Weight of bars

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wnrobert
wnrobert Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi. I'm new to strength training that isn't done on a machine. I like the option that free weights gives to add and subtract weight, but I never know how much the bar weighs. The only label I've found at my gym is on the squat rack where it tells me the bar weighs 15 lbs. I have no clue what the bar weighs at the bench press or the curl station though. Anybody know?
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Replies

  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Most olympic bars on the bench and racks are 45lbs.

    Edited to add - olympic
  • jpapp13
    jpapp13 Posts: 73 Member
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    Most olympic bars on the bench and racks are 45lbs.

    Edited to add - olympic


    ^^^

    What she said : )
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    standard OLY bars I believe 2" diameter and as noted- are 45 pounds.

    I believe the women's OLY bars are 1.5 " and weigh 35 pounds. *believe*

    I don't use them so I don't know for 100% certain- I do know that they weigh less though.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
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    An "Olympic" bar has 2" diameter ends for plates with 2" holes and will generally weigh 45 lb.

    A "Standard" bar has 1" diameter ends for plates with 1" holes. These types of bars will generally weigh in at around 15-18 lbs I believe. Because they are skinnier, they can hold less weight than an Olympic bar.

    I would actually assume that the bar at the squat and bench press stations in a commercial gym would be Olympic (and thus weigh 45 lb) rather than Standard, as many people will be loading them up with more than ~200 lb of plates.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    I believe the women's OLY bars are 1.5 " and weigh 35 pounds. *believe*

    I've never seen these. Are these what women use in competitions? I'm in total irrational feminist mode about why the lighter ones are designated for women.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
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    standard OLY bars I believe 2" diameter and as noted- are 45 pounds.

    I believe the women's OLY bars are 1.5 " and weigh 35 pounds. *believe*

    I don't use them so I don't know for 100% certain- I do know that they weigh less though.

    If it's an Olympic bar it is a 2" diameter bar, regardless if it's men's or women's.

    The actually diameter of the bar where you grip it to lift is usually 28mm for men's & 25mm for women.

    Also the curl bars vary in weight depending on the manufacturer. They're usually 25-30lb.
  • Chaskavitch
    Chaskavitch Posts: 172 Member
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    I believe the women's OLY bars are 1.5 " and weigh 35 pounds. *believe*

    I've never seen these. Are these what women use in competitions? I'm in total irrational feminist mode about why the lighter ones are designated for women.

    Agreed! That's just nonsense.

    I'm also going to have to agree with your shirt in your profile pic :) Where did you get it?
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
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    I hate doing this, but is there not a set of scales at the gym, weigh yourself, then weigh again holding the bar (if I can convince someone else to do it I will)!!

    Agree with the others though, Olympic bars are 45lbs (around 20kg), we have a training bar at ours that weighs 15lb's, lighter for people new and easier for them to learn the proper techniques/forms.
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    the regular bars are 45lbs. in my gym, they have ones that are colored red on the ends to indicate that they are 50lbs.

    Does anyone else have that in their gym?
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    standard OLY bars I believe 2" diameter and as noted- are 45 pounds.

    I believe the women's OLY bars are 1.5 " and weigh 35 pounds. *believe*

    I don't use them so I don't know for 100% certain- I do know that they weigh less though.

    If it's an Olympic bar it is a 2" diameter bar, regardless if it's men's or women's.

    The actually diameter of the bar where you grip it to lift is usually 28mm for men's & 25mm for women.

    Also the curl bars vary in weight depending on the manufacturer. They're usually 25-30lb.

    Now this makes sense.

    However, to the OP, just ask somebody "Is this an Olympic bar?" You sound like you're not a complete idiot but are new and might need some orientation. With any luck, the person you'll ask will show you two or three examples of different bars and then you'll have learned something.
  • wnrobert
    wnrobert Posts: 20 Member
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    My gym has the scale in the locker room... I'd look pretty ridiculous carrying the bar into the showers with me, but I'll keep it as a last resort haha.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
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    I can't get over the squat bar being 15#?! Dear god that would bend and fast.

    Most bars are 45#. At my gym, the "bar" on the Smith machine is 25#. The ones used in cardio class (the wee skinny aluminum bars) are like 3#. I think the curl bar (the one that goes ^v^v^ ) (I hate that bar, it hurts my wrists) may be 15#.

    You could just ask. It's not a stupid question. And yes, you count the bar weight in to what you are lifting.
  • wnrobert
    wnrobert Posts: 20 Member
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    I can't get over the squat bar being 15#?! Dear god that would bend and fast.

    Most bars are 45#. At my gym, the "bar" on the Smith machine is 25#. The ones used in cardio class (the wee skinny aluminum bars) are like 3#. I think the curl bar (the one that goes ^v^v^ ) (I hate that bar, it hurts my wrists) may be 15#.

    You could just ask. It's not a stupid question. And yes, you count the bar weight in to what you are lifting.

    Yeah, I had to read the label twice. To be fair, there are four squat stations and only two of them have this label. They are the squat racks where if you rotate the bar, two hooks will latch the bar in place so it won't fall and it never leaves the tracks it is in. (only moves vertically). The other two stations just have a normal (45lb - I imagine) bar that you can move off the pegs however you want.
  • 5stringjeff
    5stringjeff Posts: 790 Member
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    I can't get over the squat bar being 15#?! Dear god that would bend and fast.

    Most bars are 45#. At my gym, the "bar" on the Smith machine is 25#. The ones used in cardio class (the wee skinny aluminum bars) are like 3#. I think the curl bar (the one that goes ^v^v^ ) (I hate that bar, it hurts my wrists) may be 15#.

    You could just ask. It's not a stupid question. And yes, you count the bar weight in to what you are lifting.

    Yeah, I had to read the label twice. To be fair, there are four squat stations and only two of them have this label. They are the squat racks where if you rotate the bar, two hooks will latch the bar in place so it won't fall and it never leaves the tracks it is in. (only moves vertically). The other two stations just have a normal (45lb - I imagine) bar that you can move off the pegs however you want.

    That's a Smith machine. As I understand, different Smith machines are calibrated differently, so they have to put that label on so you have a better idea of the actual weight being lifted.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Oly bar is 20kg (7') and the 'women's' oly is 15kg (5 or 6' I think?!) - oh, sorry - 44lb and 33lb.

    Might be a different type of bar though :/


    Edit: already been said :blushing: I shd read the thread first
  • kirkor
    kirkor Posts: 2,530 Member
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    I can't get over the squat bar being 15#?! Dear god that would bend and fast.

    Most bars are 45#. At my gym, the "bar" on the Smith machine is 25#. The ones used in cardio class (the wee skinny aluminum bars) are like 3#. I think the curl bar (the one that goes ^v^v^ ) (I hate that bar, it hurts my wrists) may be 15#.

    You could just ask. It's not a stupid question. And yes, you count the bar weight in to what you are lifting.

    Yeah, I had to read the label twice. To be fair, there are four squat stations and only two of them have this label. They are the squat racks where if you rotate the bar, two hooks will latch the bar in place so it won't fall and it never leaves the tracks it is in. (only moves vertically). The other two stations just have a normal (45lb - I imagine) bar that you can move off the pegs however you want.

    Smith machine =/= squat rack :D
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    standard OLY bars I believe 2" diameter and as noted- are 45 pounds.

    I believe the women's OLY bars are 1.5 " and weigh 35 pounds. *believe*

    I don't use them so I don't know for 100% certain- I do know that they weigh less though.

    If it's an Olympic bar it is a 2" diameter bar, regardless if it's men's or women's.

    The actually diameter of the bar where you grip it to lift is usually 28mm for men's & 25mm for women.

    Also the curl bars vary in weight depending on the manufacturer. They're usually 25-30lb.
    Thank you- I've never looked at or researched women's I just know they are slightly different and weigh different.

    yeah the outsides should be the same- but the inside winds up being a smaller bar- I don't find that more helpful honestly- but I just remember that from doing pull ups at school- they had 2 different sized bars- in theory for the women- but the smaller ones were harder to use actually.
  • wnrobert
    wnrobert Posts: 20 Member
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    I can't get over the squat bar being 15#?! Dear god that would bend and fast.

    Most bars are 45#. At my gym, the "bar" on the Smith machine is 25#. The ones used in cardio class (the wee skinny aluminum bars) are like 3#. I think the curl bar (the one that goes ^v^v^ ) (I hate that bar, it hurts my wrists) may be 15#.

    You could just ask. It's not a stupid question. And yes, you count the bar weight in to what you are lifting.

    Yeah, I had to read the label twice. To be fair, there are four squat stations and only two of them have this label. They are the squat racks where if you rotate the bar, two hooks will latch the bar in place so it won't fall and it never leaves the tracks it is in. (only moves vertically). The other two stations just have a normal (45lb - I imagine) bar that you can move off the pegs however you want.

    Smith machine =/= squat rack :D

    Congratulations?? I said in the first quote I was new to it, you don't have to be an *kitten*. Whether or not it equals a squat rack really had nothing to do with my question, but please, continue on in your day being happy for stating that I was using the wrong term.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Ask the staff at your gym. My gym has 3 different types of bars: 55lbs, 45lbs, and 33lbs (I think that's the weight of the "lady bar").

    How you can tell the difference at my gym is that the 55lb bar is thicker than the 45lb bar, BUT the ends (where the plates go) are actually thinner than the 45lbs bar. The "lady bar," which is what my husband calls it, is shiny and more silver than the other 2.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Options
    I can't get over the squat bar being 15#?! Dear god that would bend and fast.

    Most bars are 45#. At my gym, the "bar" on the Smith machine is 25#. The ones used in cardio class (the wee skinny aluminum bars) are like 3#. I think the curl bar (the one that goes ^v^v^ ) (I hate that bar, it hurts my wrists) may be 15#.

    You could just ask. It's not a stupid question. And yes, you count the bar weight in to what you are lifting.

    Yeah, I had to read the label twice. To be fair, there are four squat stations and only two of them have this label. They are the squat racks where if you rotate the bar, two hooks will latch the bar in place so it won't fall and it never leaves the tracks it is in. (only moves vertically). The other two stations just have a normal (45lb - I imagine) bar that you can move off the pegs however you want.

    Smith machine =/= squat rack :D

    Congratulations?? I said in the first quote I was new to it, you don't have to be an *kitten*. Whether or not it equals a squat rack really had nothing to do with my question, but please, continue on in your day being happy for stating that I was using the wrong term.

    he wasn't... he was pointing it out.
    don't get defensive- you won't last long around here. just saying.

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