Despite what your high school gym led you to believe, there’s more than one type of barbell. These days, more gyms, usually specialty ones like CrossFit and powerlifting facilities, feature a range of options—some specific to certain lifts, others more versatile. It’s enough to make your head spin. But with a little knowledge and some quality time handling the bars, you can take your workouts to the next level.
BEARINGS & BUSHINGS: Mechanisms that sit between the sleeve and the barbell to reduce friction during spinning. Bearings allow for a faster and smoother spin and are found in specialty bars like Olympic weightlifting barbells. Barbells with bushings are pretty standard and commonplace in most gyms.
COLLAR: A piece of equipment that fits onto the sleeves of a barbell to secure the weight plates and keep them from slipping during a lift.
FINISH: The coating applied to the exterior of a barbell, with popular options including chrome and zinc.
KNURLING: The rough, textured pattern on the barbell that is designed for gripping during various lifts.
SHAFT: The middle portion of the barbell that falls between the sleeves.
SLEEVE: The ends of the bar where you load the weight plates.
TENSILE STRENGTH: The maximum amount of stress that a bar can take before fracturing or breaking. The tensile strength of barbells is typically rated in pounds per square inch (PSI), with the best bars scoring above 200,000 PSI.
WHIP: The bounce or flex that occurs in a barbell, which may be useful in certain lifts that benefit from momentum—for example, the transition between a clean and a jerk.
YIELD STRENGTH: The amount of weight it takes to permanently bend a bar. This is tested by adding weight to each end the bar until it bends to the point of permanent deformity.
An axle bar is a thicker bar, two inches in diameter, that challenges your grip. Axle bars can weigh anywhere from 45 to 75 pounds.
Use it for: Deadlifts, clean and press, overhead press
Expert tip: “Typically used by strongmen competitors, this bar is fantastic for the floor press,” says Smitley. “Build your bench press up by doing this movement for three to four sets of three to six reps.”
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Westside Barbell Archives / M+F Magazine
CAMBERED BAR
A cambered barbell features a drop that offsets the loaded portions from the middle. The drop puts more emphasis on your lower posterior chain and less pressure on your upper back and shoulders.
Use it for: Squats, good mornings
Expert tip: “Use the cambered bar for your good mornings to save your shoulders and elbows, while building a bulletproof posterior chain—low back, glutes, and hamstrings,” says Smitley.
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DEADLIFT BAR
A deadlift bar has more whip—or flex—than a conventional bar. It’s usually a few inches longer, too, and contains more knurling to promote better grip.
Use it for: Deadlifts
Expert tip: “Be considerate to the facility and never rack pull with these bars,” stresses Smitley. “You’ll also never want to squat or bench press with them. They are specifically for deadlifts.”
Invented by Chris Duffin of Kabuki Strength, the Duffalo barbell is arched to sit more comfortably on your back during squats and reduce demand on the shoulders during the bench press.
Use it for: Bench press, squats, good mornings
Expert tip: “Having a problem with improving your bench press? Start bench pressing with this bar for the next six to eight weeks, and watch as the added range of motion helps build more strength off the chest,” says Smitley.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
EZ CURL BAR
A staple at most gyms, the EZ curl bar features curves in the bar to allow for multiple grip positions, and is often more comfortable on the wrists than a straight bar when performing curls.
Use it for: Biceps curls, reverse curls, skull crushers
Expert tip: “If you’re short on time, load this bar up with a weight you can do 10 to 12 reps with,” says Smitley. “Perform your curls, and immediately go into skull crushers for reps to failure. Three to four rounds of this will blow your arms up in no time.”
The Olympic barbell is a weight room staple. It’s seven feet long, weighs 45 pounds, and features two-inch rotating sleeves.
Use it for: Snatches, power cleans, bench press, squats, deadlifts
Expert tip: “Be sure to check your bar before use, especially the end-cap,” says Smitley. “This will tell you the make and model of the bar. Look for brands like Elieko, Rogue, and Vulcan. Also give it a spin test before use—you’ll want to make sure it’s a bearing bar over a bushing bar, if possible.”
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
SAFETY SQUAT BAR
The safety squat bar features shoulder pads and handles that extend out from the bar, providing more stable positioning and grip while also keeping you more upright during the lift.
Use it for: Squats
Expert tip: “It’s arguably the best bar on the market,” says Smitley. “Use this bar to build your upper back and legs specifically for your squat. If you have shoulder issues, this should be your squat bar of choice moving forward.”
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
SHORT BAR
Great for training in tight spaces, the aptly-named short bar is shorter in length and lighter in weight than a standard barbell.
Use it for: Military press, bench press, bent-over rows, carries
Expert tip: “If your gym doesn’t have farmer handles, use one of these for suitcase carries,” suggests Smitley. “Due to the shorter length, they work great for carries as a finisher or trunk training.”
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SWISS BAR
Also called a football bar, this versatile piece of equipment allows for multiple grips—wide, narrow, and everywhere between—and is a smart choice for people with wrist and shoulder issues.
Use it for: Shoulder press, rows, neutral-grip bench press
Expert tip: “If you’re struggling with body-weight pushups, place this bar in a power rack and use it as a way to build up to doing pushups on the ground,” says Smitley. “If you can do pushups, use this as a way to do drop sets by moving the bar up a hole after each set of failure.”
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SQUAT BAR
Squat bars are thicker and have less whip than traditional bars.
Use it for: Squats and bench press
Expert tip: “Bench pressing with [a squat bar] can take some pain away from your elbows and wrists due to the increased surface area in your hand.”
Another Kabuki Strength original, the transformer bar is a multi-function bar that acts as a hybrid between the safety squat bar and cambered bar. The lifter can adjust the height of the camber between lifts, finding the perfect position for front squats and back squats.
Use it for: Squats, lunges, split squats
Expert tip: “Give this bar a try for your split squats and lunges,” suggests Smitley. “It’ll let you really load up your legs and not let grip be a factor, while also being comfortable.”
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Edgar Artiga
TRAP BAR
Also called a hex bar, this barbell is shaped like a hexagon and allows you to stand inside it while gripping handles positioned to your sides.
Use it for: Deadlifts, shrugs, rows, presses, carries
Expert tip: “While commonly used to deadlift, give your trap bar a try for bentover rows or overhead presses for some different upper body training options,” says Smitley.
The tsunami barbell flexes throughout movements, especially at the top and bottom of lifts. The flexing creates oscillating waves meant to improve power and recruit more stabilizer muscle activation than a traditional bar. It also makes lifting heavy weight incredibly hard.
Use it for: Bench press, back squat, bentover rows, biceps curls
Expert tip: “To build some seriously strong abs, use this bar for overhead carries to challenge your trunk stability,” says Smitley.
