Olympic Barbell

Order an Olympic barbell from NRG Fitness! In our online shop, you'll find an extensive range of fitness equipment for both professional and beginner athletes. A barbell is an essential piece of equipment for strength training and is available in different types and sizes. We're happy to help you find the right product for your training.

An Olympic barbell meets the highest standards

An Olympic barbell is the official standard bar: it is the type of bar used in Olympic weightlifting, where official rules apply to the bar. These rules are set by the International Weightlifting Federation. When you buy an Olympic barbell, you therefore know that it meets high standards. Alongside a barbell, you can also buy matching Olympic weight plates from us.

What should you look for when buying a barbell?

When buying a 50 mm barbell, it's important to think carefully about what you will use it for. For example, if you want to use the bar with a weight bench or rack, check whether the inside width of the bar is wide enough to fit your equipment. Maximum load in kilograms is another important point. Be sure to consider your fitness goals as well. If you're a powerlifter who deadlifts more than 200 kg, choose a heavier-duty barbell than a regular athlete would need. The official weight of the barbell is also important. More expensive barbells are precisely weighed to 20 kg. Especially when the differences between powerlifters are very small, every gram counts. The same applies if you've reached a plateau in your own training. In that case, you can take a look at our micro weight plates as an addition, or one of our special barbells to give your training a slightly different angle. You'll find more information about those further down.

Which weight plates are suitable for an Olympic barbell?

All weight plates with a 50 mm bore fit an Olympic barbell. Whether they are cast-iron plates, rubber-coated plates or bumper plates, the type of plate doesn't matter: they all fit. You also have the guarantee that the diameter of all 50 mm weight plates may not exceed 45 cm, so they always fit neatly on your barbell. We do always recommend considering your goals here as well. Do you want to drop the bar on the floor after heavy deadlifts or clean and jerks? Then choose at least rubber-coated plates or bumper plates, because cast-iron plates cannot withstand this. Rubber weight plates are slightly more expensive than cast iron, but they give you more options during training. We also always recommend using good collars for extra safety. Up to around 60 kg, spring collars work perfectly well; above that, we recommend Lock-Jaws for extra safety.

Maximum load capacity

Another important point is the maximum load capacity of Olympic barbells. The price of the bar often corresponds with its maximum load capacity. The higher the price, the higher the maximum load capacity. There is a reason for this: the bar has to meet much higher requirements to handle more weight. When manufacturing the barbell, materials such as spring steel and the associated elasticity are taken into account. You can imagine that a barbell carrying 180 kg of weight, distributed across two points about 160 cm apart, has to withstand considerable force. We've all seen videos of bent barbells. These are undoubtedly cheaper versions with low elasticity. Elasticity is also expressed in PSI.

Barbell length

If you choose a standard barbell, you can generally choose between 180 cm and 220 cm. In the gym, you'll usually find 220 cm bars because this is also the standard for various Olympic lifts such as the deadlift, bench press and squat. For home use, however, you can also choose a 180 cm bar. It is lighter, so take this into account when calculating the total weight on the bar. A 180 cm barbell generally weighs around 15 kg, while a 220 cm barbell weighs around 20 kg. The advantage of a 180 cm bar is that it is much easier to train with if you have a low ceiling. If you've converted your garage completely into your own home gym and want to perform exercises with a landmine, a 180 cm bar is very convenient because it makes these exercises easier to perform. Another advantage is that it is easier to store, for example in a vertical bar holder.

Special barbells

Besides standard barbells, you can also choose special barbells such as a CrossFit bar, shrug bar, safety squat bar, Swiss bar, triceps bar or EZ bar.

What is a CrossFit bar?

A CrossFit bar is characterised by a thinner shaft, often 28 mm, and 4 bearings at the ends. The entire centre section is also knurled so you can perform all exercises. These bars also have a very high maximum load because many exercises involve momentum. As a result, the required maximum load capacity is higher than the actual weight placed on the barbell. These CrossFit bars are often available in men's and women's versions. The men's version is 220 cm long and weighs 20 kg, while the women's version is 210 cm long and weighs 15 kg.

What is a shrug bar?

A shrug bar is designed so that you can stand exactly in the middle of the bar. The advantage is that the weight is directly at the sides of your body and you can keep your wrists in a neutral position. This gives you a different muscle contraction. Another advantage of the bar is that you can generally train considerably heavier than with a conventional bar because you are positioned at the centre of gravity. A shrug bar is also often suitable for people who cannot yet perform a good deadlift due to mobility problems and/or an injury. We do recommend seeking advice from your physiotherapist before choosing a shrug bar for this reason.

What is a safety squat bar?

A safety squat bar is a barbell with two separate shoulder supports positioned exactly in the middle of the bar. This once again places you at the centre of gravity, making it easier to perform a squat. If you have limited mobility in your back muscles or shoulders, the handles allow you to keep your hands in a neutral position around your jaw. This lets you perform a squat more safely and often with considerably more weight. The latter is especially interesting once you've reached a plateau and want to add some variation to your squats to break through it.

What is a Swiss bar?

A Swiss bar is a barbell with different types of grips in the middle. These different grips allow you to use different hand positions. Whether you're doing rows, presses or other training variations, there is a different position for every exercise. Another advantage is that you can easily choose a position that matches your anatomy and therefore your ideal position. You can choose either a neutral or regular grip, depending on what feels most comfortable and the angle from which you want to perform the exercise. A Swiss bar is also known as a Football Bar or Multi-Grip Bar.

What is a triceps bar?

A triceps bar is not very different from a Swiss bar. Here too, you can choose a neutral hand position. However, a triceps bar is considerably shorter, so it is mainly intended for triceps extensions. You can also use it very well for Hammer Curls because of its compact size. Because this bar is much shorter than other barbells, it also weighs considerably less. Expect around 10 kg depending on the model.

What is an EZ curl bar?

You may have come across the term “EZ-curl” before; it is pronounced “easy curl bar”. This barbell is characterised by the bend in the middle of the bar. The bend allows you to rotate your wrists slightly, reducing strain on the wrists during exercises such as barbell curls or triceps extensions. This lets you train a little heavier and continue further toward muscle failure because your wrists are less likely to bother you during the exercise. This bar is also ideal if you have wrist discomfort but still want to train your forearms and upper arms. The EZ curl bar is normally around 120 cm wide and weighs approximately 10 kg. Its compact size makes it perfectly suited to pumping up your arms.

Dumbbell bar

An additional variation of the Olympic barbell is the dumbbell version. You don't see this version very often on the market because it is quite a specific product. The dumbbell version is very short, around 50 cm. Because it is so short, you can use this barbell as a dumbbell, making unilateral training possible (training with one arm). The advantage of this dumbbell is that you can make it as light or heavy as you want. The bar itself weighs around 8 kg and, in principle, you can load it with 25 kg weight plates, allowing you to create a 58 kg dumbbell quite quickly.

Barbell accessories

Various accessories are available for your barbell. If your neck bothers you while squatting, for example, you can buy a bar pad. We offer these in different sizes. A bar pad is also used when performing a hip thrust. For this, we offer special XL bar pads with a cut-out so they fit comfortably around your hips. This helps you squeeze out those last few repetitions without pain around your hips. The only pain you'll feel is the burn in your glutes from muscle fatigue. We also supply various collars for barbells so the weights stay securely in place. Another thing we've been seeing more often lately is chains that you can place on both sides of the barbell so the weight increases during the lift. In the lower position, more links remain on the floor, so you don't lift their weight. As you move upward and get closer to the “lock-out” of your exercise, the lift becomes heavier. It's an ideal way to push past a boundary and improve your lift. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact us. One of our team members will be happy to help you with various tips and tricks.

Changing weights

Changing weights is very easy when the barbell is resting on a power rack or squat rack. However, if you're deadlifting and the weight is resting on the floor, it becomes a lot more difficult, especially once you're training with heavier weights. Various accessories are available for this, such as a so-called “deadlift jack” or “deadlift wedge”. With the jack, you use leverage to lift one side of the barbell. Once it is off the floor, you can easily change the weights. Another option is to use a wedge. You roll the bar, weights and all, onto the wedge so you can then change the plates. The disadvantage is that the innermost weight plate is always used to support the bar, so you cannot change that plate. The advantage is that a wedge is slightly cheaper than a deadlift jack.

The ideal barbell

What the ideal barbell is really depends on your training goals. If you're fully focused on your CrossFit WODs, choose a CrossFit barbell. These are slightly more expensive, but you get much better value for money. If you're fully focused on powerlifting, choose a 220 cm barbell with a high load capacity so you can continue progressing in your lifts. If you're doing fitness training to build muscle or strengthen your core, a conventional mid-range barbell is a perfectly good option.

Professional strength training at home with our equipment

Order your Olympic barbell easily online and have your order delivered to your home. Shipping is free from €40 and we guarantee fast delivery. This means you can quickly get started with your strength training at home. Would you like more information or personal, expert advice? Don't hesitate to contact us. We'll be happy to tell you more!