Dropping empty bars: Why not??

[Bliss]

I was warming up to deadlifts with some bar only RDL's and dropped the bar from the hang onto our rubber lined platform.

A crossfit trainer approached and asked to not drop when bar is empty, because the bearings get damaged this way, and that "bumpers absorb the shock" when dropped loaded.

I didn't mention to him it was a bushing bar, because that's not the crux of the argument.

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My reasoning for dropping it in the first place was due to thinking that because the shoulders of the sleeves are a single piece of metal with the part where the plates sit, it wouldn't matter if the bar fell and landed on the plates (transferring the shock to main sleeve) or directly on the sleeve shoulders.

Went to Google... in fact, turns out many articles do specify not to drop empty bars, but no information as to why.

One text mentioned that the bearings might get damaged, but again, no explanation or reasoning is given.

Please help, i want to understand and not be a dick!

PS.

Dropping empty bar legend - YouTube

[omaniphil]

The real question is, why are you dropping a bar while doing RDLs? Isn't the point of the RDL to lower the bar?

[MBasic]

I was warming up to deadlifts with some bar only RDL's and dropped the bar from the hang onto our rubber lined platform.

A crossfit trainer approached and asked to not drop when bar is empty, because the bearings get damaged this way, and that "bumpers absorb the shock" when dropped loaded.

I didn't mention to him it was a bushing bar, because that's not the crux of the argument.

----

My reasoning for dropping it in the first place was due to thinking that because the shoulders of the sleeves are a single piece of metal with the part where the plates sit, it wouldn't matter if the bar fell and landed on the plates (transferring the shock to main sleeve) or directly on the sleeve shoulders.

Went to Google... in fact, turns out many articles do specify not to drop empty bars, but no information as to why.

One text mentioned that the bearings might get damaged, but again, no explanation or reasoning is given.

Please help, i want to understand and not be a dick!

PS.

Dropping empty bar legend - YouTube

no, the 20 kg bar or its bearings will not get damaged from dropping an empty bar from knee or waist height to the platform.

its really a respect thing it what i comes down to. Which, if "they all" just said that to begin with, I would be totally fine with it.

I myself don't drop empty bars . . . well, maybe the last 9" from the shin, and that's on a platform with 2" thick rubber landing pads.

It's like a "If you keep making that face its going to freeze that way one day" type of thing.

Just say, "hey as$H@!e, its our gym, we don't drop OUR empty bars"

I'm totally fine with that reasoning. I get that more than the other non-reason.

__________________________________________________ _____

At my gym, for a brief while, we were not allowed to use metal change plates (2 1/2s; 5's; 10's) on the Olympic Bars with the bumper plates.

You could only have bumpers on the bar. Because the "metal change plate were bad for the sleeves".

They specifically said to me:
"like figure out the combo you need with bumpers to not use the small metal plates"
"if want to go from 225 to 235, take off the 45 and put (2) 25's on etc."

I didn't say anything, because I've got a pretty good setup at my gym, don't want to make wave.

Most all bumper plates have a METAL bushing that clanks on the sleeve !

These people no longer work at the gym, and the policy has not been enforced.

__________________________________________________ ___________

EDIT:
Re: dropping bar.

Too I guess, one guy drops a bar from the shin to the rubber platform.

Next guy, OK . . .drops empty bar from 8' overhead warmup for Jerks.

And then so on. So I could see it (rule) from preventing the escalating douche-baggery that might happen.

Same thing tho . . .don't make up a imaginary reason

[simplesimon]

While it's a little ironic that a Crossfitter is saying not to drop the bar one has to think that dropping them with bumpers does lessen the shock because at the very least the bumper makes the distance of the drop about 8" shorter. Whether bumper shock vs stall mat shock is more or less, I don't know. What would happen if a ton of iron was dropped onto a bumper plate?

[MBasic]

While it's a little ironic that a Crossfitter is saying . . .

yes, imagine while he is saying this . . . behind him a mountain sized pile of 10# thin bumpers with all the bushings blown out

[stef]

no, the 20 kg bar or its bearings will not get damaged from dropping an empty bar from knee or waist height to the platform.

Maybe. I say that because dropping them from a bit higher up - overhead - can certainly do that. Plenty of reports from XF competitions where crap like this was allowed in warm-ups.

[simplesimon]

Reading this was enlightening:

"Dropping" weights after a set : crossfit

[wannabeswole]

I once dropped the empty bar while warming up. It landed straight on my toe. Ended up having to get my entire toe nail removed . Not good. I wasn't even thinking about the fact that there were no plates on the end for it to fall on so the end of the bar went direct hit on my foot. If you want pretty toes don't be dropping empty bars.

[timelinex]

IF there is more damage from dropping an empty bar than one with weights, I think it would have to do with vibrations. The weights on the bar dampen most vibrations and it's mostly just impact force. When the bar is empty and it's dropped, you can definitely hear it vibrating. Maybe that eventually compromises the bushings/bearings? I don't know. But it's an idea.

[Bliss]

Interesting discussion, I'll keep also searching for more info.

Fact is this request to NOT drop an empty bar did sound unreasonable (after all, i wouldn't even think of doing it if it caused serious equipment damage), but i was even more surprised to find numerous instances of this policy online.

However, as convincing as may be something this specific and widespread, as more suspicious it becomes without plausible accompanying reasoning.

Again, since it is KNOWN that bars with any weight on them can be dropped safely and repeatedly without ill effect from as high as narrow grip overhead like in a jerk (provided level bounce, bumpers, platform etc), with the lower weight "limit" imposed by the sturdyness of the small bumpers and not barbells per se, why would there suddenly be a limit when no bumpers are used?

How exactly are they saying bars get damaged being dropped from overhead and landing on their sleeves directly....


The vibration theory is interesting, sure there s a characteristic sound from an empty bar vs a loaded bar!