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Other/Mixed Deadlift with 60" bar?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Eric Wilson

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I'm thinking of getting a barbell and some plates for me and my teenagers. Main use would be deadlifts and maybe power cleans.

I saw a 60" bar for sale, noticed that it is a bit cheaper than the standard 84", and would obviously take up less space.

This bar would not fit the standard bench and squat racks, but I don't care about that.

I've never done a deadlift with a barbell. Would the shorter size be an issue? I'm a small guy, 2x bodyweight for me is well under 300, so I'm not at all worried about whether I can get eight 45s on this bar. I'm just wondering if there is any other reason that doing a deadlift with a bar that is two feet shorter than usual would be awkward or not recommended.

This particulr barbell has the following dimensions:
- Length Between Sleeves: 36.5”
- Sleeve Length: 10 3/4"
 
Sounds great! Assuming you will pull conventional. A wide sumo stance could be a problem, but conventional would prob be better for you. It should work great! If the price difference between this bar and a standard size is substantial, I would go for it. If the price difference is only a minimal amount (like 5 or 10%), I would buy the standard barbell. You never know where you will be in the future. You might catch the iron bug and get interested in other lifts.

I would expect that a shorter barbell would make the lift a lil harder for the deadlift. A longer bar would flex more (might decrease ROM a fraction of an inch, for example). A 300 lb deadlift on your short barbell might feel like a 305 lb deadlift on a standard barbell, for example.

I assume you are in the USA? Tractor Supply has horse stall rubber mats that are fairly inexpensive. You can put this underneath to protect your flooring. With these horse stall mats and plywood, I built a very simple/cheap deadlift platform I've been using for years.

Regards

Eric
 
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I'm thinking of getting a barbell and some plates for me and my teenagers. Main use would be deadlifts and maybe power cleans.

I saw a 60" bar for sale, noticed that it is a bit cheaper than the standard 84", and would obviously take up less space.

This bar would not fit the standard bench and squat racks, but I don't care about that.

I've never done a deadlift with a barbell. Would the shorter size be an issue? I'm a small guy, 2x bodyweight for me is well under 300, so I'm not at all worried about whether I can get eight 45s on this bar. I'm just wondering if there is any other reason that doing a deadlift with a bar that is two feet shorter than usual would be awkward or not recommended.

This particulr barbell has the following dimensions:
- Length Between Sleeves: 36.5”
- Sleeve Length: 10 3/4"
I’m fairly certain that trap bars or hex bars are only about 60”. And they work fine. I say Go for it.
 
I use a 6 footer instead of 7 footer for space reasons as well. It however has the same distance between collars as the standard oly bar so it will fit in racks. If the price difference isn’t great, i suggest going for the ones with standard width between collars - you can add snatch grip deadlifts to your repertoire which is one of the best exercises in my opinion. Esp if you don’t need big weights to feel good, but being able to move decent weight thru large ROMS. The optionality to do other things with the bar in a future bench or squat rack upgrade is worth something too.
 
i suggest going for the ones with standard width between collars - you can add snatch grip deadlifts to your repertoire which is one of the best exercises in my opinion. Esp if you don’t need big weights to feel good, but being able to move decent weight thru large ROMS. The optionality to do other things with the bar in a future bench or squat rack upgrade is worth something too.

Thanks for the thought, I've heard of snatch grip deadlifts, but never considered them.

As I consider this purchase, it seems like saving $40 on the bar isn't as big a deal as finding plates for a good price. I might wait a few months to see how the the market changes. (Maybe people will return to gymns and and start selling gear?)

Thanks everyone for sharing your insights.
 
I saw a 60" bar for sale, noticed that it is a bit cheaper than the standard 84", and would obviously take up less space.

This bar would not fit the standard bench and squat racks, but I don't care about that.

6 ft Bar

If you have a Olympic Bench or some Squat Racks, or you are considering getting them, a 6 ft bar will work.

It's about the same price as a 5 ft/90 inch bar.
 
@Eric Wilson, deadlifting on a shorter bar will be fine, but for most people, the reason to get it is lack of space for a longer bar. If you have the space, I'd go with the standard length.

Note also that there are some pretty cool uses for a 5' bar, e.g., I've known people who use them for bent pressing, just to make the balance challenge a little less. We have one of those here, standard bar but shorter.

We also have a 6' bar that accepts standard Olympic weights but has a narrower grip area - my wife wanted that for deadlifts after she first tried them on a regular bar. Several years in, she's back to deadlifting with a regular bar because her grip has gotten stronger.

My ramble has point - good to start off with one standard bar, IMO, and then if you find you want/need others, consider the others as "specialty" bars.

Just my opinion.

-S-
 
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