Barbells

JJ1703

I'm looking to get myself a barbell but it's a minefield online. Due to Covid I can't go to shops to try any so looking for advice for the best place to look online? Ideally I'm just looking for the bar and smaller weights to start with the choice to buy extra weights as my strength improves. Thank in advance for any advice given.

zebasschick

are you in the U.S.?

are you looking for olympic or standard? if you don't care either way and are going pretty light, walmart has some decent budget options if you buy bar separately from weights. that being said, if you can swing it, i'd go with this one
https://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Weight-Threaded-1-Inch/dp/B000RMASXK/ref=sr_1_6?

6 foot standard bar https://www.walmart.com/ip/Everyday-Essentials-1-Inch-Standard-Weightlifting-Barbell-300-Pound-Capacity/427685765?

standard plates (you could start with 4 5-pounders and buy a couple once a month
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yes4All-Standard-Cast-Iron-Weight-Plate-5-25-lbs/384804334

oly version
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Everyday-Essentials-Olympic-Bar-for-Weightlifting-and-Power-Lifting-Barbell-700-Pound-Capacity/483101999

short (5 feet), sort of crappy one but a cheap way to get started
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Gold-s-Gym-Standard-Weight-Lifting-Bar-5-ft/21672520

set with vinyl weights
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Everyday-Essentials-Vinyl-Standard-Weight-Set-100-lbs/554423685
i'm not a fan of vinyl weights myself but a friend of mine has a very similar set and it does get the job done IF you don't drop the weights. the plastic will break if you drop them a lot.

dumbbell set worth starting with - decent price, metal plates
https://www.amazon.com/Sunny-Health-14-Fitness-33-Pound/dp/B003URN7IM/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=weight+sets&qid=1603552430&sr=8-20

dumbbell set with selection of vinyl weights. not a bad deal for just the weight plates these days - they're getting hard to find at a good price.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Everyday-Essentials-Vinyl-Dumbbell-Set-40-lbs-20-lbs-Pair/668490950

plates - start with a pair of 5 or 7.5 pounders? the price these days is okay
https://www.amazon.com/Yes4All-1-inch-Weight-Plates-Dumbbells/dp/B00IHM82ZI/ref=sr_1_13

CipherZero

There's things you don't cheap out on, and barbells are one of them.

Take a look at Cap OB86PB and OB86PBCK. They're inexpensive olympic-plate barbells, but they're not weak.

If you want to spend real money check out the Ohio Power bar.

Chieflrg

If we are talking you want a standard 20kg/44lb barbell and plan on training for a lifetime hopefully, probably the best buy would be a OHIO barbell. Great general quality and made to last not terribly expensive and can be used for the lifts other the OLY lifts.

Dogmom1978

It depends on budget and what you want specifically.

Many of the really cheap bars have low limits on weight (and some of those low limits are optimistic and I think the bar would bend if you attempted to load to capacity).

That said, you certainly don’t need an Ohio bar (although that is the bar I also have). Just be mindful of the weight capacity of the bar you purchase and don’t get an Olympic bar that comes apart in the middle lol. Yes, I actually have seen some like that and they seem like they are made way worse than even the cheapest single piece oly bar I’ve seen.

If you decide to get the Ohio bar but want to save some money, rogue has a section called the boneyard for bars that have cosmetic defects. You can get a deal on your bar if you aren’t too picky about looks. These bars still function exactly the same as the new pretty bars with less of the pretty. You can get them used also, sometimes, on Craigslist or marketplace, but I don’t see them used in my area very often.

deputy_randolph

We have a Rouge; I think retails it is $200ish. We bought it for $100 from a friend. You might want to check Craigslist or the like. We had a hard time finding new equipment...don't know if manufacturers are back on line.

JJ1703

Thanks all. I should have said I'm UK based but I will look into the recommendation (and links) and see what's available this side of the pond.

Many thanks all x

Courtscan2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Revolution-Olympic-Barbell-Bar/dp/B0876D6X41/ref=sr_1_7?crid=336Q3TH45NPKD&dchild=1&keywords=olympic+barbell&qid=1603754305&sprefix=olympic+,aps,426&sr=8-7