Collection: Barbells

Most barbells in commercial and home gyms are about 45 pounds or 20kg. In fact, many people call a regulation 20kg barbell a "45 pound barbell" even though it actually weighs 44lbs (2.2 pounds in a kg).

Women's regulation barbells weight slightly less at 15kg (33 pounds) due to their slightly shorter length. Women's bars are 201cm (6'7.1") while Men's regulation bars are 220cm (7'2.1"). Confusing matters even further, many people refer to a regulation Men's barbell as a '7 foot' barbell even though they are just over 2" longer than that.

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

An all-purpose barbell is one that can perform all of the lifts you might want to do, from heavy benches and squats to more explosive olympic lifts like cleans and snatches.

The ideal all-purpose barbell will be 180k-200k PSI tensile strength with a light to medium knurl, have dual powerlifting and olympic knurl marks, include bearings and bushings in the sleeves for consistent and smooth spin, and it should have a moderate amount of whip.

Our Barbell 1500 is designed with this exact use case in mind, built to grow with you as you set new personal records and as your routine evolves.

People primarily looking to do bench, squats, presses, rows, etc will be best served with a stiffer and slightly more aggressively knurled powerlifting bar. You'll want to target a barbell with 200k+ PSI tensile strength. The sleeves are best with bushings, since bearings can create more spin than preferred for these lifts. Often this bar will have only powerlifting knurl marks, as opposed to the dual marks indicative of an all-purpose bar.

Check out our Powerlifting Barbell 2000 to see our own powerlifting bar.

People at the beginning of their weightlifting journey are recommended to start with a lighter 15kg barbell (35lb barbell), but you can consider going straight to a 45lb Barbell if you're sure that you'll stick with it for the longterm, because this is the type of bar that you'll eventually want to own.

You should look for a light to medium knurl, a bar with bushing and/or bearing in the sleeves, and snap-ring endcap design to ensure lifetime quality.

Our Barbell 1000 is a great option in the 15lb/35lb catgory, and our Barbell 1500 is designed as an all-purpose gym barbell.

No matter where you are in your fitness journey and which barbell you choose, here are a few of the top indicators to look for in a barbell:

1. 2" Olympic Sleeves with bearings, bushings, or both - Compatibility is key and the 2" platform is much more widely available than the 1" counterparts
2. At least 160k PSI tensile strength - You want a bar you can trust to keep you safe during your heaviest lifts, no matter how much weight that is today
3. Snap-Ring endcap construction to keep the sleeves secured to the bar, maintenance-free

Any barbell that meets these three criteria are likely to be a quality bar that will last you for years to come.

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.

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.

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.

It's true that a barbell is the best home gym tool for the large compound movements that build functional whole body strength (like squats and deadlifts). But dumbbells can be a great replacement for a barbell when doing compound movements, and at the same time they also allow you to do isolation movements more effectively.

Our loadable dumbbells are a great budget-friendly first bar, or they can be the first bar you purchase after a barbell. The dumbbell weights are the same weights that you'll use on your barbell, making either one a great choice for your first home gym bar.