Barbell?

[Nehalennia]

Just wondering what type of barbell to get as far as female or male? I feel like the female one will be nice to grip and a little easier to get started with since its a bit lighter, but since there is a smaller selection it will cost me a bit more too. What do you all think? Does it even really matter? Thanks.

[rockangel]

There are no "male" and "female" barbells. There are barbells that are of differing lengths and weights, but that does not make them particular to one gender over another.

And its this kind of thinking that makes the weights section a "male" section......

It doesnt matter in the end. Go by which ever is most comfortable. When in the rack i tend to use the 7ft olympic bar as that is what fits my rack better and is safer. For doing deadlifts I find it easier to work with the 5ft bar but other people may find the 7 ft bar easier to deal with. The 5ft bar is 10 pounds lighter but that doesnt make it a "female" bar. It didnt cost me any more than the regular 7ft did....

[thehobbes]

There are no "male" and "female" barbells.

Lol'd so hard, thinking of how the whole male and female electrical connector thing works.

OP get a regular 7ft barbell. If you start messing with those specialty womens barbells you're probably going to have a hard time finding a power rack for that to fit with.

[TorreTornado]

I did not know that barbells had testicles and ovaries!?!?!?! HEHEHE Totally jk jk. Get a standard bar. I would think it would be a PITA to find corresponding items to use with it.

[rockangel]

Lol'd so hard, thinking of how the whole male and female electrical connector thing works.

OP get a regular 7ft barbell. If you start messing with those specialty womens barbells you're probably going to have a hard time finding a power rack for that to fit with.

I did not know that barbells had testicles and ovaries!?!?!?! HEHEHE Totally jk jk. Get a standard bar. I would think it would be a PITA to find corresponding items to use with it.

Yup, no point in having a "specialty" bar except to make the manufacturer more money by selling specialty accesories to fit it. My 5 ft bar doesnt fit well on my rack, i can make it work, but its not the best idea.

And why do we even need 'specialty' bars anyways??? 45 pounds is 45 pounds no matter how you slice it, if you cant lift the bar then go with dumbbells, cable system or bands, it will help more anyways than buying some high priced bar that you dont need.

[thehobbes]

Would feel like a giant with those skinny little womens bars, srs, the regular one is actually perfect for me but I've heard those women's ones are much thinner. Might be helpful for the few who legit have tiny midget hands. Would throw my maths off and I'd also be compelled to scatter little plastic army men on the floor as I DL to complete that "I am Godzilla" feeling.

[TorreTornado]

would feel like a giant with those skinny little womens bars, srs, the regular one is actually perfect for me but i've heard those women's ones are much thinner. Might be helpful for the few who legit have tiny midget hands. Would throw my maths off and i'd also be compelled to scatter little plastic army men on the floor as i dl to complete that "i am godzilla" feeling.

bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha omfactualg

[illiniStrive]

Would feel like a giant with those skinny little womens bars, srs, the regular one is actually perfect for me but I've heard those women's ones are much thinner. Might be helpful for the few who legit have tiny midget hands. Would throw my maths off and I'd also be compelled to scatter little plastic army men on the floor as I DL to complete that "I am Godzilla" feeling.

I hate the women's bar. Granted, it being thinner does probably make it easier to grip and if I trained w/ it long enough might yield some appreciable benefits over time but since few gyms I encounter even have one and I can't compete w/ one, it makes no sense to train with one.

OP, if you've tried out the smaller bar and find it preferable, than by all means go ahead and order it. Otherwise, nothing wrong with training with a standard barbell.

[rockangel]

Would feel like a giant with those skinny little womens bars, srs, the regular one is actually perfect for me but I've heard those women's ones are much thinner. Might be helpful for the few who legit have tiny midget hands. Would throw my maths off and I'd also be compelled to scatter little plastic army men on the floor as I DL to complete that "I am Godzilla" feeling.

I have tiny midget hands, really. I still buy my gloves in the little kids section, srs. My favorites are my cute lil winnie the pooh ones. Still train with regular bars just fine

[Nehalennia]

Thanks for all the quick (and funny) replies! Guess I'll go for the regular bar and stick with dumbbells for the exercises I can't use the bar yet for. Thanks!

[Worcestershire]

Just to give the other side, there are good uses for the "female" or 15kg (33lb) bars. In Olympic weightlifting, all females in competition use the 15kg bars, not because they're lighter, but because they're thinner. It's awfully hard to keep your hands on a 200lb snatch ripping up your body when you can't get a solid wrap-around hookgrip on the bar.

Anyhoo, as long as you're not planning on doing any Olympic lifts, a standard 20kg barbell will more than suit your needs. It's also used in powerlifting competitions for both genders, if you're at all inclined to go in that direction. Happy lifting!

[MadCatLady]

I didn't know there were female bars? Are they pink? My gym only has olympic bars, (and a couple of EZ bara) had no choice but to use them from the beginning!

[Michelle_Rose]

I didn't know there were female bars? Are they pink? My gym only has olympic bars, (and a couple of EZ bara) had no choice but to use them from the beginning!

You can find them in "military olive", so I guess pink is possible.

I have mini hands, so 15kg bars are great for snatch, clean and jerk and press. But I use big manly bars for squat and deadlift (with lots of chalk, even more manly)

[illiniStrive]

There are no "male" and "female" barbells. There are barbells that are of differing lengths and weights, but that does not make them particular to one gender over another.

I have tiny midget hands, really. I still buy my gloves in the little kids section, srs. My favorites are my cute lil winnie the pooh ones. Still train with regular bars just fine

Like the below posts said, the women's bar does serve a purpose for competitive Olympic weightlifters and Olympic weightlifting in general. Granted, we could remove the gender-specific language and call it the 15kg bar and the 20kg bar, but since in practice one is women-specific in competition and one is men-specific in competition (regardless of hand size or preference, I'm assuming) than it makes sense to refer to them as such.

For gym rats, the standard "men's" bar is perfectly fine. Most folks do not even have an option for otherwise. And powerlifters regardless of gender must use the 20kg bar anyway.

But there's also nothing explicitly wrong w/ OP wanting to purchase a 15kg bar - as long as she adjusts her math accordingly . Specialty bars (SSB, buffalo bar, cambered bar, swiss bar) can have their place. The point being that 45lbs isn't 45lbs anyway you slice it; bar width, where the weight sits/hangs relative to one's center, these things can make for an appreciable difference in how the weight feels.

Just to give the other side, there are good uses for the "female" or 15kg (33lb) bars. In Olympic weightlifting, all females in competition use the 15kg bars, not because they're lighter, but because they're thinner. It's awfully hard to keep your hands on a 200lb snatch ripping up your body when you can't get a solid wrap-around hookgrip on the bar.

Anyhoo, as long as you're not planning on doing any Olympic lifts, a standard 20kg barbell will more than suit your needs. It's also used in powerlifting competitions for both genders, if you're at all inclined to go in that direction. Happy lifting!

You can find them in "military olive", so I guess pink is possible.

I have mini hands, so 15kg bars are great for snatch, clean and jerk and press. But I use big manly bars for squat and deadlift (with lots of chalk, even more manly)