What’s the best CrossFit barbell to buy?
Which barbells are the best barbells?
This article tells you all about the top 5 CrossFit barbells on the market today, and what makes them so great.
Read on to find out more about these amazing CrossFit equipment essentials!
What Is CrossFit?
The sport of CrossFit is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that tests the athlete’s muscular endurance, strength, speed, power, and agility.
The workout can be broken down into 3 categories: aerobic capacity and conditioning, weightlifting, and gymnastics.
Often there will be a warm-up followed by a workout consisting of 4-8 exercises known as routines.
At the end of every workout, there will be a cool-down period for athletes to rest and recover.
Exercise combinations vary but usually include squats, push-ups/pull-ups/ring rows & deadlifts.
What Is The Main Goal Of CrossFit?
The main goal of CrossFit is to forge a broad, general, and inclusive fitness. It improves cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility over time.
Regular practice of CrossFit builds an aerobic capacity that can be measured by how long you can exercise without feeling out of breath.
For example swimmers, runners and cyclists may be deemed more aerobically fit than someone who practices weightlifting.
Other benefits include muscle-building, better posture, and increased joint mobility.
To reap these benefits we must go beyond our comfort zone and constantly challenge ourselves with new exercises or higher weights/reps.
This requires us to push ourselves outside our comfort zone in order to get stronger, faster, or fitter which is what makes it so addictive!
Does CrossFit Use An Olympic bar?
A lot of people who are new to CrossFit ask:
Do they use Olympic bars at CrossFit?
The answer is, of course, yes.
Although some people call them all weightlifting bars or powerlifting bars, an Olympic bar is a specific kind of bar with a few important specifications.
If you’re new to lifting weights and going to be starting a workout routine with barbell exercises like cleans and deadlifts, it’s very important that you have an understanding of what makes up an Olympic bar and what types of exercises can be performed with one.
Olympic bars are usually made out of steel and range in length from 20-28 inches (50-70 cm).
They also weigh 45 pounds (20 kg) and include 2 (5 cm) diameter sleeves for holding plates.
In addition to these specifications, there are two main categories of Olympic bars: training bars and competition/Olympic weightlifting bars.
Training bars do not meet International Weightlifting Federation standards for competition use but they do have a greater degree of the whip than competition/Olympic weightlifting bars which allows them to be used for training purposes while still maintaining safety standards required by most health clubs.
Crossfit Vs Powerlifting
Powerlifting and CrossFit are both incredibly popular forms of exercise, but they are very different in nature.
Powerlifting is strictly about lifting heavy weights for high reps.
In fact, powerlifters attempt to lift as much weight as possible for a single rep.
When people think of powerlifting, they think of massive amounts of weight being lifted off a platform in one fluid motion; from floor to overhead or from chest to overhead depending on what movement you’re attempting to complete.
There is no need for speed with regard to powerlifting – just brute strength and determination.
This makes it an excellent form of training for those who want to get really strong really fast!
Powerlifting can be done using many pieces of equipment including barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and more.
It can also be done without any equipment at all (i.e., body weight).
If you enjoy pushing your body to its limits and testing your strength then powerlifting may be for you!
The other main type of weight training is called CrossFit.
Unlike powerlifting which focuses on moving large amounts of weight once, CrossFit focuses on completing many repetitions over time in order to build endurance while also getting stronger.
This style of training means that instead of focusing on how much weight you can move once, CrossFit emphasizes how well you perform during each repetition.
You will work hard to do as many reps as possible before reaching failure.
While there are several types of movements that fall under CrossFit, they all share a few common elements: intensity, complexity, and variety.
Intensity refers to how hard you push yourself during each workout session while complexity refers to how varied each workout session is – i.e., not every workout has to be doing squats!
To be good at powerlifting, you need to focus on that sport alone.
While many good powerlifters become excellent at bodybuilding, it’s not a given that you’ll succeed at both sports.
On the other hand, if you want to excel in CrossFit, your best bet is to dedicate yourself 100% to CrossFit training (no other strength training or weight-loss programs).
The truth is that there are really only two schools of thought when it comes to finding optimal physical fitness.
Some people believe in general fitness; i.e., doing whatever it takes to be fit and able.
Related Post: Pendlay Row Vs Bent Over Row – Which Is Better For You?
Should Barbells Spin?
Recently, there has been a debate about whether barbells should spin or not.
While there are those who think it’s just marketing ploys from manufacturers, there are also some training experts who insist that a spinning bar is beneficial.
Both points of view have some merit and can be used to make your workouts more effective.
To make sure you reap all of these benefits (and don’t run into any disadvantages), we spoke with trainers who use and sell spinning barbells to learn what they do differently, how they choose their equipment, and which types of customers prefer each model.
Benefits Of Barbells That Spin
No matter what your goals are, from powerlifting to Olympic lifting, barbells with spin can help you in a lot of ways.
First off, because barbells with spin are equipped with bearings that allow for free movement, it means that if you have poor biomechanics or if there’s some sort of imbalance in your lower body that causes discomfort when you squat or deadlift, those problems will be eliminated.
Bearing barbell bars will let you lift more weight and for longer amounts of time than other types of barbells will without causing any harm to your joints; all without ever having to change out plates.
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your performance in any strength training exercise, switching over to a bearing barbell is one of the best things.
The benefits don’t stop there either: bearing barbells also tend to be cheaper than other types of barbells on average, they’re lighter (which makes them easier on your back), and they require less maintenance overall.
If you want one piece of equipment that’s going to make a big difference in how much weight you’re able to move safely and efficiently, try switching over to a bearing barbell today!
Benefits Of Barbells That Don’t Spin
Most barbells that you’ll come across are plates loaded on a bar and don’t spin.
This can be beneficial because it ensures that your grip is good at all times.
When you use a spinning bar, you may have to adjust your grip depending on how fast or slow it is spinning.
With a static bar, it will only move in one direction so there is no guesswork involved about where to place your hands for optimal performance when lifting.
They are also easier to lift because they move smoothly along their tracks and are not likely to shift or slide even if they aren’t centered exactly on their pulleys.
If you’re looking for safety and convenience over strength training, then a static CrossFit barbell may be right for you.
Related Post: 9 Different Types Of Bodybuilding – And The Risks Involved With The Sport
The Top Barbells To Help Boost CrossFit Performance
Let’s have a look at a few of the types of barbells you should be adding to your training to get back at all your lifts for CrossFit.
Remember that you don’t just need to work on your main lifts.
Focusing on some accessory exercises will help you work on all the little holes in your game.
But adding in Hex bars and Fat bars you can target different muscles and improve grip strength in ways a standard barbell can’t.
Benefits Of An Olympic Barbell
To make a long story short, when it comes to buying your own barbell, you should absolutely go with an Olympic barbell.
There are a number of reasons for that.
If you plan on working out at home, then an Olympic barbell is best because it’s strong enough to support weights up to 1,000 pounds.
Secondly, if you’re looking for more than one person to use your workout equipment then it might be best to opt for an Olympic bar so there will be no confusion about which plates are which.
Finally, if you plan on competing in competitions like powerlifting or Olympic lifting then chances are you’ll want an Olympic bar rather than a standard-sized one.
Best Buy: Premium Olympic Bar
Benefits Of A Hex Bar
A hex bar is a powerful tool for building strength.
Unlike traditional barbell exercises, which are limited to a front-to-back plane of motion, a hex bar allows you to move your body in a more natural range of motion.
This means that you can do more with less weight while improving your overall performance.
It’s also easier on your shoulders and knees than using a straight bar.
To understand why these differences matter, it helps to understand how movements like squats and deadlifts actually work:
When you load a straight bar with plates, and then squat down, gravity is moving the weight directly against your bones – and those bones are absorbing all of that force as stress.
Best Buy: Power SystemsHex Bar
Benefits Of A Fat Bar
Grip strength is an important skill to improve when working out with barbells, as grip strength can make or break a workout.
A good way to make your grip strength more powerful is by using a fat bar.
Fat bars are just like regular weightlifting bars but they are much thicker, making it harder for you to grip the bar.
These types of barbells can help you build impressive forearms and hands too.
Using a fat bar might also seem intimidating at first, but once you get used to using one, it’ll soon become one of your favorite pieces of gym equipment in no time.
Best Buy: Short Fat Bar
Benefits Of A Powerlifting Barbell
A powerlifting bar has a rigid sleeve and an aggressive knurl so that it doesn’t spin.
The sleeves are usually 8 or 9 inches in diameter, while Olympic bars tend to be only 7.2 or 7.3 inches.
If you don’t have a dedicated facility, it is better to buy a powerlifting bar than an Olympic one because they are designed to handle rougher treatment—you can drop them on concrete without damaging them.
It’s fine to use powerlifting bars for deadlifts and squats, but if you do overhead presses with one it will leave circular marks on your shoulders from your hand position under the bar, which means they aren’t really suitable for lifting at home.
Best Buy: Pro Power Bar
20kg Barbell Vs 15kg Barbell
As for which barbell is best for you, it really depends on your goals and skill level.
The 20kg barbell is thicker for men’s bigger hands and a 15kg bar is slightly narrower and typically used by women.
However, as some people develop more strength in their wrists and forearms, they may find that a 15kg barbell allows them to do certain movements easier than a 20kg barbell.
It is ultimately up to you and your personal preferences!
Best 20kg Barbell: 20KG Olympic Bar
No matter what weight of barbell you decide to buy, don’t forget to keep track of how much weight is on it at all times (even when it’s not currently being used).
When not in use, always take off any weight plates and then place them in a designated area that’s safe from falling items or hazards.
Best 15kg Barbell: 15KG Olympic Bar
Final Mop Up
So there we have it the best types of barbells you should be adding to your CrossFit Training.
And make sure you get your FREE copy of my EBook ‘Train Wherever The F*ck You Want!’ My complete guide to training on the go! Find out how you can keep fit on holiday!
Before you go, check out this video from my youtube channel. The time my wife and I entered a CrossFit Competition on 3 weeks’ notice!