs bar) to be advertised at:

300lbs
500lbs
700lbs

So I guess any of those three weights. My York was advertised at 700, York has a different bar I think is 500, and this CAP bar is advertised at 300, but like I said they are all come with and part of the 300lbs weight sets.

http://www.treadmillfactory.ca/?goto...od&id_prod=249

300lbs would be safe if its just for benching, otherwise spend about $200 or $250 and get a better bar seperatly.

I dont think these cheap bars would literally snap in two with no warning, they would bend first (and not bend back, but stay bent.) And better weight sets come with better rated bars.