Hi everyone here is my first post ... I am looking for a barbell for my home gym. I am looking for one that the weights/ends don't spin around like you just oiled it and put new bearings on it. My favorite one I ever used was a high weight capacity black one at the gym I used to go to. After a quick curl with it the weights may spin 3/4 of a rotation. Anyways I quit going to the gym about a year ago and did a home gym with dumbbells, but doing 50 rep presses of 40lb dumbbells is starting to get boring fast. I usually do 140-300 lbs during a work out(not including bar). Starting with light high reps to heavy low reps. So I need a bar with decent capacity, and won't break my wrists when going beast.
right meow I am looking at this one Body Solid 7-Feet Olympic Bar on amazon, but may just ask the people at the gym what brand their black bar is.
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Thread: What is a good barbell?
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07-12-2014, 05:23 PM #1
What is a good barbell?
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07-12-2014, 05:23 PM #2
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07-12-2014, 05:40 PM #3
When doing heavy sets say 315lbs my wrists tend the shake pretty good if the bars ends spin easily. I don't mind spinning on standing curls or behind head shoulder press. However I like minimal spinning on bench press. Basically minimal spinning means more friction on the ends meaning the bar doesn't move as easily. So I like some spinning, but not so much the bar can twist super easy. The gym had chrome (easy spinning) and black bars(less spinning), most heavy lifters preferred the black ones. It felt more solid and easier to handle.
another way to look at is is say you have your hands above your head and shake them a little back and forth. now take a easy spinning bar with some weights above your head and try to shake your hands like earlier, you'll notice little resistance causing your hands to shake about the same. now take the less spinning bar above your head and try to twist your wrists and you'll notice the more weights the more resistance and less your hands can shake like they did with no weights. In the end the less spinning helps prevent involuntary hand shaking and dropping the bar on yourself.Last edited by ClintonBoswell; 07-12-2014 at 05:45 PM.
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07-12-2014, 10:05 PM #4
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07-13-2014, 01:20 AM #5
This is the best economy barbell in existence today:
http://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Ol...P+BARBELL+OB86
This:
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07-13-2014, 02:37 AM #6
Agree on both counts.
OP, I'm not trying to come across like a jerk, but it sounds like you are expecting your equipment to make up for shortcomings in either your form or your strength, which is asking for trouble.
FWIW, in my own opinion there is a lot to be said for "just shut up and lift". If you have shaky wrists or whatever, then it sounds like maybe you have some imbalance or weakness (unless you have an injury of some sort). Just lift, and lower the weight if you need to. Eventually you will build strength in your wrists or wherever so that holding the bar won't be shaky anymore.
You might also make a point of lifting with a partner or shooting some video of what you are talking about and posting it in the exercise forum. It is possible that your form is off.Last edited by rlundregan; 07-13-2014 at 02:57 AM.
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07-13-2014, 02:39 AM #7
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07-13-2014, 08:39 AM #8
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07-13-2014, 09:30 AM #9
The spinning that you are describing, which is bothering your wrists, is actually an indication of problem with your grip placement and how you are holding the bar.
My guess is that you've been working with bars that have not been great quality and have compensated for that fact. Much like when you give a golfer a set of clubs that is not suited to their height and build, they will adjust their form to make those clubs work. The problem with this is that they will usually compromise their technique in order to make the clubs work. Human beings are naturally good at making things work for their anatomy and posture. Barbells are no different. You've likely had less than ideal form with cheaper barbells and when you work with better bars, that gets exploited.
Spend some time working on your grip and placement. Your body is trying to tell you something. When you resolve this problem, you'll be able to handle more weight safely. If you continue along with less than ideal form, you may run into injury. Wrists are something you don't want to chance. I've never known anybody to get a serious wrist injury and not battle problems for years afterwards.
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07-13-2014, 01:04 PM #10
Been building for ~7 years. Off and on in there. I have naturally weak ankles and wrists and had to see a doctor about it a while back when playing sports in high school(they'd twist and sprain like crazy, doctor told me to try muscle concentration work outs or yoga and have been body building/yoga since). I always do a 45 or 90 degree elbow out depending on if I do diamond push ups too and touch the bar to my chest without arching my back. I don't do the monkey grip or w/e it is called(don't want the bar dropping on me) and keep my hands straight up with my arms. I just have bad wrists and when hitting my 300 lb max at 3-5 reps my muscles involuntarily shake, but a less spinning bar helps greatly reduce this and the feeling of dropping the bar.
I may just go with a smith machine if that's my best solution.Last edited by ClintonBoswell; 07-13-2014 at 01:15 PM.
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07-13-2014, 01:23 PM #11
- Join Date: Mar 2008
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Please no.
Also:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=142333271
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07-13-2014, 02:11 PM #12
Working on improving your wrist strength is best.
Get some wrist wraps and use them for sets where your wrists are actually an issue. Much cheaper than a smith machine.
Good barbells are designed to spin, even powerlifting bars. If they didn't spin, the rotational inertia would roll the bar right out of your hands.
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07-13-2014, 03:25 PM #13
- Join Date: Feb 2012
- Location: Miami, Florida, United States
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07-13-2014, 03:55 PM #14
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07-13-2014, 05:10 PM #15
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07-13-2014, 05:12 PM #16
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07-13-2014, 05:15 PM #17
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07-13-2014, 06:14 PM #18
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07-13-2014, 06:18 PM #19
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07-14-2014, 03:31 AM #20
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07-14-2014, 06:22 AM #21
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07-14-2014, 07:41 PM #22
If you are repping 300lbs on the bench then you do not have bad or weak wrists. When your muscles tremble when benching weight that is heavy for you, that is normal and happens to most people. If the bar spins in your hands, it is because you have an improper grip. The grip you are using, which is causing the bar to spin in your hands, is what is hard on the wrists. A proper grip aligns the bar in a straight line down your forearms which takes pressure off your wrists. Fix your form.
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07-15-2014, 10:19 AM #23
Texas power bar by cap is a good barbell to buy.
Its a one time buy and will last a life time.
Work your wrists with plate curls(curling a weight plate with fingers on one side and thumb on the other side).
Barbell or dumbell wrist curls.
Wrist roller.
In the mean time use wrist wraps until your wrist strength catches up.
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07-15-2014, 10:37 AM #24
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07-15-2014, 09:54 PM #25
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07-16-2014, 12:19 PM #26
When I incline 315, the bar never seems to move fast enough for the weights to spin at all.
I've never encountered weights so well balanced that they didn't settle before my initial lift off anyway.
I've got little girl wrists on a 6'2" 235lb frame, had wrist surgery to repair detached ligaments, I use APT Pro Wrist Wraps when I go past 275.Last edited by ctgblue; 07-16-2014 at 12:25 PM.
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07-19-2014, 05:26 PM #27
Thanks for the advice went to a weight/bike shop and tried wrist straps with heavy weight and it seems to help some. I was doing my grip about an inch too wide also. Just feels weird gripping closer in on the bar since I always used a slightly wider grip so I could go between 90 degree and 45 degree easily, plus prefer it hitting my shoulders than tris. Also I can't do 300 anymore after doing 40lb dumbbells at about 50 reps at 5 sets for about a year they seem to be weaker, but tighter too. Maybe 275 including bar at 2 reps on a good day for now
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