Getting first barbell - how much weight should it handle?

[Shadowpup]

Cathe,

After doing my 1RM tests it seems clear I need a barbell - sort of a good news, bad news situation. I'm asking you because it is your fault Two years ago, before using your dvds, I was straining to do squats with just bodyweight. Nowadays I'm using a weight vest plus dumbbells, and I can get to 60-70 pounds that way, but not much more without buying a new set of dumbbells. So, it seems time for a bar.

How much weight should the barbell be able to handle? Can I use my 1RMs to predict that? My 1RM tests for squats and some of the other lower body exercises are consistently over 100#. Will I really want to be able to put that much on the bar, though?

Thanks - and thanks for making sure I have this "problem" to solve
Deb

 

[trigirl63]

Cathe,
Your descriptions of STS mesocycle 3 legs you said to shorter bar when doing options, does this mean you use a different bar when using squat rack option? I have and like the short bar, a longer bar, and a Olympic bar. I know they all weigh different before any weight is put on just not sure how much they weigh by themselves, do you?

 

[FitGirl-ATX]

Not Cathe here, but a standard 7' Olympic bar weighs 45 lbs. They have shorter Olympic bars, such as a 5' bar, that usually weight in at 35 lbs. Olympic bars accommodate weight plates that have 2" diameter holes.

Hope this helps!

 

[Shadowpup]

Hi FitGirl, thanks for helping! I don't think I phrased my question very well.

I was looking at the manufacturer site for various barbell sets that are for sale. Some of the product descriptions say that the bar will hold up to 80 pounds, which I was interpreting as meaning 80 pounds plus the bar (90 pounds altogether).

Will 90 pounds be enough weight for a heavy lifting program like STS?

The whole reason I'm wondering is that one of my squat 1RMs tested out at 118 pounds (most of the legs tested out around 100lbs). 85% of my squat 1RM would be over 100 pounds, which exceeds the capacity of the bar, right? I'd hate to buy a bar for mesocycle 1, and find out I need another one for meso 3. Although, probably I'm not understanding how these things are measured. I am kind of hoping that there is an easy rule of thumb, such as, "buy a barbell plus weights that goes up to your highest 1RM" that I could use The smaller the better, too. I'm working in medium size space, and am going to have to do quite a bit of rearranging to get a 5' bar safely in there, especially with a squat rack.

And, I'm to ask what is likely a very silly question; I am definitely a beginner here And the whole idea of worry about 100 pounds versus 80 seems rather strange to me - I don't think of myself as particularly strong, and 100 pounds seems pretty intimidating. Still, so did 25 pounds, not all that long ago ...

 

[snowbelle]

If you are planning to get (or already have) a squat rack (it sounds like that's the case from your post)...I would get a barbell that can handle more than 80 lbs. The ones rated for 80 lbs do have a safety factor built in, and can in reality handle more than that, but...how much more and for how long? Why take the chance? Since you don't have one yet, just get the higher rated one. You can find the smaller length ones with greater weight capacity, if that is important.

As far as what YOU can handle, squats done with proper form (and a squat rack) can easily go to what may SOUND like very high weights if you haven't been exposed to that before (i.e. gym or personal trainer), but it really is not. Even "tiny" looking women often can squat over 100 lbs after a few weeks or months.

One other consideration is your main intended use. If it is to support STS, definitely go with the heavy-capacity bar, whatever length you prefer. If you also want to do many of Cathe's earlier DVD's that often use barbells in the 25-35 lb range (for higher rep exercises, or smaller muscle groups, for instance), you wouldn't be able to use a bar that already weighs 45 lbs, like the full-size Olympic bar. Find one that has a lighter base weight, but can still handle more than 80 in added weight.

OR...you may decide to get two barbells anyway! (If that is an option, there are advantages, such as when two or more adjustments are required in one DVD - you can have them both pre-set before it starts. This is especially true for the Pyramid workout (lower), that has 3 weight settings for each set (involving 4 VERY QUICK changes as you go up and down the pyramid). If you have two barbells, you can leave the middle setting on one, and just adjust the other to the highest and lowest amount.

Anyway...I started out with the Troy lite because it is what Cathe has and I like the way it looks. I later needed more capacity and ended up buying an Olympic bar as well. While I find ways to rationalize having two (as above!), if I could do it over again, I'd have purchased one that met all my needs.

One final thing...whether you decide on just one barbell, or plan to get another later, think very hard about which size weight plates you want to invest in. The "Standard" size has one inch holes, the "Olympic" size has two inch holes, and you cannot use one type on a bar designed for the other. While it may not cost too much more to get a second barbell, getting a whole new set of plates IS expensive (and it takes up a lot more room to have two sets).

 

[Shadowpup]

Perfect! This is exactly what I needed to know. I'l think about these options, measure my rooms, and take a look at what's available Thank you!

 

[trigirl63]

Cathe,

After doing my 1RM tests it seems clear I need a barbell - sort of a good news, bad news situation. I'm asking you because it is your fault Two years ago, before using your dvds, I was straining to do squats with just bodyweight. Nowadays I'm using a weight vest plus dumbbells, and I can get to 60-70 pounds that way, but not much more without buying a new set of dumbbells. So, it seems time for a bar.

How much weight should the barbell be able to handle? Can I use my 1RMs to predict that? My 1RM tests for squats and some of the other lower body exercises are consistently over 100#. Will I really want to be able to put that much on the bar, though?

Thanks - and thanks for making sure I have this "problem" to solve


was checking on line and the olympic 5' long bar weighs 30 lbs. and has 800 lb. capacity. I think thats what I'll get. short and durable. and I have plates for olympic. just thought I'd pass along info