standard vs olympic weights/bar

[Colt Steele]

im looking into starting to work out at home. i already have a standard weight set that i could use if i just bought a few more plates. do i really need to buy a whole new olympic weight set?? i've never squatted or done heavy exercises with the standard bar/weights and dont know if its recommended or not.

for those that don't know the standard bar is a lot lighter (its around 20 lbs) than an olympic bar so that's why im wondering if it'll be ok to use for squats ...

[PROSA]

Originally posted by Colt Steele
im looking into starting to work out at home. i already have a standard weight set that i could use if i just bought a few more plates. do i really need to buy a whole new olympic weight set?? i've never squatted or done heavy exercises with the standard bar/weights and dont know if its recommended or not.

for those that don't know the standard bar is a lot lighter (its around 20 lbs) than an olympic bar so that's why im wondering if it'll be ok to use for squats ...

A standard bar can hold at least 300 pounds without excessive flexing. It might be as much as 400 pounds, in fact. Unless you're going to be squatting in excess of that amount, you should be fine with the standard bar.

[Sonny]

Originally posted by Colt Steele
im looking into starting to work out at home. i already have a standard weight set that i could use if i just bought a few more plates. do i really need to buy a whole new olympic weight set?? i've never squatted or done heavy exercises with the standard bar/weights and dont know if its recommended or not.

for those that don't know the standard bar is a lot lighter (its around 20 lbs) than an olympic bar so that's why im wondering if it'll be ok to use for squats ...

From what I gather, standard bars can hold up to about 300-350 lbs. before they start to bend. I use standard bars mostly and they've gotten me pretty far, but if you can afford an Olympic set, I would definitely recommend getting one as it will give you more options in regards to gaining strength and increasing poundages. But if you're strapped for cash, a standard bar should be able to hold you over for a while.

[Colt Steele]

right now im squatting b/w 250-275, but i have been as high as 315 before ... but squat is my only exercise that would even approach 300-400 pounds so i guess i'd be fine there.

is it comfortable to do squats with a standard bar and that much weight?

[Sonny]

Originally posted by Colt Steele
right now im squatting b/w 250-275, but i have been as high as 315 before ... but squat is my only exercise that would even approach 300-400 pounds so i guess i'd be fine there.

is it comfortable to do squats with a standard bar and that much weight?

Well the bar is a little thinner so you may want to wrap a towel around it so it doesn't pinch the hell out of your traps. Like I said, it should be able to handle 300+ lbs., but 400 may be pushing it. To play it safe I wouldn't go past 340!

[amusclehead]

for some reason I hate deadlifting with an olympic bb, so for dead'ing I use a regular 15pd(or does it weigh 20pd, i dunno) chrome ez-bar (one that takes the small holded plates, not the large).....I've been as high as 550 on it and it hasn't begun to bend or anything. must be built solid for it to take that kinda abuse all these years.

[Soshyopathe]

Deads with an EX-curl bar? Sounds a little silly, don't you think?

[amusclehead]

Originally posted by Soshyopathe
Deads with an EX-curl bar? Sounds a little silly, don't you think?

yea, but for some reason I hate deading with the olypmic bar. just some crazy thing going in my mind, i know, but hey, whatever works

[AMG]

Originally posted by amusclehead
yea, but for some reason I hate deading with the olypmic bar. just some crazy thing going in my mind, i know, but hey, whatever works

No wonder you don't use an alternate grip. You don't have a big bar to balance.