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Safe or not safe?

Lucille4444
Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Bought a bunch of used weightlifting stuff, great deal, steel weights, came with two homemade Olympic bars. I estimate they are near Olympic weight of 44 lbs, made out of two inch diameter Schedule 40 PVC with standard steel handles on either side.
They look and feel sturdy, but I have never seen a PVC bar (but I'm not very experienced in lifting). What do you think? (Don't have $$ for a new all steel bar right now). And I do not anticipate lifting very heavy weight for a considerable amount of time.

Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    I'm trying to visualize how something made out of PVC is going to be anywhere near std weight.

    If the actual bar is just made of PVC, I sure as hell wouldn't use it -- for the same reason you don't use PVC for pressurized air -- when PVC fails, it fails catastrophically (as in shards) and without warning.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited October 2015
    How long are these bars? I'm looking at the chart on this page and wondering how you'd fit a 44 lb bar in a room.

    http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pvc-cpvc-pipes-dimensions-d_795.html

    Could you post a picture?
  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
    edited October 2015
    It is a 7 foot bar including handles. From what I have read, these homemade bars are often filled with pebbles or sand.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Throw it out. Spend the $100 and go buy a good one.
  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
    hill8570 wrote: »
    I'm trying to visualize how something made out of PVC is going to be anywhere near std weight.

    If the actual bar is just made of PVC, I sure as hell wouldn't use it -- for the same reason you don't use PVC for pressurized air -- when PVC fails, it fails catastrophically (as in shards) and without warning.

    That is pretty scary. I checked out Walmart and they have less expensive bars than many of the online weight.coms. I might just get one of those, it certainly will be adequate for a long period of time, I'm not going to be lifting outrageous weights any time soon, or maybe at all.
    Thank you for posting.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Did the person say that the plates were used on the PVC bar? Did s/he indicate how much weight was used on it? You could likely add some weight but I wouldn't expect it to hold as much (not nearly as much) as a regular barbell.
  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
    edited October 2015
    I got about 400 lbs of steel weights, 300 of them Olympic, but he did not say specifically that he used these bars on those weights.
    I am just starting, have been using a steel curl bar as a mini barbell and have dumbbells.
    After Hill's post I just don't want to use them. I got a terrific deal on the set so it isn't a big deal. I may see if the handles twist off, then I could buy a steel bar, otherwise I'll just wait a bit and get one from Walmart.
    I will use the PVCs in the garden as a tomato stake next spring since it would be unethical to resell them as weight bars knowing what I know now.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    You could use the bars on their own for now. Have you actually weighed them? Having them to use, even if you didn't put weight on them, could come in handy.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    edited October 2015
    To be honest, with the weight you will probably be lifting for some time they'd probably be plenty fine. People on these very forums have made bamboo bars out of PVC and I'm pretty sure they're all still alive.

    Having said that, the 2" smooth diameter would probably be the biggest annoyance as far as grip goes. Especially if you are a woman with small hands.
  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    probably
    Since failure has been described as sudden and catastrophic, 'probably' doesn't seem like a rational choice.
    I'll get a new one from Walmart soon.

  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    I got a set of Olympic weights with a bar at Sports Authority under $200 (maybe $100?). I ended up buying a women's Olympic bar (from a crossfit dealer) as it has a smaller grip and better quality. I bought my cage at Dick's. Just make sure you get the Olympic bar so you can use it in a cage/rack.

  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
    edited October 2015
    Lucille4444 wrote: »
    I may see if the handles twist off

    This is VERY strange. I tried to twist the handles off to salvage them, and I found that under the 2" PVC there is a steel bar, a little rusted but very sturdy. Why on earth would someone cover up a steel bar?

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Lucille4444 wrote: »
    Lucille4444 wrote: »
    I may see if the handles twist off

    This is VERY strange. I tried to twist the handles off to salvage them, and I found that under the 2" PVC there is a steel bar, a little rusted but very sturdy. Why on earth would someone cover up a steel bar?

    I'm guessing it was for the fatter grip. Thick bar training.

    In that case, are you going to use the bar (without the PVC? )It sounds usable.
  • Lucille4444
    Lucille4444 Posts: 284 Member
    Yes, I will use it. I had apprehensions about PVC, I have no apprehensions about the steel bar.
    I wonder why they had 2 Olympic bars?
This discussion has been closed.

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