Barbells come in two systems that look alike and do not fit each other. A standard bar has 28mm ends and takes plates with a 29mm hole, held on with spinlock collars. An Olympic bar has 50mm sleeves and takes plates with a 50mm hole. Everything else in a barbell setup, from the plates to the collars to the storage, follows from which system you are in, so that is the first decision and the one that is expensive to change later.
Standard or Olympic
Standard is the home-gym system. The bars are lighter, from 5kg to 8kg, the plates are cheaper per kilogram, and the spinlock collars screw down so nothing rattles. The limit is capacity: a 28mm shaft and a spinlock sleeve are not made for the loads an Olympic bar carries, and the sets in this range top out at 140kg.
Olympic is the gym system. The sleeves rotate, the bars are rated in hundreds of kilograms, and every Olympic plate on earth fits. It costs more at every step. The Olympic barbell guide covers those bars. If you already own standard plates and want an Olympic bar, the Standard to Olympic Sleeve Adapter is a pair of 35cm sleeves that fits 25mm to 30mm bar ends and takes Olympic plates.
The aerobic bars are a third, smaller system: a 30mm bore on the plates and a 122cm to 140cm bar. They do not mix with either of the others.
Which standard bar
Length is set by the room and the rack. The 5 foot bar is 152cm and 6kg, the 6 foot bar is 182cm and 6kg, and the 7 foot bar is 213cm and 8kg. A 5ft bar clears a narrow space and suits presses and rows. A 7ft bar is the one for squats in a rack, where the distance between the plate stops has to clear the uprights. The EZY curl standard bar, 122cm and 5kg, and the standard tricep bar, 86cm and 7kg, cover curls, extensions and neutral-grip pressing.
Which set
A set is a bar, plates and collars in one order, and it is the cheapest way to start. The barbell sets run from 50kg to 110kg. The 50kg to 80kg sets come with a 6ft bar, the 90kg and 110kg sets with a 7ft bar, and the 100kg set comes either way depending on finish. The 100kg hammertone set and the 100kg rubber-coated set are the middle of the range.
The barbell and dumbbell sets add two dumbbell handles, so the same plates build a bar or a pair of dumbbells. They run from 50kg to 140kg, and the 50kg set with a case packs the lot away. The stated set mass includes the bar and handles. A 105kg set is 95kg of plates and 10kg of bar and handles.
Two finishes are on offer. Hammertone plates are cast iron with a textured paint finish, and they cost less. Rubber-coated plates are the same iron under a rubber skin, quieter on the floor and easier on it. Both come in the same set sizes.
Collars
Standard bars take spring collars or spin-lock star collars on 28mm ends. Olympic bars take Olympic spring collars on 50mm sleeves. The spinlock bars come with star collars and the tricep bar with spring collars. Check the included list on any set, since some list the collars and some do not.
What to check on the product page
- The system. Bar-end diameter and plate bore, 28mm and 29mm for standard, 50mm for Olympic.
- Bar length and the distance between plate stops against your rack.
- The full contents of a set, plate by plate, and whether the mass quoted includes the bar.
- Finish, hammertone or rubber-coated.
- Collars, included or not.
The RooFitness standard bars compared
| Bar | Mass | Length | Ends | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Foot Spinlock Standard Barbell | 6kg | 152cm | 28mm | 29mm standard plates |
| 6 Foot Spinlock Standard Barbell | 6kg | 182cm | 28mm | 29mm standard plates |
| 7 Foot Spinlock Standard Barbell | 8kg | 213cm | 28mm | 29mm standard plates |
| Spinlock EZY Curl Standard Barbell | 5kg | 122cm | 28mm | 29mm standard plates |
| Standard Tricep Bar | 7kg | 86cm | 28mm | 29mm standard plates |
Related
All barbells · Olympic barbells · Weight plates · Collars · Dumbbells
