Do you include bar weight in your lifts?

[Will2k84]

Im just curious who here includes the weight of the bar in their lift? For eg you barbell curl 70 lbs worth of plates but say you curl 95 lbs because you include the weight of the bar?

I've noticed some guys from my work do that so im just wondering whats the right way? Personally i just go by how heavy the actually plates on the bar are.

Thankyou!

[DanCottle]

If your lifting it, why not count it?

[Will2k84]

It makes sense as some bars have different weights but im not sure how much my barbell or dumbell bars weigh maybe i should weigh them.

To keep track of my progress i find it easier not to include them but your right you definately are lifting it and some bars weigh close to 20kg which is a very significant difference.

Thanks for your reply

[TheLBM]

i do not count it,
but thats just me.

[PrisonerDilemma]

I do with non-machine exercises. With exercises like leg presses where the weight of the apparatus you're pushing is subjective, I only count the load.

[Riskoe]

I do.

[Devils]

[img]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n30/shadowyinzer/aw_jeez_not_this_****_again2.jpg[/img]

If you typed that exact thread title into the search, you would of got ALL the threads that have already discussed this.

Of course you count the bar, you're lifting it aren't you?, that 20kg doesn't just disappear,

[Will2k84]

So does that mean all my barbell lifts just went up by about 25lbs? lol

I should weigh them from now on. I dont use an Olympic Barbell so the weight is probably closer to 25lbs or so.

I found a poll on page 2 of a search so i got many answers there.

Well it's official, my scales suck. A 5kg plate weighs 4.6kg according to my scales, a 10kg plate weighs 9.7kg and my 165cm Barbell only weighs 6kg.

[ITHURTZ]

I want to see some who DOESNT add the bar. The bar itself isnt weightless, so why not add it? a 405 bench press isnt 360

[MissThing]

yes, you include the bar. like someone said, that 20kg or 25lbs does not disappear

funnily enough I used to lift just the bar for some exercises, so I guess I was lifting nothing, lol!

[jf1]

of course!
your lifting the bar as well!

for example: if you are doing curls with an olympic bar, you have a 10lb plate on each side:
how much are you lifting?
20lbs or 65lb?

there is no debate here!

[Will2k84]

Yeah sorry all was a stupid question, i guess ill start adding 6kgs or 14lbs to every barbell lift from now on. I thought my barbell weighed more than that but still it's something.

[NY Money Mike]

you can add the bar but then you have to take into account gravity and other forces....

i.e.) The pull-up, you obviously have to add the bar weight becasue gravity is pushing down on it, amirite

[Devils]

you can add the bar but then you have to take into account gravity and other forces....

i.e.) The pull-up, you obviously have to add the bar weight becasue gravity is pushing down on it, amirite

NOUWRONG!, fool!

[Zensuji]

I have a 400lb bar, I add 5lbs to it. But I dont count the bar

[scrawny2studly]

Of course you should add the bar, noob. It's any extra 45lbs if you use a regular barbell.

[padrote]

There's a reason why 225, 315, and 405 are significant, not 180, 270, and 360.

[domenickb]

Do people who don't count the bar apply this logic to everything?

"Yeah, I'm at 8% body fat, but I don't count my stomach"

"Sure, I weight about 210, but I don't count my legs"

[NY Money Mike]

NOUWRONG!, fool!

Work = Force x Distance
Gravity = Force

Noob

[microrahsheen]

This post should have had "(serious)" on the title...WTF

[94formulabird]

I do with non-machine exercises. With exercises like leg presses where the weight of the apparatus you're pushing is subjective, I only count the load.

Thats exactly what I do

[maori-rap]

Yup, I lift it, so I count it. The bar I use right now is only a 7kg (16lb) one but is still part of the weight being lifted

[ShutUpAndSquat]

Duh, of course you add the bar weight for barbell exercises. You'd consider the 2.5 LB plates you're adding onto the bar, right?

[Turco]

I count bar, but I also subtract my body weight from the total for extra snazz.

[timlaroche]

Now I get it, that's why people always use the numbers 225, 315 and 405... 'cuase the olympic bar weights 45 lb... I just realized that... (serious)

[tacoop]

I do but I am not trying to break any world records so I don't think is it matters much. It is just a number. As long as they are moving up, I am happy.

[NIUNIU_SAN]

In the UK our barbells weigh 20kgs usually (not sure but I think that's Olympic standard) - which is Significant weight.

I don't know anyone who doesn't include that weight when working out their lifts.

Even the smaller EZ bars.. I try and find out how much they weigh..

[injured44]

the free weight olympic bar weighs 45 pounds so yeah you count it... why wouldnt you count it ??? when you lift just the bar it doesnt feel like zero pounds to me lol

[ch2s]

I too have a 45lb olympic bar, that's as much a the biggest plates I have, so of course I count it. Especially when I used it for bicep/reverse curls where I only added 0-25lb, I wasn't lifting 0-25lb, I was lifting 45-70lb. I now have olympic dumbbells and the bars alone weigh 13 lbs each, so for 28 lb I only need two 5lb and two 2.5lb plates, in this case the bar is nearly half the weight! Of course it counts!

I also made a quick script to show me which plates to use to make the weight I want, I was sick of doing more maths than lifting so this little script lets me select the weight I want and it automatically tells me which plates to put (only works in Internet Explorer, not other browsers):
Barbell Plate Calculator

I had a few people tell me like "there's a bug, I select 50lb and it says to put just two 2.5lb plates!"

[XPmpnII]

I'm tempted to neg for such a stupid ****ing question.