Barbell bars for home use

Why a bar is so efficient at home

Of everything you can bring into a house, a bar is the only item that grows with you without needing more space. You start light and add plates years later; the bar itself stays the same. Per square metre you get more out of it than out of a machine that performs one movement.

There is a practical side that weighs heavier at home: length. An olympic bar is two metres or more, and it has to do more than fit somewhere, it has to be loadable. So room must remain at both ends to slide plates on and tighten the collars. In a narrow room that is more often the blocker than the weight itself.

The honest trade-off: with a loose bar you work without a catch. Heavy squats or bench pressing without a rack and safety supports is not a sound plan in a house. Combine the bar with a power rack or a bench with uprights, or stay with loads you can always set down safely.

Which bar suits you?

Length, weight class and whether you already own plates together point the way.

You are starting from scratch: take a set with bar, plates and collars together. The bore then matches for certain and you are complete in one go.

You already own plates: measure the bore first. Plates with a narrow hole do not fit a thick sleeve and the other way round, and that is the mistake that turns up most often on a first expansion.

Your room is narrow: look at the shorter bars. They load easily in a tight space and sit better on overhead work, but they do not fit every rack, so measure the distance between the uprights.

You mainly want to get heavy: check the maximum load and the quality of the sleeves. A bar that spins freely as you pick it up spares your forearms and hands on deadlifts.

The bar is going into a living room: there are wooden versions that do not read as gym kit and may simply hang on the wall. They do less than a steel olympic bar, but they stay in sight and get used for exactly that reason.

You are aiming at arms and shoulders: a short or curved bar is handier for that than a long straight one. Have a look at the wider range of barbell bars too.

What is in a set?

Most home sets consist of three parts, and it helps to know what each one does.

The bar. The steel everything rests on. Length decides whether it fits your room and your rack, load rating decides how far you can go.

The plates. They set the load and, more importantly in a house, the noise and the load on your floor. Rubber and bumper plates land softly and protect the floor; cast iron is more compact but harder.

The collars. The part most often underestimated. A collar that holds under load keeps the plates in place during a set, and that counts double at home because nobody is watching.

What to look at before you buy

Length and loading room

Measure the width of your lifting spot and add room at both ends to slide plates on. If you use a rack, the distance between the uprights decides it, because a bar that is too short can simply fall through.

The bore of the plates

Bar and plates have to match. With a set that is taken care of; if you buy separately, check what you already have first. This is where an online purchase goes wrong most often.

Maximum load

This figure says how much the bar carries safely. Work from the load you want to reach, not what you lift today, and keep margin; replacing a bar because you got stronger is a waste.

Rotating sleeves

On an olympic bar the ends rotate with the plates. That takes the torque out of your grip on deadlifts and cleans. The smoother that movement, the better the bar feels under heavy load.

Grip and knurling

The rough section decides how firmly the bar sits in your hand. Sharp knurling grips better but is hard on the hands over many reps; a mild knurl is kinder for general use at home.

Storage

A bar does not belong on the floor: you trip over it and the floor takes knocks. A wall holder or a stand puts it upright. Keep the plates on a rack so the load on your floor stays spread out.

Our advice: start from a set rather than collecting parts separately, then everything matches for sure. Pick the weight class on where you want to be in a year, because adding plates is easy while replacing a bar that turned out too light costs money. And count the storage in from the start: a rack for the plates and a holder for the bar make the difference between a working corner and an obstacle.

Who are they suitable for?

• You want heavy, basic training with squats, deadlifts and pressing instead of separate machines.
• You have limited space and want kit that stores upright.
• You want to expand step by step by adding plates instead of investing again.
• You already own a rack or bench and only lack the bar and the load.
• You train in a living space and want kit that is allowed to stay out.

Less suitable if you only want light work, or if nobody is around to help on heavy sets without a rack. In that case adjustable dumbbells get you further, because you can always stop without having to put anything away.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy a barbell bar for home use but are you not quite sure which one fits your wishes and needs best? We are happy to help. You can reach our strength equipment specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an e-mail or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about barbell bars for home use

What bar length fits an ordinary room?

That depends on the width you actually have free, not on the room as a whole. Measure the spot where you will lift and add space at both sides for sliding plates on. In a rack, the distance between the uprights is what decides; a bar that is too short will not sit in it. When in doubt, longer is safer than shorter, as long as it fits.

Can I use my old plates on a new bar?

Only if the bore matches. Measure the hole in your plates and compare it with the bar's sleeve. If they do not match you need different plates or a bar with the other diameter. This is the first check before you order anything.

Why buy a set instead of separate parts?

Because bar, plates and collars then match for certain and you can start straight away. A set is usually cheaper than the same parts bought separately too. If you already own kit, buying separately makes more sense, as long as you check the dimensions.

How much weight do I need to start?

That differs per person and per exercise, but start lower than you think you need and make sure you can increase in small steps. Small plates matter more for that than big ones: without plates of a couple of kilos you cannot build up gradually. Weight plates can simply be added later.

Will a barbell damage my floor?

That depends on the plates and on how you set them down. Rubber and bumper plates absorb the impact, cast iron does not. If you train on a wooden floor or an upper storey, put a solid mat under the landing spot and never lean the bar loose against a wall.

Do I really need collars?

Yes. Without them the plates shift during a set, and an uneven load tips the bar. At home that matters more because nobody is standing next to you. Choose collars that hold under load and check them before every heavy set.