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Barbell Shopping for bar question-cost vs quality

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GeoffreyLevens

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I have read and heard many times that "cheap" bars usually warp if loaded beyond about 200 lbs/91kg. I only weigh about 115 or a bit under and have zero plans ever to go beyond 2 or 2 1/2X bw in DL so really can't imagine ever lifting over 300 lbs/136kg. Also certain I will never ever do Oly lifts, just the big 3 power lifts. Given all that, could I likely get away w/ a cheap CAP bar or similar? I'd love to use a 2" axle but I think size of my hands makes that impractical.

Thank you for ANY comments, advice, humor, etc.
 
My impression of CAP barbells over the years is that they're not cheap - they've held up fine for me.

-S-
 
Thanks Steve! Since I live in apt that doesn't have a lot of room, I'm actually looking at a 6' or even 5' bar. So long as enough room to put what I need on the ends, seems the shorter length should help the warp factor, Scotty...
 
Make sure the grip area is the proper diameter. I have a 6’ bar here with a thinner center section but Oly (2”) loading area, and a 5’ bar that’s the standard diameter grip area.

-S-
 
Do you mean the 6' bar is 2" diameter where your hands grip? All the ones I've been looking at have approx 1" as stated diameter. Trying to decide between 1" and 2" sleeves. Likely will get one and adapters so can use both kinds of plates. From what I've seen on Craigslist etc, 1" hole plates much more commonly for sale so cheap iron if hunt around a bit.
 
Get oly spec stuff. I wouldn’t get anything else. I believe grip area is about 1-1/4 inches. Any PL federation rule book will have specs.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
Get oly spec stuff. I wouldn’t get anything else. I believe grip area is about 1-1/4 inches.
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Even if absolutely certain will never compete, just using for home use?Also even more certain will never do Oly lifts because shoulders just won't go there safely?

I would bet that you have very good reasons behind that advice and would love to know a bit more as to what is behind it.

Picked up friends at airport in "the city" today so stopped at rec center along the way that has good weight room. Did a basic Easy Strength template and loved it! No idea of my 1Rm for the lifts but just guesstimated: bench press, Zercher squat, deadlift, then grabbed a couple dumbbells and walked around the room for bit. Felt great and almost like cheating. I could see sticking to kb's for antiglycolytic training and just taking 40 days off from time to time to run a pure strength program, maintaining super easy, slow distance work on the off days.
 
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GeoffreyLevens said:
Picked up friends at airport in "the city" today so stopped at rec center along the way that has good weight room. Did a basic Easy Strength template and loved it! No idea of my 1Rm for the lifts but just guesstimated: bench press, Zercher squat, deadlift, then grabbed a couple dumbbells and walked around the room for bit. Felt great and almost like cheating. I could see sticking to kb's for antiglycolytic training and just taking 40 days off from time to time to run a pure strength program, maintaining super easy, slow distance work on the off days.
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Easy Strength FTW!

I love ES. In the middle of one right now. Don’ forget to include a pull, like some form of row or pull up motion, whatever your shoulders allow. Dan John also like an “anterior chain” move, the ab wheel, or a leg raise version. To break monotony, change up the loaded carries, different kinds, weight, distance, etc. Let us, or ay least me, know how it goes.
 
Thanks Pedlr. Seems bothDL and front SQ/Zercher contain a fair bit of upper body pull by virtue of the isometrics needed to hold proper tension/posture. I think for me, upper body pushing is out so realistically no benchpress etc. But yes, ab wheel I really like but suspect might long run be unsuitable for shoulder issue. Barbell rows could be good, or kb renegade rows.

Having trouble getting any info or even contact w/ CAP. They don't return my emails or phone calls and "I even washed the car I, I reprimered the right front fender..." Gonna go call them right now, though I suspect she's seeing someone else ROFL
 
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@GeoffreyLevens, I bought the 5' bar for myself to do bent presses with. I bought the 6' bar with the narrow grip area but Oly-sized loading area for my wife to use for deadlifts. The 5' bar definitely is too short between the collars for a rack. The 6' bar we have gets that way by shortening the loading area, not the distance between the collars, so you could bench with it. I imagine you could find a 6' bar that would work for you. My wife is 5' 2" with small hands and I wanted her to get over the hump as far as deadlifting, but now even she DL's with a standard, Oly bar.

Just speaking generally, 1" stuff isn't made for serious lifters. When I think of a bar for 1" plates, I think of the first weight set many of us had, bought from Sears, with plates that were concrete and covered in plastic.

Whatever gets you strength training is good in my book. For sure, 1" stuff isn't expensive and can always be upgraded later on. And ab wheels are good.

-S-
 
Thanks, Steve. Sounds like your wife and I are separated at birth twins almost, very close to same size.

Pretty much certain after experiments etc that bench (and overhead press) are out for me; pretty certain that old AC separation has caused permanent tight fit for supraspinatus/biceps tendon so very easy to impinge and irritate it. So only racks I would use are home style squat rack that have seen in two separate stands so could move pretty close together. Like this

https://www.amazon.com/Yaheetech-Adjustable-Standard-Portable-Dumbbell/dp/B01855EGXI/

Just took tape measure to my combo bedroom gym to make sure and I could use 6' bar but if I wobble more than a tiny bit I might poke end of bar through a wall.

If I can ever get through to CAP will find out exact width of grip part and of loading part of 5' and 6' bars. That should tell the tale.

Thanks again for all the info!
 
@GeoffreyLevens, IMHO, no one _needs_ to press a barbell. The combination of a one-arm press and a two-handed deadlift, which is PTTP's program, works very well using a kettlebell press, military or otherwise. I've spent many a month doing just that, often with the addition of pullups and/or direct ab work, and it's a solid program.

The question, as always, is, "What is your goal?"

-S-
 
I can't do one arm press either. I can do a few at very light weight and get away with it, usually, but soon as I start to get into progress territory or have slightest wobble of my super limited allowable groove, I get hot bone, shooting pains down my arm for weeks after. Pull ups same regardless of what grip though neutral grip is best. My only goals are to stay functional until I drop. No need to stretch my shirts, look good at the beach, win a contest, or set a PR. Just carry groceries, open new peanut butter jar, change a tire, that sort of thing. Sort of end stage mix of Dan John's Quadrant 1 and a bit of Q3
 
@GeoffreyLevens before giving up altogether, I recommend working with someone in person. The getup and the kettlebell military press both have a reputation for working for a lot of folks with high-mileage shoulders.

If you're able to press to the front, e.g., bench press or pushup, that's certainly a viable alternative. And on something like an incline BP, you might be able to play with the angles to find something that works for you - lots of folks prefer the incline BP to either the flat version or the overhead press.

-S-
 
I have worked extensively with 2 PT's and an Egoscue trainer. Egoscue actually had me do something that made it much worse for couple months after I quite doing that movement. PT exercises help get me out of acute pain but do not prevent recurrance. Getups I seem to be able to do and have been. Going extra slow on the weight increase to be safe.
 
CAP Olympic barbells:

Sleeve/load area on the OB-60 (5 ft) and OB-72 (6 ft) are both 11".

The grip length/collar to collar for the OB-60 is 34" and for the OB-72 is 46".
 
@GeoffreyLevens
[Edit: Just noticed where you said a 6 foot bar barely gives you wall clearance, so compromise may be unavoidable.]

My advice (if circumstances don't rule it out completely) is to get a decent full size bar. If you plan to do any sumo DL, you want to make sure your feet are nowhere near the plates. Short bars place too many limits on grip and stance width for various exercises, can't be used in a standard rack, and are just not "real" equipment in general.

Those short CAP bars also have bolt-on sleeves (the sleeves are held on by big bolts on the ends). These suck. They continually come loose and have to be retightened, which is a constant pain in the butt, and they are only found on low quality bars. I had a bar of this style where the sleeves actually dented and cracked from the impact of the plates from deadlifting.

You're a man and you're not dead yet, so don't lift on equipment made for birds and children. If @Steve Freides's wife can DL with a full size bar, so can you ;-).
 
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I would get full sized bar but nowhere to use it unless I carry it out into the snow every day which just won't happen. 6 ft I can likely make work. Longer, not where I live. Not sure why I'd want to Sumo DL?

Did just stumble on this video which seems to be what I"ve long sought. Done L,Y,T,W which has helped somewhat. Also many others from PT. 2 of the exercises in video linked below seem to be medicine for my shoulder. Yesterday I did 2 sets of 5 benchpress as experiment. Went super light. No idea of 1 RM but guesstimate I was using about 40-50%, very easy. Today, shoulder has been a toothache off and on. Just did 3 sets of 10 of each in the video and most felt like nothing but two of them I could feel my shoulder open and release and the pain is gone. Whew!

 
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