Bar Diameter

[Tao]

Hey, Mark!

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what effect bar thickness has on the SS lifts. I have been using a 3 inch 60 pound bar and have found my deads, bench and OHP to be much more difficult at weights I am familiar with. However, after using the fat bar for a few months, I alternate to a regular 45 pound bar and my strength seems to go through the roof on those same lifts, breaking previous PRs.

Could this be because of increased forearm strength as a result of using the fat bar? Also the regular bar feeling more secure in my hands has something to do with it, too, I think.

Your opinions?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Bar diameter has a profound effect on your ability to press and pull, since you will not press weights you cannot squeeze effectively, and you will not pull weights you are about to drop. For this reason, they are a wonderful grip training tool, but a poor way to train the primary movement, since they radically reduce the weight you can handle. I don't know a single lifter who got his deadlift from 315 to 505 just using a fat bar, because before your back and hips can get strong enough to do 505 they have to do 495, and if your grip limits your training weights to 225 you're kinda SOL.

[PressesPeople]

After a few months of training, you probably would have broken those PRs anyways. It's mostly a mental thing, since going from using an awkward weight to a balanced one seems easier. It's kind of like walking out a heavier weight than you'll actually squat with, or practicing swings with several bats before you actually go up to bat (in baseball).

[David_G]

What's the standard bars diameter?
We got some crappy bars at our gym, they are not FAT but they are not olympic bars either(slightly thicker) and I think that they weigh around 50 lbs if that's possible

Next time i'm at my gym i'll have a look and take measurements/weigh one

Please appreciate the olympic bars if you have them in your gym, so many gyms today have shitty bars, atleast in my country

[Mark Rippetoe]

Bars vary from 28.5 to 29mm. Thicker bars are approved for squatting in PL meets.

[Shion]

The bars at my gym are complete shit. 32mm, no spin, shitty smooth knurling. Went to another gym due to mine being closed on a holiday and got to do PCs and DLs with a proper bar... PC went up 15lbs and Deads about 30.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have seen 32mm bars marketed by Gill to CF affiliates who didn't know any better. I don't know how you make steel so shitty that it bends under CF loads at 32mm, but they managed.

[gape]

The gym I go to has one or two of these awful octagon, thick, chromed barbells that only have smooth knurling on every other side of the octagon. I don't see how it could be made worse for any sort of lifting.

[tnumrych]

I recently became a member at a gym in town ran by a ex-competitive weightlifter with some national level achievements in the late 70s and 80s. To this time I have counted six of those highly praised York bars. They look quite old and since the gym has been around for 20+ years I surmise they are, but to my amazement, all of them still spin just as well as the competition/training Eleiko bars I used to train with, and none are bent.

Although it's a sad state of affairs when I feel like I struck a gold mine just because I found a gym with some good bars, platforms and squat racks.

[jimmyc]

I recently became a member at a gym in town ran by a ex-competitive weightlifter with some national level achievements in the late 70s and 80s. To this time I have counted six of those highly praised York bars. They look quite old and since the gym has been around for 20+ years I surmise they are, but to my amazement, all of them still spin just as well as the competition/training Eleiko bars I used to train with, and none are bent.

Although it's a sad state of affairs when I feel like I struck a gold mine just because I found a gym with some good bars, platforms and squat racks.

You did strike a gold mine. Finding a black iron gym with real patrons is hard enough, but to find one that also has lifting platforms is not very easy. Good luck.