I got one of those 300 lb weight sets from Dick’s about 2 years ago and I’m starting to notice a bend in the bar…are the bars that they sell cheap? I’m not really sure of the brand.
I’m not sure what they are rated for in terms of weight. If it’s only 300 i usually work with 315 for deadlifts so maybe I should invest in a stronger bar.
yes, you should.
it couldn’t hurt. i’d be safe rather than sorry.
Yeah bro,. Certain things you can get away with, but the chance of injury with weights,… you don’t wanna risk something totally stupid happening.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Yeah bro,. Certain things you can get away with, but the chance of injury with weights,… you don’t wanna risk something totally stupid happening.
S
[/quote]
Have you guys seen what happens to a bar when it starts to bend? Will it just keep bending or could it possibly worse?
Same problem happened to me the bar starts to bend and from there only gets worse in my case i bought a bar from a different store next time and complained to DICK’s
Most bars I’ve seen usually bend at around 4 plates (405 lbs) and above, not 3. I’ve seen a bar at a pretty old gym that was permanently bent (seemed like a good idea to use it for squats, but felt kind of awkward)… I’m not sure if it’s going to snap anytime soon or just get worse with the bend, but like others said you might not want to risk it with yours.
[quote]1morerep wrote:
it couldn’t hurt. i’d be safe rather than sorry.[/quote]
O it could hurt. Very badly. haha
Get a new one; those things are cheap. I have one that is bent too and I didn’t take any chances with it.
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=104
^^^^good shit.
^^^where I got mine.
Are any other barbells recommended other than NY BB?
I guess I should be looking to spend around 200?
I’ve never seen it, but I’m imagining VERY serious wrist, arm and back injury if that thing snapped on the way up and maybe even death if the broken end caught you right, like in the throat.
Any even decent brand regulation bar (actually weighs 45 lbs) will be better than what you have. Weider or CAP bars are cheap and will be a huge upgrade from what is probably a 35 pound cheapo. Weight isn’t everything for quality, but I’m guessing money is an issue or you wouldn’t have bought those in the first place which is not meant as a jab so please don’t take it that way.
Cheap plates are one thing, but those bargain bars are not really a bargain. Of course if money is no object then Elitefs or Ivanko will sell you a bar that nobody can break. However you can find decent bars new for under 200 bucks like from NY.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
I’ve never seen it, but I’m imagining VERY serious wrist, arm and back injury if that thing snapped on the way up and maybe even death if the broken end caught you right, like in the throat.
Any even decent brand regulation bar (actually weighs 45 lbs) will be better than what you have. Weider or CAP bars are cheap and will be a huge upgrade from what is probably a 35 pound cheapo. Weight isn’t everything for quality, but I’m guessing money is an issue or you wouldn’t have bought those in the first place which is not meant as a jab so please don’t take it that way.
Cheap plates are one thing, but those bargain bars are not really a bargain. Of course if money is no object then Elitefs or Ivanko will sell you a bar that nobody can break. However you can find decent bars new for under 200 bucks like from NY.[/quote]
The bar I have IS 45lbs, money isn’t an issue(and no offense taken). It was my first olympic bar for home use, so I really knew nothing of quality or durability a few years ago. I bought the 300lb set more for the plates than anything else.
But I am not a commercial gym nor an elite powerlifter so I don’t want to spend 500 bucks on a really top notch bar…just want something that will handle at most 500 pounds for many years.
The set we bought was CAP, so I’m assuming the bar was CAP also( it’s a 45lb olympic bar). PRobably one of there cheaper ones though. Find it hard to believe that CAP would sell a decent bar with 300 pounds of olympic weights for 150 bucks.
I’ll definately look into NY though…thanks for the info!
Whatever you do, make sure that there’s a big bend in it and then make a picture while you’re curling.
How badass would that look?
As for what bar to get, you won’t ever break a Texas Power bar. I think EliteFTS sells 'em for around 300 bucks.
LOL. Would looks pretty cool…although some people might wonder why 25 pounds on each end is bending the bar 
A bar is not a place to save money. 200-300 should get a pretty decent one imo.
I’ve had one of my bars for going on 9 years. Bought it at Academy with the 300 pound set.
I have used it regularly for the last 5 years, and have rack pulled well over 600 with it on a fairly regular basis.
Unless it is loaded, I can’t see a bend.
I have another bar I bought more recently - from the same place - as part of a set, and I wouldn’t put much more than 200 pounds on it.
You get more than 300 on the new bar, and it feels like you are are holding a piece of PVC pipe.
[quote]rainjack wrote:
I’ve had one of my bars for going on 9 years. Bought it at Academy with the 300 pound set.
I have used it regularly for the last 5 years, and have rack pulled well over 600 with it on a fairly regular basis.
Unless it is loaded, I can’t see a bend.
I have another bar I bought more recently - from the same place - as part of a set, and I wouldn’t put much more than 200 pounds on it.
You get more than 300 on the new bar, and it feels like you are are holding a piece of PVC pipe.
[/quote]
Wait if the bar is unloaded and doesn’t bend, the bar is okay?
I was worried about mine only cuz I thought my bar didn’t use to bend even when it had 2 plates on it. But when mine is unloaded, it is straight.
Although, even if my bar is okay, I still want to get a new bar, some times it’s a hassle when I lift with my wife and we have only 1 bar.
[quote]tw0scoops2 wrote:
rainjack wrote:
I’ve had one of my bars for going on 9 years. Bought it at Academy with the 300 pound set.
I have used it regularly for the last 5 years, and have rack pulled well over 600 with it on a fairly regular basis.
Unless it is loaded, I can’t see a bend.
I have another bar I bought more recently - from the same place - as part of a set, and I wouldn’t put much more than 200 pounds on it.
You get more than 300 on the new bar, and it feels like you are are holding a piece of PVC pipe.
Wait if the bar is unloaded and doesn’t bend, the bar is okay?
I was worried about mine only cuz I thought my bar didn’t use to bend even when it had 2 plates on it. But when mine is unloaded, it is straight.
Although, even if my bar is okay, I still want to get a new bar, some times it’s a hassle when I lift with my wife and we have only 1 bar.[/quote]
There’s a very simple answer to your problem, man.
If you don’t trust the bar you currently have, get a new one. If you keep lifting with a bar you don’t trust 100 percent, you won’t perform 100%.
[quote]tw0scoops2 wrote:
rainjack wrote:
I’ve had one of my bars for going on 9 years. Bought it at Academy with the 300 pound set.
I have used it regularly for the last 5 years, and have rack pulled well over 600 with it on a fairly regular basis.
Unless it is loaded, I can’t see a bend.
I have another bar I bought more recently - from the same place - as part of a set, and I wouldn’t put much more than 200 pounds on it.
You get more than 300 on the new bar, and it feels like you are are holding a piece of PVC pipe.
Wait if the bar is unloaded and doesn’t bend, the bar is okay?
I was worried about mine only cuz I thought my bar didn’t use to bend even when it had 2 plates on it. But when mine is unloaded, it is straight.
Although, even if my bar is okay, I still want to get a new bar, some times it’s a hassle when I lift with my wife and we have only 1 bar.[/quote]
The bar will bend some when you put a moderate load on it. 675 will make most bars bow.
I can feel my good bar bowing with 3 plates on it. But it is a totally different feeling than the crappy bar with 3 plates.
The crappy bar literally feels like you are holding a ten foot section of 1" pvc pipe. I won’t use it. It is my wife’s bar.
http://www.pendlaybarbell.com/bars.html
You can try getting a pendlay bar.
I’ve bent three of those sporting goods store bars in the last year or so. If you can’t find a serious deal on another cheapo (we got our last one for $5 overstock), I’d drop at least 150 on something that’ll last.