TarHeelMom
Cathlete
Hi Cath! I'm curious -- in the last few video series you've used a couple of different types of barbells (York, US Weight and the silver one (Ivanko?) you used in the PS series which if memory serves me was actually a heavier (15 lb?) bar than the black US Weights bar). It looks like you're using the US Weights one again in this series. Do you have a favorite and if so why, or do you prefer different bars for different work? Here's why I'm wondering.
I am debating about whether I actually NEED to add another barbell to my own equipment collection. I've had the original "FIRM" barbell for 13 or 14 years now -- it's quite similar to the York padded set -- and I like it a lot. With the padded bar, my hands close around it so that my thumbs are just resting on top of the first knuckle of my fingers. If I'm wearing my lifting gloves (Harbinger) with the padded palm, my grip is even a hair looser on the barbell. Now that I have finally worked my way up to heavier weight on biceps and triceps bar work, I am finding that my barbell grip doesn't seem to feel as secure, sort of, as it would be with my hand more tightly closed. I am even wondering if this slightly looser grip is placing more stress on my fingers than I should have. I don't FEEL any stress, but somehow it seems logical that for this particular kind of bar work (and maybe even for moves like deadlifts and dead rows), the load on my hands and fingers and forearms might be more appropriately distributed and focused if my hand was gripping a smaller-diameter bar. Does that make sense to you? What do you think, ma'am??
Thanks so much for your advice -- I've been having such fun and have been so challenged this month by the September rotation, by the way, and I'm so looking forward to the new workouts!!! :7 :7
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
I am debating about whether I actually NEED to add another barbell to my own equipment collection. I've had the original "FIRM" barbell for 13 or 14 years now -- it's quite similar to the York padded set -- and I like it a lot. With the padded bar, my hands close around it so that my thumbs are just resting on top of the first knuckle of my fingers. If I'm wearing my lifting gloves (Harbinger) with the padded palm, my grip is even a hair looser on the barbell. Now that I have finally worked my way up to heavier weight on biceps and triceps bar work, I am finding that my barbell grip doesn't seem to feel as secure, sort of, as it would be with my hand more tightly closed. I am even wondering if this slightly looser grip is placing more stress on my fingers than I should have. I don't FEEL any stress, but somehow it seems logical that for this particular kind of bar work (and maybe even for moves like deadlifts and dead rows), the load on my hands and fingers and forearms might be more appropriately distributed and focused if my hand was gripping a smaller-diameter bar. Does that make sense to you? What do you think, ma'am??
Thanks so much for your advice -- I've been having such fun and have been so challenged this month by the September rotation, by the way, and I'm so looking forward to the new workouts!!! :7 :7
http://www.clicksmilie.de/sammlung/sport/sport003.gif Kathy S.
). I, too, have the Firm barbell, and I love the shorter length and the padding. But I have noticed, now that I'm going so much heavier with Cathe, that my grip doesn't seem as strong. I use the Harbinger padded gloves, too, and maybe all that padding on the gloves and the bar is too much? I have small hands, too, so I'm really aware of my grip on a lot of the moves with heavier weights. I feel it most when I'm doing dead rows. I just did ME on Saturday and was thinking that I didn't like the way my grip felt on that part where she does the dead rows/clean & press--I'll bet it's because of the thick padding on the bar! I hope Cathe responds to this post; I'll be interested to see what she says. Maybe it's time to buy a new bar, although I do love the shorter length of the Firm one!
