what's The Best Way To Use 2 Barbells?

[ElrondHubbard]

For the past 3 years or so, I've owned a CAP OB-86 barbell. It's been disassembled and greased, so it turns without scraping noises, although it doesn't exactly spin. It's served me well. I've been telling myself I would reward myself with a Rogue 2.0 barbell if I ever got my deadlift up to 405 lbs, and I recently did this, so I'm going to get that new barbell soon.

I've noticed that a lot of you guys own two or more barbells in your home gyms, and it looks like I'll soon be one of those. So the question is, how do most efficiently make use of the two barbells? Do you specialize them for different exercises? Does the ease of the shaft rotation make more of a difference for some lifts than others?

Right now I'm thinking that one barbell might be used for rack-based exercises like bench and squat, and the other for floor-based exercises like deadlift variations.

How do you guys arrange it?

[irongrandpa]

I leave one bar in the rack and another outside the rack on the floor with warmup size weight on them. I have other bars I rotate in as I need or want them.

[nicologan41]

having more than 1 bar is a luxury and as you progress and use different bars you'll find you like one for dl, another for pressing and so forth. Like most people I like 29mm for pressing and maybe a 28mm for dl and 30-31mm for squats. It is not a necessity, but I have a number of bars for different movements. There is no question that you can get strong with just one.

[EricAtl]

For the past 3 years or so, I've owned a CAP OB-86 barbell. It's been disassembled and greased, so it turns without scraping noises, although it doesn't exactly spin. It's served me well. I've been telling myself I would reward myself with a Rogue 2.0 barbell if I ever got my deadlift up to 405 lbs, and I recently did this, so I'm going to get that new barbell soon.

I've noticed that a lot of you guys own two or more barbells in your home gyms, and it looks like I'll soon be one of those. So the question is, how do most efficiently make use of the two barbells? Do you specialize them for different exercises? Does the ease of the shaft rotation make more of a difference for some lifts than others?

Right now I'm thinking that one barbell might be used for rack-based exercises like bench and squat, and the other for floor-based exercises like deadlift variations.

How do you guys arrange it?

Congrats on achieving your goal. Treat yourself to a new bar. I started with the same cap bar and probably would have been fine with just that bar forever. My knurling is ok, but we have seen variations in pics here, some bars look better than others.
My Ohio power bar stays in my rack for squats. When I bench I put the OPB bar on top of my mech monos where I’ve placed some uhmw.
I use my Ohio bar, bare steel from the boneyard, for bench. When I squat I put this bar on the floor or in my vertical bar hanger. I have an open top Legend 3171 so getting the bar in and out is easy.
When I DL, not currently doing this, I like to use one of my older thinner york bars from the vertical hanger. I have a horizontal gun rack too but it’s behind my shoulder press so not as accessible. If I use my Landmine, rarely do, I use the cap bar which is in a vertical storage post on a dumbbell rack.

[grubman]

For me, one (my cheap one) stays in the t-bar (landmine) attachment. I’d actually like a 3rd bar for a double landmine.

[gym62richard]

I leave one bar in the rack and another outside the rack on the floor with warmup size weight on them. I have other bars I rotate in as I need or want them.

I'm lazy, so I have two racks, 1 set up for bench, the other for squat, I keep my Watson 29.5mm power bar for bench and generally keep my SSB in the squat rack.

I also have a Worksan 28mm IWF bar, which I use for deadlift and all other movements performed outside the racks.

[chadsalt]

I've ended up with way too many bars like most people. For the most part I use a 29mm power bar in the rack for SQ and BP. 28mm oly bar outside. Smooth center will save your nose during OHP, and I can't hook grip 29 worth a damn. Of course I can't low bar SQ so center knurl doesn't matter, could use any bar anywhere really.

Spin means nothing except for the Oly lifts, consider all the specialty bars that don't spin. Majority of DB don't spin. I'm actually finding it really irritating for BP.

[RGrizzzz]

Similar to others. SSB in rack for squats. Rogue beater bar in landmine and Sorinex trap bar on floor outside of the rack for deadlifts and traps.

[BulkMore]

I may start a thread, "whats the best way to use 10 barbells?" Most of mine are on the shelf.

[grubman]

Wait...we’re just talking about 2 regular bars, right? Not specialty bars.

[thejosef]

For the past 3 years or so, I've owned a CAP OB-86 barbell. It's been disassembled and greased, so it turns without scraping noises, although it doesn't exactly spin. It's served me well. I've been telling myself I would reward myself with a Rogue 2.0 barbell if I ever got my deadlift up to 405 lbs, and I recently did this, so I'm going to get that new barbell soon.

I've noticed that a lot of you guys own two or more barbells in your home gyms, and it looks like I'll soon be one of those. So the question is, how do most efficiently make use of the two barbells? Do you specialize them for different exercises? Does the ease of the shaft rotation make more of a difference for some lifts than others?

Right now I'm thinking that one barbell might be used for rack-based exercises like bench and squat, and the other for floor-based exercises like deadlift variations.

How do you guys arrange it?

Congrats on the 405 DL!

You have the right idea. Generally speaking, a 28.5mm or 29mm bar in the rack for squats, bench press, and press is preferred. A 28mm bar is excellent for outside the rack stuff like deadlifts and/or any olympic lift variations (cleans, snatches). Occasionally, depending on your training, it is nice to have either two 29mm bars or a 29mm and 28.5mm if you do two power lifts at the same time (like squat, then rest squat and hit a set of bench press, then rest BP and do a set of squats, etc.)

I wouldn't buy the Rogue 2.0 if you have a CAP OB-86. Those are both 28.5mm bars, I believe. I'd either buy a 29mm power bar (Like the Rogue Ohio Power Bar or B&R 2.0) or a 28mm olympic bar (Like the Rogue Training Oly Bar or Rogue Oly Bar).

[ElrondHubbard]

Wait...we’re just talking about 2 regular bars, right? Not specialty bars.

I’ve thought about getting a safety squat bar, but f I do, that’ll be another thread!

[Deep-Voiced-One]

This is actually a relevant thread to a question I had, I was thinking of making my second workout day out of the week a variation of the squat more quad focused sandwiched between the back squat on the first and third workout days.

I currently own 3 bars (my AB Elite Stainless Steel Power Bar, Football Bar and BWTG 2.5" Fat Curl Bar), I sold my TPB cause it was sitting in the corner tagged out in favor of the AB Elite SS bar, but was thinking of either adding Zercher squats on the in between day with my Fat Curl Bar, or maybe adding a non-center knurl bar to the mix (I'm not an olympic lifter by any means), but thought maybe this bar if I get it would be more friendly for front squats...any suggestions/recommendations?

[ElrondHubbard]

Congrats on the 405 DL!

You have the right idea. Generally speaking, a 28.5mm or 29mm bar in the rack for squats, bench press, and press is preferred. A 28mm bar is excellent for outside the rack stuff like deadlifts and/or any olympic lift variations (cleans, snatches). Occasionally, depending on your training, it is nice to have either two 29mm bars or a 29mm and 28.5mm if you do two power lifts at the same time (like squat, then rest squat and hit a set of bench press, then rest BP and do a set of squats, etc.)

I wouldn't buy the Rogue 2.0 if you have a CAP OB-86. Those are both 28.5mm bars, I believe. I'd either buy a 29mm power bar (Like the Rogue Ohio Power Bar or B&R 2.0) or a 28mm olympic bar (Like the Rogue Training Oly Bar or Rogue Oly Bar).

Now that’s something to think about.

[rlundregan]

Congrats on the 405 DL!

You have the right idea. Generally speaking, a 28.5mm or 29mm bar in the rack for squats, bench press, and press is preferred. A 28mm bar is excellent for outside the rack stuff like deadlifts and/or any olympic lift variations (cleans, snatches). Occasionally, depending on your training, it is nice to have either two 29mm bars or a 29mm and 28.5mm if you do two power lifts at the same time (like squat, then rest squat and hit a set of bench press, then rest BP and do a set of squats, etc.)

I wouldn't buy the Rogue 2.0 if you have a CAP OB-86. Those are both 28.5mm bars, I believe. I'd either buy a 29mm power bar (Like the Rogue Ohio Power Bar or B&R 2.0) or a 28mm olympic bar (Like the Rogue Training Oly Bar or Rogue Oly Bar).

I'll second this--if you are going to get a second bar, consider getting one that is different somehow--maybe something with center knurling for squats? That would then become the bar that stays in teh rack, and the CAP bar gets used for deadlifts, etc. Or maybe you would find it more useful to get a bar that is really good for olympic moves, or whatever. Now you know why a lot of us have several bars sitting around!

[radrd]

I'll second this--if you are going to get a second bar, consider getting one that is different somehow--maybe something with center knurling for squats? That would then become the bar that stays in teh rack, and the CAP bar gets used for deadlifts, etc. Or maybe you would find it more useful to get a bar that is really good for olympic moves, or whatever. Now you know why a lot of us have several bars sitting around!

Third vote for this. I have two 29mm power bars, but one has very aggressive knurl that I use for pulling and the other has medium knurl that I use for pressing.

[Leprechuan71]

I am going along with the general consensus. I have 2 bars; a general purpose 28mm (Wonder Bar v2) that I use outside the rack for OHP, rows and Deadlifts and a 29mm Powerbar inside the rack for squats and bench. My next purchase will be an SSB to use inside the rack replace one of my twice weekly low bar squats.

[DVG93]

definitely consider knurling.

I have two cap ob86bs (lol) - one has more aggressive knurling than the other (no idea why, it also has a different black oxide finish, maybe its due to the coating thickness), so I prefer it for deadlifts.