BARBELL BUYING GUIDE

There are three common types of barbell. Olympic bars, Power bars and Multi-purpose bars. 

All barbells tend to have knurling on them. This is an etched pattern on the portion of the barbell you grip; it assists when gripping the bar and prevents it slipping in hand. There are various markings on barbells that are used to identify hand placement on the barbell for certain lifts. In competitions there are specified placements for the hands which are indicated by a smooth portion of the barbell about a 1cm in width around the circumference of the barbell amidst the knurling.

For Olympic style bars the collars (portion on which the weight plates are placed) rotate. To enable rotation the most common methods are either bushings, ball bearings or needle bearings.  

Olympic barbells - These are designed with two explosive Olympic lifts in mind. The 'Snatch', and the 'Clean & Jerk'. Characteristics for this type of bar include the 'whip'. The whip describes the use of elastic energy. Having a good whip in the bar allows the barbell to continue with momentum once the lifter has stopped. It can be used in the dip of a movement such as a push press to bounce the bar; and use the momentum of the upward bend in the bar to propel the weight overhead. Due to the speed involved with Olympic lifts the requirement for freely rotating sleeves is high. To enable a smooth and fast spin of the collars needle bearings are often used. 

Olympic barbells do not usually have knurling in the centre of the bar. The reason for this is due to certain lifts in Olympic lifting the barbell comes into contact with the collar bone region which can cause friction and discomfort.

Power barbells - These differ from Olympic bars in that they are designed for deadlifts, squats and bench press movements. A powerlifting bar is stiffer and more rigid in order to accommodate heavier weights, making them slightly thicker than Olympic bars at usually 29mm diameter. As with the Olympic bar they too have hand markings. The markings on a power bar are narrower to indicate the competition hand positions for the bench press. Power bars don't really need for the collars to spin so freely like those of the Olympic bars, so they tend to use bushings rather than the more expensive bearings.

Power barbells tend to have knurling in the centre of the bar which helps prevent the bar slipping when squatting.

Multi-purpose barbells - These are a hybrid of Olympic and Power barbells. A barbell that is suitable for Olympic lifts but can also handle heavy weights.  This type of non-specialised barbell is generally the best choice for intermediate lifters and CrossFit. Our multipurpose bars all come with both needle bearings and high quality bushings. Multi-purpose barbells usually come with hand markings for both Olympic and Power lifts.

Barbell differences between 15kg and 20kg

15kg: The bar shaft is 25mm in diameter, and a length of 2.01 metres.

20kg: The bar shaft is 28-29mm in diameter, and has a length of 2.2 metres. The extra length of the bar when compared to 15kg bars is made up of longer sleeve lengths, the centre grip portion remains the same.

Barbell coatings

There are a whole plethora of coatings and finishes applied to barbells. Each has its own pros and cons. When choosing the right finish for you consider the environment it will be used in, they type of lifting and use it will get along with your budget. The below table provides an overview of the finishes available. This table is courtesy of www.gymcrafter.com 

Finish	Price	Corrosion resistance	Durabuility
Bare steel	2	0	10
Budget Chrome	2	3	2
Black Oxide	4	4	4
Zinc	6	6	6
Hard Chrome	8	7	7
Cerakote	9	9	9
Stainless Steel	10	10	10

 

Ratings on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the lowest

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