Barbell
A long steel bar loaded with weight plates. Both hands share one bar, which makes it the most stable free weight and the one that takes the heaviest loads.
- Men's Olympic bar
- 20 kg (44 lb), 2.20 m long, 28–29 mm grip, 50 mm sleeves
- Women's bar
- 15 kg (33 lb), about 2.01 m long, 25 mm grip
- Bumper plate (20 kg)
- 450 mm diameter; thickness varies with weight
- Collars
- Clip on the sleeves so plates cannot slide off
Grip the bar with your thumbs wrapped around it and the bar sitting in the heel of your palm, stacked over your forearm. For pressing on a bench you also need a rack with J-hooks and safety arms; see the rack page.