barbells

[Naturalcalum]

im setting up my home gym, im only using budget gear at the moment, untill i get stronger and my budget allows it.

but im using my standard bar at the moment and everything is getting stronger, and i have to put all the plates i own onto my barbell to get a decent bench.
and i may recently come into money selling my guitar amp, i know what plates i want, but i want to know whether i should get a 6ft, or a 7ft olympic bar.
because my gym is in my garage, i need as much space as i can, and i have this feeling a 7ft bar might be auqward when benching, although a 6ft bar
may not be long enough for squatting, and i cant afford both...

advice ? ....

[qwan456]

I would get a 7ft bar, but...

What do you have already in your home gym?
How much money you have currently to spend on (on just the bar as well as the entire home gym)?
What's the size of your space that you are going to set you home gym in?

You say you know what plates you want, which mean you are buying new correct? Locally or online? Delivery cost that on those plates are going to raise the price quite high if you buy it online. IMO, since you are on a limited budget and you aren't doing this already, I would suggest you checkout craigslist and invest in used Cap plates or whatever for now. Unless you are getting a really good deals on the plates that you want, IMO you should get them after you have the necessary essentials down (bar, bench, rack, etc) if you haven't already.

[Naturalcalum]

got my bench, which has bench and squat racks attached, ordering a pulldown machine, so i can do my triceps and my back, got everything nearly sorted, just need to upgrade my bar
i have a maximum of £250, but i dont want to spend all of it, i can get a 6ft bar and 80kg of plates for 170 brand new, and (i think but im not 100%) for free delivery, or i might order them
seperate so i can get the exact weights i want, i could probably fit a 7ft bar in the garage but im not 100%

[Detrus]

7 ft bar will fit more weight as you grow. 6ft bar that fits in a quality rack will have short sleeves. 6 ft bar that doesn't fit in a 4ft wide rack, well you'll need a special rack.

[dumb.bell]

Do you have an Olympic Bench or a Standard Bench? If it is a Standard Bench with uprights that are close together a 7ft Olympic Bar won't balance properly.

[iportal]

im setting up my home gym, im only using budget gear at the moment, untill i get stronger and my budget allows it.

but im using my standard bar at the moment and everything is getting stronger, and i have to put all the plates i own onto my barbell to get a decent bench.
and i may recently come into money selling my guitar amp, i know what plates i want, but i want to know whether i should get a 6ft, or a 7ft olympic bar.
because my gym is in my garage, i need as much space as i can, and i have this feeling a 7ft bar might be auqward when benching, although a 6ft bar
may not be long enough for squatting, and i cant afford both...

advice ? ....

A standard bar 7ft should fit in a garage no problem. Get the 7ft bar, make some space in a garage. Even the smallest single car garages in the UK are 8ft x 14 foot with a standard single car garage being 9 ft x 15foot or larger.

If you get the 7ft bar you can use it in a rack when you can afford to get one, that way you don't have to spend your money again twice.

[LimitStrength]

Check craiglist for olympic bar and weight sets. You will save a lot since used weights are just as good, they don't get any lighter from being used. Use that extra money to buy whatever you want. But you can easily get a 300 lbs olympic weight set for around 120 USD average if you just keep checking craigslist.

Not worth investing in a 6 foot bar. 7 foot bars are usually cheaper because they are more popular, as well as stronger because they have more material.

[dumb.bell]

Check craiglist for olympic bar and weight sets. You will save a lot since used weights are just as good, they don't get any lighter from being used. Use that extra money to buy whatever you want. But you can easily get a 300 lbs olympic weight set for around 120 USD average if you just keep checking craigslist.

Not worth investing in a 6 foot bar. 7 foot bars are usually cheaper because they are more popular, as well as stronger because they have more material.

When someone says

i have a maximum of £250 . . .

that is usually a indication that Craiglist won't do them any good.

[Naturalcalum]

going to go for a 7ft bar, it weighs 5kg more, will benefit me more from deads and squats, and when i invest in a propper rack, it'll fit better, i only havce a standard bench at the moment, but im still going to go for it, thanks guys

[dumb.bell]

going to go for a 7ft bar, it weighs 5kg more, will benefit me more from deads and squats, and when i invest in a propper rack, it'll fit better, i only havce a standard bench at the moment, but im still going to go for it, thanks guys

I can't say that I disagree with your reasoning. Just remember that when you put a 45lb plate on one side and nothing on the other that the weight will flip the bar off the standard rack. You will need to put the weight on the bar while the bar is on the floor and clean it up to the rack. The other route is to have a second person placing weight on the other side of the bar at the same time.

[Mooseman5000]

7ft is probably the best investment you can make