Types of Weight Bars

A Beginner's Guide To The Different Types of Weight Bars

It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you're just starting to work out in the gym. As a beginner, you probably want to try everything like strength training and haul around different weights more than you're supposed to. But while pushing yourself beyond your limits is not essential, it's a process that you should not rush and overdo.

You don't have to be a bodybuilder or professional athlete to do strength training and reap its benefits, such as losing fat and increasing your strength and muscle tone. However, doing it incorrectly can lead to injury. The first thing you can do, though, is equipping yourself with the tools to use that'll support your weight training and work around specific limitations.

Highlighted below is a beginner's guide to the different types of weight bars. Go over each of them and know how to use them effectively.

Standard Barbells
A standard barbell is one of the essential pieces of equipment to use if you're starting to make strength training a part of your regular fitness routine. Typically, it weighs about 15 to 25 lbs and can be 5 to 6 feet long. A standard barbell will allow you to modify the weight you're lifting. With that, you can customize your workout and focus on different muscle groups.

However, they are ideal if you're doing more technical lifts like the snatch and the clean and press. Remember that there are other types of barbells, and it's important to go for something that will match your strength needs, and goals. The best barbells for strength training regiments or build a powerful grip may also depend on the weight load appropriate for you.

Technique Bars
As a beginner, it's important to bear in mind that big lifts come from strong foundations. Since technique bars typically have a low starting weight, it's the perfect equipment to learn, practice, and master technique work. Note that developing a technique helps you ensure that your lifting form is right and safe.

Technique bars weigh more than a broom handle or PVC pipe but not as heavy as a standard Olympic barbell. Their lightweight feature allows you to go through a smooth transition essential for beginners. You can increase lifts appropriately to heavier standard weightlifting bars from basic weightlifting.

Tricep Bars
Maintaining consistency is essential when you're only starting out. With a consistent workout, you're more likely to build and develop your muscles, increasing your capacity to perform. Triceps bars are one of the best tools you can use to make this possible. Although they are primarily used to exercise the triceps, they also target other parts of your upper body.

Using a tricep bar can reduce the stress on your elbows, forearms, and wrist. This stress reduction can limit unnecessary injuries caused by strains or muscle pulls. If you want to vary your workouts, you can also get multi-grip tricep bars. Compared to holding two dumbbells, a stronger grip on the tricep bars permits you to use more weight and build more strength.

EZ Curl Bars
As a shorter barbell variation but tends to be quite lightweight with a unique jagged shape, EZ curl bars are designed to isolate your triceps and biceps and allow more focused work on those muscles. But its main advantage is the various angled grips on the bar that helps alleviate stress around your wrists and elbows when lifting.

Note that it's hard to train when you are injured, especially if you're still trying to make progress. An EZ curl bar would make a good tool to prevent any unwanted injuries. Besides that, it has many applications that will let you add variations and power to your training. You can get an intense workout with different movement patterns through one of these bars.

Safety Squat Bars

Squats are one of the beneficial strength training exercises. However, it can be painful even if you're not a beginner. In fact, many trainees struggle with safety and effectiveness when it comes to squatting. Perhaps, it's because of poor positioning, limited mobility, and past injuries. This is where squat safety bars come into play.

You probably know how quickly your squat game can be negatively affected if you've suffered a shoulder or chest muscle injury. But safety squat bars can help distribute the weight around your shoulders more evenly. It's most likely why a lot of coaches think that it is great for arm injuries. With this equipment, it's possible to squat even with an upper-body injury.

Multi-Purpose Barbell
While specialized weight bars are good since they focus on specific moves, they're not perfect for everyone. As a beginner, it might be hard to choose which one is the most suitable. You probably feel that lifting isn't for you by just looking at a squat safety bar or a standard barbell.

Multi-purpose barbells would be a great option for beginners and intermediates. Anyone can use them whether they want to build muscle and perfect form. With a multi-purpose barbell, you can deadlift, squat, clean, jerk, snatch, curl, press and throw if you prefer to.

Additional Points To Bear In Mind
Strength training equipment can be intimidating if you're a beginner. But lifting weights can be a piece of cake once you understand and follow the basic techniques. Here are some additional points to bear in mind when using weight bars or any strength training equipment.

Learn Proper Technique: It's important to be thoroughly versed in the performance of each routine you're performing. A technique would help you use the equipment more comfortably and achieve optimal results.

Choose The Right Weights: Weights that are too heavy can result in serious injuries. But using bars that are too light can also lead to frustration as it may not help you reach the desired goals. Thus, choosing the right weight is crucial. Note that starting slow and gradually increasing weight matters in strength training.

Get A Good Spotter: A good spotter can help protect you against potential injury when lifting weights. They can provide tips and guidance to ensure that you're doing the ideal form while training using the equipment. You can consider asking a fellow gym member or a gym employee to be your spotter.

Conclusion
It can be very challenging to choose the right type of weight bars. There are numerous factors to consider to come up with the final choice. Nevertheless, it's always important to remember your current level of fitness. Although challenging yourself is vital, don't begin immediately with the complicated ones, including the equipment you'll be using. Just allow yourself to be a beginner while you're patiently and consistently making progress.