Are barbells rated?

[eminenz2]

My barbell was part of a "beginners" set of weights. It came in two pieces and you had to shove them together until they "clicked". It weighs 5lbs on its own. It came with 50 lbs of plates, which I don't use because they're too big (plastic filled with sand or something similar - yuck).

My question is, how can one figure out what the maximum weight a barbell can hold? Are barbells "rated" for maximum weight?

I'm sure DH will be lifting more than me pretty quickly - he's already passing me up in bicep/tricep work, and is well on his way to increasing his chest and shoulder work. I don't want him to get injured by using a barbell too weak to hold the weight he might need in the future.

Thanks.

Susan G.

 

[SteppingFool]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Aug-11-02 AT 01:53PM (Est)[/font][p]I have Troy Lite -- it's a hollow bar, 5 ft long and 5 lbs. These are rated to hold up to 80 lbs. I'm sure yours has a maximum limit too since it too only weigh 5 lbs -- possibly hollow; hence, does not hold as much as a solid one or Olympic bars (2").

Haslina

 

[eminenz2]

Sounds like you and I have a similar bar. I wonder if mine has any more limitations weight-wise because it came in two pieces. I'm just kicking myself for not being a little more patient and shopping around!

Thanks for the response.

Susan G.