I just recently started at a new gym - an actual GYM gym, not a fitness club - and, much to my surprise and glee, they have a set of barbells of above-average diameter, as well as one with a D-hook, as to be attached to the pulldown machine.
Now, as exciting as this is, I’m not really sure as to what exercises it is wise to USE them with. Are there certain stand-out motions which benefit more from large-diameter barbells, or is it pretty much just a good change-up across the board?
I’d say that use them for training the grip. Pulling exercises anyone? Like bench press with fat bar may not be a good idea if you slip it to your chest…
A nice change for any exercise you would normally use a standard bar try clean and pressing etc really add another grip feature and the press feels a world different as well
Phil
[quote]Phill wrote:
A nice change for any exercise you would normally use a standard bar try clean and pressing etc really add another grip feature and the press feels a world different as well
Phil[/quote]
I agree, but just be careful because you won’t like dropping the bar on your head when you lose grip.
Try doing deadlifts with it and don’t use an alternating grip. You’ll need to drop the weight a lot, but you’ll be able to train your grip much better, which will allow you to lift heavier deadlifts in the future.
You can use fat bars for almost any exercise. As long as the bars are not excessively fat you should not have trouble other than hanging on to the bar. Use care until you get the feel for the exercise with the fat bar.
Enjoy the fat bars.
Fred
Well, I figured I’d mix up my back work today, and I threw in a couple of sets of wide- and narrow-grip upright rows, as well as a few bent-over rows.
The fat bars are a strange change; I felt the weight in my forearm/elbow region a lot more, and I definitely found I couldn’t do quite as much weight - dropped 10 - 15 lbs on each one, though the bar itself was a touch heavier.
All in all, I think I’ll keep trying them out. No overhead presses, though…