Don't spend a fortune. Buy what you can afford. Not like you're gonna load 300 kg on the bar.
I was going to suggest gym direct. They have a 7ft standard barbell for $60 with a safe load limit of 150kg. That should do the job.
Id honestly look to get in contact with a guy by the name of Brooks Kubik. Or in the least read up on his stuff.
Can i ask you please that yoi create a training log once you get going? I wont be the only interested in both the training and results/progression.
As mentioned above, id stick to what you can afford
Do you research though, some Chinese bars really will fall apart on first sign of "abuse", where as others will take a surprisingly epic flogging.
220CM ABC OLYMPIC BARBELL. ALLOY BAR WITH BLACK NITRIDE FINISH.
440MM LONG X 50MM DIAMETRE BLACK NITRIDE ROTATING SLEEVES.
500KG RATING. DURABLE BRONZE BUSHING FOR GENERAL GYM USE.
AUSTRALIAN MADE. 20KG WEIGHT
Hi peeps, I am approaching 60 and need to do weights for health reasons (plus I read that it's very good for older men). I used to be quite active when a teenager with bodybuilding, using Reg Park's routines (I'm from South Africa), so I know more or less what I am doing with the various movements and muscle groups.
I intend getting a little muscle, nothing drastic, perhaps bench press up to 80kg tops. No squats (very big legs already, genetically). Have some damage to my lumbar spine (herniated disc), so have to be careful.
Bought a cheap bench off eBay and assembled it last night. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality ... more than enough for my purposes. (Tried to post a pic, cannot)
But when it comes to other equipment, I'm lost. In the 1970s it was all standard bar stuff, iron plates etc. Now there are olympic bars, most of which seem to come from China (e.g those for sale at aussiefitness.com.au and gymandfitness.com.au etc).
The Americans seem to have an endless supply of quality bars at reasonable prices. But not so here in Oz.
I need a barbell and about 80-100kg weight, plus a dumbbell and weights (non-olympic is fine, already have an old cheapy with cement-filled plates).
The barbell is a once-only purchase, so I thought I should ask questions here.
- Do I accept that a ~$170 1500lb chromed Chinese bar with copper bushings and circlips (snap rings) is good enough for my purposes, perhaps even much more than I'll need? Or do I need to cough up for a more expensive bar, and if so, why?
- Do I buy the powder-coated steel plates from my local bodybuilding store (brand is "Force USA")?
- Do I buy an ez curl bar (Force USA) with hex-bolted sleeves ($79)?
- Can I use non-olympic stuff for dumbbell work (much cheaper)?
Thanks!
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