(Part 2) Best strenght training bars according to redditors

You could always try goblet squats. They place lot more emphasis on the quads/glutes than the lower back. You won't be able to squat nearly as much weight though, so you'll just have to dial back how much you're lifting (I'm currently only doing 100lbs) and up the reps.

Edit: You could also try a hex barbell. Using this would allow you to do more weight than goblet squats.

This is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/92-Buffalo-Bar-Bow/dp/B0017RFX5M

Knurling is great.

I'm not sure which barbells have a limit below 300lb, I haven't seen one at least. Even the Dick's Sporting Goods cheap one that is terrible is 300lb. Are you sure buying the one you picked is a good idea? There's several on Amazon for decent prices with 500+ limits.

------

Here's one for $140ish.

Here's a 6ft bar for $65 with a 500lb capacity.

One for $110 with a 600lb capacity.

This one has a 250lb capacity for $31 but it seems like garbage. It's a standard and seems like it may last a year at most. I had a similar bar once and it did not last. Plus the weight of the bar itself is low.

Here's one for $70s for a 7ft Olympic.

And you could probably find some decent prices on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. I got a Matt Chan bar for like $100 through craigslist.

------

You could check out /r/homegym for more suggestions. A common one is the Dick's Sporting Goods 300lb set though I warn you that the bar isn't great. I bought two sets for the decent and cheap weights and gave one of the bars to a friend. I used the other for a year and now it is a beater bar. Good deal for a bar and weights for cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Olympic-2-Inch-1200-Pound-Capacity/dp/B01N02KQPC?th=1&psc=1

Anyone know the functional difference between the hex bars with the raised handles, and those without?

Raised
Non-raised
Both

As others have mentioned, preacher curls OR use something like a "bicep bomber" if you don't have a preacher curl setup to use.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015YV0V8/

I'm pretty sure an olympic barbell is by definition 2 inches, so you should remove that term from your search. What kind of capacity do you need? Obviously a 1 inch will never hold as much weight as a 2 inch. I've seen CAP barbells listed at 250lbs for 1 inch:

http://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Threaded-Standard-250-Pound/dp/B004X166W8/ref=sr_1_20?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1426331828&sr=1-20&keywords=1+inch+barbell

you mean without bearings? no it has bearings. https://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-30-Pound-Ultra-Light-Training/dp/B0027TP6RO looks like that

You could just use a standard 1" barbell like this, it would be a more cost-effective solution. You could then purchase however many standard plates as you wish.

It won't look as fancy as the Les Mills version, but it will probably last longer.

This is my bench


Pullup bar


EZ Curl bar


Tricep bar


Tricep pull down rope

Dip station

Honestly, why aren't you building a gym at home? All you need is two dumbbell bars, an olympic weight bar, a pull up rack, and enough space to do pushups comfortably and sit all the gear so its not in the way. It is cheaper to own these than paying the gym membership.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VCDXNS/
For the dumbell parts and smaller plates
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029NLDL6/
For larger plates, individual
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004X166VO/
1 inch threaded bar

And for a pull up rack, get a Stamina or XMark power tower. They have a bunch of different models, get one that fits your needs.

Unless you're a body builder, this is all most people need unless they're focusing on very specific things.

I finally got fed up with going to my overcrowded gym that only had one squat rack and decided to join the home gym club. This room was previously a home theatre room but we weren’t watching much TV in there anyways. I figured a home gym would be a better use of the room and our time. I had considered a garage gym but didn’t want to lose our covered parking spots or deal with extreme temperatures. The room was completely open on one side so the first thing I did was build sliding barn doors to cover it up and keep the kids out. This was my first ever woodworking project so I’m pretty proud of myself! I laid down the stall mats directly over the existing carpet. They felt a little springy when I first put them down but two weeks later, they now feel much firmer. I taped them together with gorilla tape but it isn’t staying down quite as well as I’d hoped (if anyone has any other suggestions for keeping stall mats in place, please let me know). All in all, am loving my decision. I spent a little over $2K but that will pay for itself in about 4 years now that I have cancelled the gym membership. I plan on working out much longer than that anyways!

Rep Fitness Home Gym Package Comes with rack, bench, barbell, bumper plates, dip bars and rings. This thing is solid and doesn’t take up a lot of space. I also got the adjustable bench upgrade and extra bumper plates. Bumper plates: 8x45, 2x25, 2x10. Change plates 2x 5, 2x 2.5. I had them swap out the 35 lb plates that came with the package for 45s. Total olympic weight: 445 lbs (490 lbs with 45 lb barbell) Total price $1450

200 lb adjustable dumbbell set. $173

15 lb aluminum training barbell (for my wife) $119

Rowing Machine (Goes for $300, purchased for $150 on Craigslist)

5 horse stall mats from Tractor Supply Company, $200

The resistance bands set is from Bodylastics and was purchased years ago for around $50 I think.

For the barn doors, I bought a track kit for $135 on Amazon and the lumber, screws and stain was around $150.

There's a few options around that are in the 19-24 inch range instead of 14. Here's a handful that I found: Titan Fitness 19.5", SportsDealBox 24", TDS 18" on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-Oly-Power-Black/dp/B005PGBF8U/

This one has the highest weight capacity and good reviews. Some of those bars only have a 300lb weight limit. Yikes

A specialty bar with a bevel to the bar and handle attachment. They are great for building raw strength.

https://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Safety-Squat-Bar-1000/dp/B002TONKGQ

https://smile.amazon.com/Cap-Barbell-29-Pound-Ultra-Light-Training/dp/B0027TP6RO/ref=cm_rdp_product

My wife uses this one. 28mm diameter and only 300lb capacity, but it's worked really well for her so far. 2 years of use with deadlifts closing in on 200lb now and it's holding up well. Width between the sleeves is the same as the OB86B so no issues with fitting on a power rack or Olympic bench.

Do you need four dumbbells? That Amazon link is for a pair, each holding 100 pounds.

Other than that, these all seem like reasonable purchases. Funnily enough, I home gym and don't own any of this stuff, but you should get whatever you need to do your routines.

I've been doing it for about two months, and am getting much better workouts than I did at the gym -- mostly because I have more time to spend when it's right here. Just as a data point, here's what I have:

• standard curl bar (amazon)
  
• olympic long bar (craigslist)
  
• two cheap dumb bell handles (craigslist)
  
• vertical leg press machine ($300)
  
• ~150 pounds of standard plates (for dumb bells and the curl bar) (amazon/walmart)
  
• ~ 400 pounds of olympic plates (for the long bar and the leg press) (craigslist)
  
• pull up bar I made for $20 in parts from home depot
  
• Some thick rubber mats
  
• lifting belt
  
• lifting gloves
  
• "bicep bomber", which actually works as a preacher curl replacement
  
  All the craigslist stuff came from one sale and cost ~$200. That's also why I have a mix of standard and olympic -- bought the standard first but the craigslist deal was too good to pass up.
  
  I put up to 25 pound plates on the dumbbells. Some people say that restricts their range of motion but I haven't had a problem. Maybe because I have long arms.
  
  Instead of a bench I just put mats on the floor. I still want to get a real bench, but not having it hasn't really impacted me that much in the last two months. I only really miss it for incline/decline press.

Sounds like 3x8 @45 is the sweet spot for you until you feel good with 3x10. I would find a way to make 45lbs happen. Your gym may not have dedicated 45's, but use can load up an E-Z Curl Bar. I have found they work pretty great for skull crushers. The one at my gym is 30lbs so loading it to 45 isn't a big deal.

Funny enough, somebody posted last night asking about that CAP barbell I mentioned.

https://www.reddit.com/r/homegym/comments/67loqz/cap_ob86b_or_rep_stainless_steel_power_bar/

https://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Olympic-2-Inch-1200-Pound-Capacity/dp/B01N02KQPC

Looks like these two fit the bill

https://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Olympic-2-Inch-Chrome/dp/B002OOYINA/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1520871626&sr=8-9&keywords=CAP%2Bbarbell%2B2%22&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-Olympic-Bar-Black/dp/B018AERM4O/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1520872024&sr=8-35&keywords=CAP+barbell+2%22

I can even buy a 1 year protection plan for just a buck

I use bumpers in my home gym and transitioned from a standard, 7ft Olympic bar to a 15 lb "training bar" that's 6 ft a few months ago. I started doing 5/3/1 and some of my warm-up weights were lower than 45 lb, necessitating a lighter bar.

I've really liked moving to the 6' bar. Deadlifts feel about the same, but my squat & bench balance feels so much better! I'm 5'6", for reference.

With the one I bought (link below), my plates from the standard Olympic fit just fine, too.

That being said, I don't think you'd hurting anything with a 7ft - it seems to me to be a personal preference & what fits your plates. You might try a free day pass to a local gym that has both and see which you like better?

I bought this bar: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R93GJ74/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And use these plates (would love a set of Rogues, but these have been great, too):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I18FHOW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They’re referred to as a deadlift jack https://www.amazon.com/Yes4All-Mini-Deadlift-Barbell-Handle/dp/B07H3R8F5S

You're looking for something like this or this. They appear to be made by New York Barbell which is a good company.

Do you guys have any recommendations for a simple and affordable deadlift jack? I'm thinking about something like this

I bought this one, the bearings are as shitty as it get, but otherwise it do its job.

Does this look okay?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TNP-Accessories-Olympic-Lifting-Barbell/dp/B00JPK7V4O/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1426460647&sr=8-9&keywords=barbell

I don't have any personal experience with it (not many will have experience with a 5-foot barbell), but if looking at Amazon, this is the only one I can find that is rated for more than 300lbs:
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-Black-Olympic-Weight-Lifting/dp/B00HAUSNAM

You may think 300lbs is a lot, but personally I try to stay under 50% of a barbell's max rating. Just like you wouldn't drive a car at maximum speed all the time...

Also, they're all less than the standard 45lbs, which is not a big deal, just make sure to factor that when counting weight.

If you want higher quality, Rogue makes a Junior bar that is roughly 5.5ft long, but has the regular distance between the loading sleeves, which mean you won't sacrifice stance and it will work with any regular power cage of olympic bench. It will also spin better (less of an issue for bench and squats) and last longer. It's significantly more expensive though.

Are these like all the same bars?

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-Black-Olympic-Weight-Lifting/dp/B00HAUSNAM

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-Oly-Power-Black/dp/B005PGBF8U/

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Solid-Oly-Power-Black/dp/B003TPRM2C/

http://www.amazon.com/USA-Sports-Troy-Barbell-Olympic/dp/B002Z5ZKMG/

I got one of the cheaper Cap Hex bars and their zinc coating is such shit. Mine came rusted has well and some questionable welds, but its holding up so far. The zinc coating rubbed off on to my hands, and the bar is even rustier after a few months. Still does the job tho and I just put some hockey tape over the handles so my hands stopped turning grey. Just an FYI on my experience with their hex bars, they are cheaper for a reason.

I looked this up recently.

/6ft 15lb barbell, 1" plates, $28
http://www.amazon.com/Cap-Barbell-Standard-72-Inch-Threaded/dp/B004X166W8/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1333213152&sr=1-1

/1" plates, 2x2.5lb = $7, 2x5lb = $12, 4x10lb = $68, 2x25lb = $50 | total weight with 15lb = 120lb, without the 2x25lb = 70lb, total
http://www.amazon.com/1-25-Standard-Gray-Weight-Plates/dp/B002B3Q2VU/ref=sr_1_3?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1333214577&sr=1-3

/1" spring lock collars, $11
http://www.amazon.com/Weider-1-Inch-Spring-Lock-Collars/dp/B000N9E176/ref=sr_1_17?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1333215483&sr=1-17

__
Total = $176 for 6ft 15lb barbell and 120lb weight total, this is w/out tax or shipping tho, some shipping free, some not, $126 if you don't get 2x25lb, and stuck with 70lb weight total.

Well in high school, I had my phone in my back pocket and went to pee. Before I peed I heard something fall into the toilet. Confused by this, I turned around and saw my phone in the toilet. It was destroyed. No amount of rice saved it. That day I told myself that I would never put my phone in my back pocket. Then about a month ago I was at a bar and I had to pee. What happens? I left my stupid phone in my back pocket and it fell into the toilet. I obviously didn't learn my lesson the first time. Why on earth did I do that?

I would like this curl bar. Recently, I cancelled my gym membership because they raised the monthly fee and because I have to pay student loans soon so I need every penny I have. I just signed up for the Disney Marathon and strength training is part of my training. I'm so weak in my upper body it's stupid. My little brother has one of these and he showed me all sorts of arm exercises. I did a few and man I felt good! This would help me slowly build my own personal gym.

> I am considering purchasing a trap bar so I can still do deadlifts without fearing for my back.

I bought an [XMark Chrome Olympic Shrug Bar with Raised Handles XM-3686](
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NQM8ZC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) a while back. The construction is pretty good, knurling is not too deep or too shallow, and it's big enough to load 4 plates per side.

I'd wait until you stop NPP to start the var. It won't do much to combat the bloat but it will increase the chance of virilization or other sides.

You'd be limited to Amazon and Titan Fitness if you can't spend more than $150.

I have the X-Mark Chrome Trap Bar from Amazon, it's pretty much the same as the Cap ones but with a price bump for chrome finish instead of zinc.

I've used the Cap Mega Hex Bar, which is nice because it has thicker handles and more sleeve space for extra weight, but the finish comes off quickly and it can rust if you're in a humid environment.

You can give Titan's Trap Bar a try and report back.

For those weights, sure. As other noted though, you will soon graduate to heavier weights. A solid bar costs as little as $15 on Amazon and would double your capacity.

safety squat bar?

Some people call it a buffalo bar, or a Duffalo bar if they give their money to Chris Duffin. It's the one that looks like it's been bent. Here's one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017RFX5M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KjdszbHXCPH0F

Apparently they increase range of motion in bench press due to your hands being able to go lower at the bottom. Also seems appealing for older squatters, since it gives your elbows and shoulders a break because your hands can sit lower on the bar

I use a Sting Ray for front squats as well as a Manta Ray for my regular squats. They help me focus on form and not worry about how the bar is sitting. A bit pricey but it was worth it for me.

Yeah, I was just kidding on the Vibrams.

Regarding front squats. You may want to consider picking up a Sting Ray pad, which makes them a shitton more comfortable with the cross-arm setup.

Also, what about goblet squats? Do you see butt wing when you do those?

This?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000BYSM2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1372901622&sr=8-1&pi=SL75