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.
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Thread: Barbell?
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09-01-2014, 01:51 PM #1
Barbell?
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09-01-2014, 02:15 PM #2
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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....www.bikinisandbiceps.com
IG@bikinisandbiceps
MPH, CPT and Nutrition and Wellness Coach
No one is going to care more about your progress than you. Everyone else is too busy chasing their own. You either do what you need to do to progress, or you remain where you are. The choice is yours.
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09-01-2014, 02:27 PM #3
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09-01-2014, 02:38 PM #4
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09-01-2014, 02:44 PM #5
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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.www.bikinisandbiceps.com
IG@bikinisandbiceps
MPH, CPT and Nutrition and Wellness Coach
No one is going to care more about your progress than you. Everyone else is too busy chasing their own. You either do what you need to do to progress, or you remain where you are. The choice is yours.
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09-01-2014, 03:07 PM #6
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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.
Current PRs:
Bench Press: 200x1
Deads: 315x1
Back Squats: 275x1
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*Log - There's a Ham in the Power Rack, Part II http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=167311531
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09-01-2014, 03:15 PM #7
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09-01-2014, 03:16 PM #8
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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.
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09-01-2014, 03:26 PM #9
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09-01-2014, 04:51 PM #10
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09-01-2014, 07:40 PM #11
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!46kg snatch | 62kg c&j
205lb bsqt | 171lb fsqt
What is bench.
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09-02-2014, 01:35 AM #12
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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!
Bench press: current 65kg, goal 70kg
Squat: current 75kg, goal 90kg
Deadlift: current 100kg, goal 120kg
Natural Physique Assoc. (UK) figure 2014, 2nd place.
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09-02-2014, 02:38 AM #13
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09-02-2014, 05:38 AM #14
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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.
Last edited by illiniStrive; 09-02-2014 at 05:43 AM.
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