Need Help - Equipment Purchase of Barbells & Dumbbells

I have ordered P90X3, and plan on starting NROL4W after I finish P90X3. I am trying to purchase equipment, and since I will need a barbell later, I wanted to buy a set that includes the dumbbells & barbell bar. Do I need a standard bar or olympic bar? What about length, 5' or 7'? I do not have a weight bench or squat rack yet, and can add those things later. Is there a standard length of barbell if you plan on using a weight bench or squat rack? Do I want standard end or threaded end? All of this is very new to me, as you can tell.

If it helps with suggestions, I'm petite female (5'2, 103 lbs.). I plan on using NROL4W to "lift heavy", but don't forsee lifting massive amounts of weight. That is why I thought the standard barbell may work, rather than an olympic bar.

Are there other issues I should be aware of when buying the equipment?

Replies

mustgetmuscles1

7' olympic bar (45lbs) is the standard bar you would find at gyms.

Hmd500

I can see where a gym would need the olympic bar because of the wide range of needs of the gym members. Is that the best option for a home gym for my specifications? For some reason, it seems most of the sets I am finding for sell say they are "standard".

ken_m

If you have the room for it, yes. An Olympic bar will provide the greatest amount of versatility, whether the user is male or female.

Beware, there is a large range in quality from one bar to the next. Avoid big box stores like ****'s or the like, as you'll get cheap goods.

redheadmommy

If you do not have dumbbell set yet, I suggest to buy an adjustable set. It is compact, less space etc. They are not cheap, but practically they replace 7-8 sets of dumbbells and your space will not get overtaken by the zillion equipments.
I love my Powerblocks , which is adjustable from 2.4 to 24 lb. It goes up up by 3 lb such as 6,9,12m15,18,21 lb.
Most women do not need bigger for home. If you think it is small, you may get the powerblock that goes from 5 lb to 50 lb , but that goes up in 5 lb increments.

Powerblocks have barbells to, but I have no experience with that .

Jenlwb

You might be better off with a smaller one, the starting bar weight of 45lb/20kg will be too much for some exercises- bench press, overhead press at first if you're beginning and quite small.

You sound similar to me, not envisioning getting really carried away with the weight- my first cheap bar carried up to 120lb/50kg, then i upgraded to one that takes twice that and it's great! I've been lifting for 2 years.

You can always go for an oly bar at a later stage and sell the old stuff.

JTick

You'll want an Olympic bar.

Also, try used sporting goods stores like Play It Again Sports...sometimes you can find used squat racks and barbell sets at a good price.

sarah44254

standard barbells range in weight limit from as low as 4lbs up to 100 to 250+ pounds as a top limit

I recently bought one for about $35 from amazon that can hold 200+ lbs (i think 225 or 250 i dont remember offhand). If you are just getting started that is a great weight to begin with.

Olympic and standard bars use different weight plates so if you plan on progressing much heavier, maybe try not to purchase too many plates for your standard and save up for the olympic bar (a bit more expensive).

I bought a squat rack from amazon as well for about a hundred dollars. It can hold up to 400 lbs i think, very sturdy, doesn't take up a lot of space.

Boyfriend bought adjustable dumbbells that can go from 4lbs to 45lbs for each bell. They are helpful as they dont take up too much space but can be increased as you progress in strength.

dtimedwards

Go with Olympic, not standard. Standard bars don't have nearly the amount of weight capacity... you'll be lucky if you can get 200# on a standard bar.

If you have the space. stick with a 7ft bar. If you go smaller, it might not fit on an Olympic bench or rack. Because of my space constraints, I have to use a 6ft bar, which means I have to use squat stands not a rack.

For a bench look at the weight rating. Think about how much you weigh and how much weight you think you'll be lifting. The cheap-*kitten* bench they sell at Walmart is barely enough for just my bodyweight... and it doesn't have much lateral stability.

alyhuggan

I have bent two standard bars by deadlifting, it's worth the extra for an olympic bar. Make sure when you buy plates you buy 2" hole diameter ones. Dumbbells I regularly exceed 40kg+ each and they have never bent for me with 1" diameter however you would need to buy different plates. Most squat racks need 7ft bars anyway

PMZee

Given your size, I would suggest the Troy Lite Barbell system. It comes with the bar and weights totally 40 lbs. I also bought an extra set of 10 lb. plates for a total of 60 lbs. It's a really good starter set.

redheadmommy

BTW , by the sound of it you have not really started your strength training routing, and you will start with P90x3 once you receice the CDs.
If that assumption is correct, I would delay the purchase of the barbell just yet.
For the P90x3 you only need dumbbells and a chin up bar. Once you are maybe half way through the program, you have a much better feel about your current strength level and you can decide what size of barbell to get for the NROL4W .
You are a tiny female in her late 40's , who are just starting any strength training. There is a good chance the olimpic bar is an overkill for you.

redheadmommy

dublicate

Hmd500

I appreciate all the advice. I can see the logic behind redheadmommy's suggestion that I wait until I'm half way through P90X3 before I buy the barbell so I can assess my needs better.

Since the diameter of the bars differ, the standard bar may be more comfortable for me to lift since it is smaller in diameter.

sarah44254

I appreciate all the advice. I can see the logic behind redheadmommy's suggestion that I wait until I'm half way through P90X3 before I buy the barbell so I can assess my needs better.

Since the diameter of the bars differ, the standard bar may be more comfortable for me to lift since it is smaller in diameter.

the grip ability between standard and olympic isn't an issue for me - but for other reasons i still support a standard bar as the best purchase for now

Huffdogg

craigslist ftw

summer8it

I'm almost exactly the same size as you, and I'd advise you to get whatever you can get the best deal on! The set I bought (on craigslist) has a standard bar, and personally, I can't imagine I'd ever max out the weight the barbell could carry. 200lbs is twice my bodyweight, and I'm not a powerlifter, and I don't think I ever will be! The standard bar has worked well for NROL.

Definitely start stalking craigslist -- you can get some crazy deals on used equipment. The best deals I've seen tend to be for sets that include a bench as well as bars and weights.

JUDDDing

but for other reasons i still support a standard bar as the best purchase for now

Me too actually.

You'll save a bunch of money - standard stuff is super cheap on craigs list.

And if you buy used now - you'll still be able to get most of your money back when/if the time comes for you to upgrade to stronger bars.