Olympic Bars

It's a pity that so many people buy fancy gym equipment for their homes only to leave it half unused. If you're thinking of setting up a home gym or just beginning your workout career, it's not wise to spend heaps of cash on equipment right away. Realistically, a few pairs of dumbbells, a barbell with a few changes of weight plates and an incline/decline bench are really all that you'll need. I would suggest starting with these and creating your program first, before taking out a second mortgage over a multi gym that might end up as a clothes rack in your basement.

A barbell will be one of the most used pieces of fitness equipment in your weight training program. You have the choice between a standard or Olympic bar. I bought a standard bar, which has a 1-inch diameter end for my program. I find it just as reliable as an Olympic bar, which has 2" diameter end.

My decision was based purely on "how much can I get for my money" (and believe me, it was a limited budget at that). Standard bars are smaller, but cheaper than Olympic bars and, for the average lifter, a standard bar meets all of my exercise needs. However, if your sights are set on a power lifting career, you should train with a more professional Olympic bar. Just keep in mind that Olympic plates only go with Olympic bars the same goes for standard bars and plates.

Olympic barbells and barbells in general, are like one big dumbbell, but instead of using two dumbbells you'd use a single barbell. A barbell works in the same manner as the dumbbell. You adjust the weight on either end of the bar with either a spring-loaded clamp or a tight nut both types of weight lifting collars. I find that my workout only entails one bar and a variety of weights that I can conveniently change for various exercises. You will want more than one bar if changing weight plates in between exercises prevents your workout from running as quickly and smoothly as you'd like.

Barbells are the best way to build muscle mass or tone. In order to keep your workouts versatile buy an adjustable bench like an incline bench or multi-purpose bench. Also, when shopping for a bar ask the salesman to throw in a barbell pad. This wraps around the barbell and cushions your neck during squat exercises. If you don't have a bar pad, I find that wrapping a thick towel around the bar will do the trick.