Collection: Barbell Weight Sets

Iron weight plates are great if you plan to do the core weightlifting exercises like bench press, squats, overhead presses, deadlifts, and similar barbell weightlifting exercises. They'll work for everything you plan to do, as long as you don't plan on dropping them on the floor from a height. If dropping a loaded barbell to the ground is part of your plans (more common for Olympic lifting routines) then you'll want to look for rubber coated or 100% rubber plates, or pair your metal plates with a heavy duty floor cover.

We cover this topic in detail in our How to Choose a Weight Set blog, and we'll give you the tldr right here:

Beginners can start with a 90 pound weight set to build a great foundation.

Anyone planning to do the heaviest lifts (like squat and deadlift) can start with the 180 pound set, which will give your 225 pounds of weight with one of our Olympic Barbells.

Experienced lifters will be well suited starting with the 250 pound set, or picking up the 270 pound set and adding 2.5s and 5s as needed.

Our 40 pound weight set is a great option to add more small plates to your home gym, to make changing between exercises and/or bars quicker and a more enjoyable experience.

We powder coat our plates to deliver a durable product that will stand up to the rigors of both home and commercial use. Powder coating can last up to 20 years and does not chip or peel like similar enamel coated plates on the market.

Iron weight plates from other companies can vary by 5% or even 10% from their stated weight. This means you could have a 45 pound weight on each side of the bar that varies by up to nine pounds!

No other company offers free replacements like we do for the rare case that one of your plates is outside of our market-leading 2% tolerance guarantee.

2" Olympic Men's Barbells are the most common type of barbell in most gyms and commercial facilities

• These barbells weigh 20kg (44 pounds) and measure 2.2 meters in length (about 86.6 inches, or 7'2.6")
• 28-29mm grip diameter (1.1" to 1.14")
• These are commonly referred to as "45 pound barbells" and "7 foot barbells"

2" Women's Barbells are another common barbell option found in home and commercial gyms. These barbells have most of the same specs as the Men's barbells but weigh less and are slightly shorter:

• These weigh 15kg (33lbs) and measure 2.01 meters in length (about 79.1 inches, or 6' 7.1")
• 25-28mm grip diameter (0.98" to 1.1")
• Commonly referred to as a "6 foot barbell" or a "35 pound barbell"

Youth barbells are the least common, weighing 10kg (22 pounds) and measuring 1.7 meters in length (66.9", or 5'6.9").

Best Barbells for Bench, Deadlift, and Squats

• 200k+ PSI tensile strength and less whip
• Rougher knurling with bronze bushings
• See our Barbell 2000

Best All-Purpose Barbells

• 180k-200k PSI tensile strength and moderate whip
• Lighter knurling. Bushings and needle bearings
• See our Barbell 1500

Best Beginner and Lighter Weight Barbells

• 160k-180k PSI tensile strength and moderate whip
• Light knurling. Bushings and bearings
• See our Barbell 1000

Barbell sleeves are attached to the ends of the main barbell shaft where the weights are loaded. Quality barbell sleeves include bushings, bearings, or both between the bar and the sleeves to keep the rotation smooth and consistent. Without bushings or bearings, the barbell sleeves will grind on the shaft leading to an inconsistent spin.

Bronze bushings provide a slow, steady, and reliable spin for heavier and slower lifts like squat and bench press. They are typically preferred in a powerlifting barbells, like our Powerlifting Barbell 2000 which are equipped with self lubricating bronze bushings to provide a slow and reliable spin for years to come.

Needles bearing are often preferred for olympic barbell lifting routines because they provide a quicker and more responsive spin for these explosive and technical lifts. Our Olympic Barbell 1500 is equipped with both needle bearings and bronze bushings to deliver an exceptional lifting experience, while our and Compact Barbell 1000 comes with integrated needle bearings.

Whip measures how much and how easily a barbell can flex without permanently bending. The more whip a bar has the more the bar will flex with momentum. Many factors influence how much whip a bar has, but the main factors are the material a barbell is made with and the diameter of the bar.

Stiffer barbells with less whip, like our Powerlifting Barbell 2000, are typically preferred for the core lifts that are most common exercises for home gym lifters, like bench, deadlines, squats, etc.

More whip is typically preferred for lifters that plan to focus on the highly technical explosive Olympic lifts like clean and jerk, power cleans, and snatches. Our Olympic Barbell 1500 is an example a higher whip barbell.

Yield and tensile strength both refer to the maximum load a barbell can support.

Yield strength measures the maximum stress a barbell can sustain before it will permanently bend. Tensile strength is the maximum stress a barbell can handle before it breaks. Tensile is always larger than Yield - steel will deform before it snaps.

Quality barbells will have 160,000 PSI tensile strength or higher, and all Barbell Standard barbells fit the bill.

The reason finish is applied to barbells is to prevent rust. The choice of finish will also impact the feel and grip of the barbell on your hands. Bare steel bars require continual maintenance though they are typically the most cost effective option you can find.

Black oxide finish is the next most economical option, but it offers only a slight improvement in rust prevention vs bare steel because it is only a fine oxide layer which can be easily scratched which allows rust to settle in and spread.

Zinc coating is a popular option for the excellent combination of rust protection and grip. Zinc has better rust protection than oxide and cerakote alternatives without substantially impacting grip.

Stainless steel is the most expensive option and offers the highest corrosion resistance and maintains a feel similar to bare steel.

Barbell knurl is a cross-hatched textured applied to a barbell in the area a lifter grips the bar. Knurl is used to create more grip between your hands and the bar.

The most aggressive knurling is applied to deadlift bars, where the chance of losing grip of the bar is highest - we include a pair of lifting straps with every barbell as an alternative means of maintaining your grip without shredding your hands.

Knurl marks, or knurl rings, are thin knurl-free rings on the knurled section of a barbell. Knurl marks are typically placed at standardized distances from the middle of the bar based on Olympic lifting and Powerlifting standards.

Knurl in the very middle of the bar is typically reserved for powerlifting bars to increase grip between your neck and the barbell for squats.