The plate system used for most Olympic bars and gyms, why is it 45 lbs? I’m not complaining, I just want to know why this kind of plate weight style was chosen. For convenience sure, but is there another reason for it? And also the Olympic bar, why is it 45 lbs most also?
I originally thought it was because of the metric system conversions to poundage, but 45 lbs it roughly 20.5 kgs, which is still a random number to me.
metric system
There’s an bar at my gym that’s a bit smaller than the olympic bar, but composed the same way. Does anyone know how much it weights.
I also have a bit of a stupid question…put when you post your lifting weights do you always include the weight of the bar? What if in some cases you’re not sure how much it weights?
[quote]Digity wrote:
I also have a bit of a stupid question…put when you post your lifting weights do you always include the weight of the bar? What if in some cases you’re not sure how much it weights?[/quote]
It’d be foolish not to post the wiehgt of the bar.
[quote]Digity wrote:
There’s an bar at my gym that’s a bit smaller than the olympic bar, but composed the same way. Does anyone know how much it weights.
I also have a bit of a stupid question…put when you post your lifting weights do you always include the weight of the bar? What if in some cases you’re not sure how much it weights?[/quote]
Yes, include the weight of the bar.
If you’re not sure how much it weighs you use your better judgment. I would err lower than higher.
Should the bar itself list the weight? I’ve never checked.
[quote]Digity wrote:
Should the bar itself list the weight? I’ve never checked.[/quote]
many time no. That’s why I like using a standard olympic bar. You could also weight yourself, than weigh youself holding the bar and subtract the two. My curl bar weight 10 pounds, and that’s how I found out. Otherwise I use an olympic bar for all my lifts.
I was asking myself the very same question. Then I started doing Shrugs. Have you ever picked up a 100lb Plate? It’s too heavy. The bar starts to tip over and you need to shove it all the way into the J-hook so you don’t get smacked in the head.
And for most commercial and high school gyms, 45s, 25s, nickels and dimes allow you to put the weight you want on the bar without putting on a bunch of different plates.
45lbs was also chosen for plate weight because when you quickly need to gauge if someone is an absolute pussy or not, you test them to see if they can bench 135.
[quote]Digity wrote:
There’s an bar at my gym that’s a bit smaller than the olympic bar, but composed the same way. Does anyone know how much it weights.
I also have a bit of a stupid question…put when you post your lifting weights do you always include the weight of the bar? What if in some cases you’re not sure how much it weights?[/quote]
It’s most likely a 35 lb. bar. We have them in my gym along with standard olympic bars and I’ve been to a few other gyms where they have them also.
For lifts where I don’t use the olympic bar I haven’t been including the weight of the bar when I track my PR. I suspect a lot of people aren’t including it…especially for the smaller bars like an EZ-Curl, but maybe I’m wrong about that.
Thanks! I think you’re right about the 35 lbs.
[quote]Digity wrote:
Thanks! I think you’re right about the 35 lbs.[/quote]
If it looks like an Olympic bar but is a bit shorter, it’s DEFINITELY 35 lbs. Good question, I never wondered about that but should have.
I agree, 45 pounds seems like a bit of a random number. Why not 50 pounds?
I suppose it might have something to do with the height off the ground for deadlifts and stuff, but…
nope, I’ve got no idea.
[quote]HighVoltage wrote:
The plate system used for most Olympic bars and gyms, why is it 45 lbs? I’m not complaining, I just want to know why this kind of plate weight style was chosen. For convenience sure, but is there another reason for it? And also the Olympic bar, why is it 45 lbs most also?
I originally thought it was because of the metric system conversions to poundage, but 45 lbs it roughly 20.5 kgs, which is still a random number to me.[/quote]
I guess the oly bars being 45 lbs is as arbitrary as the unit of measurement itself. Pounds were standardized based on something that weighs somehow. In the same way, the people who make oly bars had to come up with a standardization, and I guess they just picked 45 lbs out of the hat.
Then again, I may just be blabbering.
Its because of the metric system. For example in Europe we all use 20kg plates which roughly = 45lbs.
[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
I agree, 45 pounds seems like a bit of a random number. Why not 50 pounds?
I suppose it might have something to do with the height off the ground for deadlifts and stuff, but…
nope, I’ve got no idea.[/quote]
I did it. Me and Mickey Spillane were sitting in a bar on the West Side a long time ago, and he said, “Motherfucka, we gotta standardize these fuckin’ weight sets before da guineas do. You gots any ideas?”
And I said, “Yea Mick, let’s make’em all 45 lbs. Fuck dem guinzos trying to make it 50, we’ll undercut them cause our weights will be cheaper cause they weigh less. You dig it?”
And hence, the 45 lb. plate was born.
Good enough?
most people include the weight of the bar. Why wouldn’t you? You’re still lifting it.
oh really, bc the EZ bar at my gym weighs 18.5 pounds, I’m sure they are all different. We have a straight bar that’s simply a smaller olympic bar that weighs 25 pounds, those are the only 3 bars my gym has.
I can see including the weight of the bar if you are using an olympic bar.
However, if you are using a curl bar, or any other kind of bar that you don’t know the actual weight of, I don’t see the point in trying to figure out how much the bar weighs. Just remember which bar you used, and keep track of the amount of weight you put on it.
Do you count the weight of the bar you use if you were going to do cable curls?
How about the weight of the platform if you’re doing leg presses?
It really doesn’t matter.
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
I agree, 45 pounds seems like a bit of a random number. Why not 50 pounds?
I suppose it might have something to do with the height off the ground for deadlifts and stuff, but…
nope, I’ve got no idea.
I did it. Me and Mickey Spillane were sitting in a bar on the West Side a long time ago, and he said, “Motherfucka, we gotta standardize these fuckin’ weight sets before da guineas do. You gots any ideas?”
And I said, “Yea Mick, let’s make’em all 45 lbs. Fuck dem guinzos trying to make it 50, we’ll undercut them cause our weights will be cheaper cause they weigh less. You dig it?”
And hence, the 45 lb. plate was born.
Good enough?[/quote]
Holy shit, that was you?
[quote]CantStop wrote:
Its because of the metric system. For example in Europe we all use 20kg plates which roughly = 45lbs.[/quote]
Actually it comes from weightlifting. theh IAW uses 25kg plates (red), 20kg(blue), 15kg(yellow) and 10kg(green).