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The House
11-13-11, 9:10 am
Maybe I am over looking something someone please explain this to me. Why and what is the point of using the short bar at a gym to do deadlifts bench or squats. U know the bar that is shorter than a regular bar and usually has a weight limit to put on the bar. I could see if u can't do plates on regular bar but I always see dudes with like 2 plates on each side using them just use a regular bar bro. I thought it was maybe just my gym but I have seen it in a few places. Someone explain please maybe I should shrug with it so it would look like I maxed out the bar and maybe it would snap in half since most of them say don't use more than 200 or 300

deanna7272
11-13-11, 9:42 am
Maybe I am over looking something someone please explain this to me. Why and what is the point of using the short bar at a gym to do deadlifts bench or squats. U know the bar that is shorter than a regular bar and usually has a weight limit to put on the bar. I could see if u can't do plates on regular bar but I always see dudes with like 2 plates on each side using them just use a regular bar bro. I thought it was maybe just my gym but I have seen it in a few places. Someone explain please maybe I should shrug with it so it would look like I maxed out the bar and maybe it would snap in half since most of them say don't use more than 200 or 300

When I first looked at this, I thought of myself...lol Believe me, I am in no way maxing out with my lifts, but I do take advantage of our short bar...lol I use it for my squats because of my balance issues. I sure as heck don't feel the need to load it up, but being a beginner, it helps me maintain my form throughout.

Bruiser
11-13-11, 9:54 am
I'm unfortunate enough to only have those old shitty hollow short bars to use. That's all I've had access to for the past year in the gym I built in my garage. That'll all change this Wednesday when I get my new rack, bench and oly bars/plates. I couldn't imagine a bigger guy using the short bars by choice though. Like you said House, I think they just want to look good with a maxed out bar.

I do agree with Deanna though about stabalization. I was laid up from a botched back surgery and wasn't able to train for over 3 years. Since I started again I've really had to focus on my stabilizer muscles. With how far my strength had dropped and the pain I still had, I don't know if I could've benched properly with an oly bar. I think the length would have fucked up my balance and I could've re-injured my back because of instability while pressing.

The House
11-13-11, 10:07 am
Missing the point I am asking y a guy that can bench squat or deadlift over 315 put 315 on a short bar maxed out if u can do plates on a short bar it's time to use a regular bar hands down. If u don't have good balance then u would not be squating that much and if balance is a issue use the smith machine

Bruiser
11-13-11, 10:16 am
Missing the point I am asking y a guy that can bench squat or deadlift over 315 put 315 on a short bar maxed out if u can do plates on a short bar it's time to use a regular bar hands down. If u don't have good balance then u would not be squating that much and if balance is a issue use the smith machine

Oh absolutely. The only reason that I can see a guy maxing it out on a short and not moving to an oly bar is pure ego. They wanna impress people. I was just agreeing with Deanna that there is a use for a short bar, especially if you don't have access to a smith machine.

MRmichael.hooker
11-13-11, 10:39 am
When I first looked at this, I thought of myself...lol Believe me, I am in no way maxing out with my lifts, but I do take advantage of our short bar...lol I use it for my squats because of my balance issues. I sure as heck don't feel the need to load it up, but being a beginner, it helps me maintain my form throughout.

See, I think girls are allowed to get away with more at the gym than guys though. If i saw a dude curling in my squat rack, id be pissed. If it was a girl, id be like "alright, w/e" lol. And D, dont be modest, 'beginner'? You could out-beast 1/2 the guys on the forvm lol

Now about the o/p, Id have to agree guys are loading it up to look like its more. Like dudes that deadlift or squat with bumper plates... why? Just because it LOOKS like they are doing all this ungodly weight.

deanna7272
11-13-11, 6:15 pm
See, I think girls are allowed to get away with more at the gym than guys though. If i saw a dude curling in my squat rack, id be pissed. If it was a girl, id be like "alright, w/e" lol. And D, dont be modest, 'beginner'? You could out-beast 1/2 the guys on the forvm lol

Now about the o/p, Id have to agree guys are loading it up to look like its more. Like dudes that deadlift or squat with bumper plates... why? Just because it LOOKS like they are doing all this ungodly weight.

Yea, girls can get away with more, I guess... I was just mentioning it because I have nerve damage in my right leg from my back surgeries. I guess I assume that fellas know who is answering (by my name...lol) I like the short bar for balance (Can't use the Smith because with our Smith, the bar ALONE is 70 pounds (I'm not there yet...lol) AND has a bar under it so the foot placement is awkward) And by "beginner" I just meant to squatting/deadlifting regularly due to my history with disc herniation/sciatica issues. I was always afraid of injuring OR reinjuring ..

Brick By Brick
11-14-11, 5:51 pm
I use the short bar with my female clients for bench work. We do goblet/plate/front squats with kettlebells or weight plates if a 45 lb bar is too heavy. A grown man in good health, in my opinion, has no business doing DLs and/or squats with a short bar. Master the oly bar first, then add weight. I do DLs for reps with oly bumper plates measured in kgs because they bounce, and I don't have to add so many plates to the bar to get 250-300 lbs. A 25 kg plate = roughly 55 lbs.

Tiny1102
11-18-11, 12:37 am
No short bar at the Tiny Meeker Power Station. Actually, I have longer bars.