What’s The Best Barbell For Your Home Gym?

Confused by barbell lengths, diameters, and collars? Here’s exactly what to look for in a home barbell and the two types to avoid.

Do You Need A Barbell?

If you’ve done all you can with body weight exercises and your dumbbells, a barbell makes the next great addition to your home workout equipment. Here is what to look out for when buying a barbell and how to safely use it at home.

But before you spend ten to fifteen minutes of your lifetime on this article only to realize at the end (of the article, not your lifetime) that a barbell is for your current workout efforts as useful as a cyst on your buttocks, let us mention this: you generally don’t need to buy a barbell if you are just starting to work out.

The earliest occasion where one come in handy is after about one year of continuous training.

I bought my barbell only three years after I started working out at home. At that point I was on my intermediate home workout plan, had done every possible variation of dumbbell rows and couldn’t budge my lats to progress with them any further. I finally also got bored with them out of my mind. Given that outside of pull-ups and rows there is little variation in home back exercises, a barbell was a useful addition.

For a number of chest and leg exercises I still prefer my dumbbells. Not only do they still get the job done, they also are way less hazardous to the surrounding furniture and me (see below).

Still with me? Then let’s get started.

Length

When you walk into a fitness store or type “barbell set” into the search of your preferred shopping site, the first thing you’ll notice is that there are so many different lengths of barbells and no explanation what each and everyone is good for – anything goes from 4 ft (1.2 m) to a whopping 7.2 ft (2.2 m).

The general rule is that the longer the bar, the more weight it can handle and the wider the stance you can have when using it. These two are important if you plan to do squats or bench presses, as very short barbells won’t be ideal for these types of exercises. On the other hand, shorter ones work well on exercises such as shrugs or front raises.

If like me you want to go the longest way possible with just one barbell, go for one with a length of 60 to 63 inches (1.50 – 1.60 m), for example this one. It’s long enough to do deadlifts etc., but not so long that you can’t use it for exercises you do with shorter barbells.

It also is the length which in my case allows the furniture to survive when I exercise in what is normally my study (yeah, that goes into the compromise part as well).

Sleeve Diameter

If you started with dumbbells then you probably already have plates for them and want to keep using those with your future barbell. However, the central hole in dumbbell plates is usually 1 inch (2.5 cm). That’s the standard diameter on most dumbbells for the part where you put the weights on (the “sleeve”). Barbells on the other hand come in two diameters for the sleeve: the 1 inch as above, or 2 inches (5 cm).

Make sure the sleeve diameter of the barbell you buy goes with your existing plates, if you don’t plan on buying new weights just for the barbell.

Threaded Vs. Non-Threaded

Barbells (as well as dumbbells) come with threaded or unthreaded ends (the portions of the bar where the plates go on). On those threaded, the plates are held in place with spinlocks you screw on, while on the others you have the choice between spring collars, which you squeeze to go into place, and those you slip on and work like a vice.

Personally I prefer spinlocks, as I find them the fastest to use, but you may want to have a look at the others and find out what suits you best.

Two Barbell Types To Say No To

There are two things you should avoid when barbell shopping: hollow barbells and those you assemble from pieces.

I’m not sure if sets like this one you find outside of Germany, but should you encounter them, be aware that being screwed together is practically a built-in weakness in these barbells. They usually can’t handle more than 110 lbs (50 kg).

Hollow bars you normally only get with cheap dumbbells, but I have seen at least one e-z curl bar of that ilk. They usually handle even less weight than the kits above and trying to clamp spring locks on them often ends in disaster. Jupiter knows if someone actually sells full-blown hollow barbells, but you just may want to make sure what you buy is solid, if you see a price for a barbell that seems like a steal.

The Boring Safety Bit

Barbells, especially the longer, thicker ones, can handle loads of weight. But please don’t attempt maxing them out without safety precautions if you work out at home and by yourself. An overenthusiastic teenager killed himself with his barbell and there are many more examples.

For doing squats that means you should have a power rack in place (this one looks like a good deal to me). When doing bench presses this basic safety tip is the least you should follow. 

If you, like me, can have or do neither, then do those lifts with your dumbbells and reserve the barbell for auxiliary work (barbell rows after pull-ups, for example) or exercise variations that don’t endanger yourself (eg. instead of full squats, hack squats).

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a barbell be for a home gym?

The ideal length in my opinion is 60 to 63 inches (1.5 m to 1.6 m) It’s long enough to do deadlifts etc., but not so long that you can’t use it for exercises you do with shorter barbells (barbell curls, pullovers etc.).

What size barbell is best for squats and deadlifts?

For most home lifters, a one inch bar in the 60–63 in range is the answer. With it you should be able to comfortably do them. Only when you are able to squat more than about 250 lbs you might require a bigger one which also has a larger diameter. The one inch might end up looking like a very large divining rod (opening up an interesting secondary career choice).

Threaded vs. non-threaded barbell: which is better?

That’s not a question of better. That’s a question of preference. I started with threaded dumbbells, therefore I already had spin locks and stayed with what I knew. In my experience non-threaded are also a bit harder to come by. They are more at home in Olympic weightlifting. 

Can I use my dumbbell plates on a barbell?

Yes, if you check for what sleeve diameter your dumbbell plates were made and that the barbell has the same. Most dumbbell plates have a ~1 inch hole, while some barbells have a ~2 inch diameter. Getting the former on the latter would turn into an interesting home improvement experiment.  

Is a barbell worth it if I already have dumbbells?

Not in the beginning and when you are short on money anyway. A barbell offers a) more variety when you have a year or more lifting experience, and b) lets you do some exercises, especially leg exercises, with more weight. It’s not essential, it’s a nice-to-have when you are a year or more into this.

What’s a safe barbell load at home without a rack?

It’s less a question of the load, but how you exercise with that load. For example, squats are usually done with the barbell in your neck. Ideally while you are standing in a safety cage that will catch the barbell should you lose control. But at home you should do hack squats, where the barbell is behind your legs while you do the movement in correct, technical good form. 

Pictures courtesy of “Marij. Muscle” and the U.S. Air Force.