The characteristics, training emphasis, and physiology of an athlete influence the choice of bar. A projectile correctly selected in weight, shape, size and length is a guarantee effective training with a barbell. Even amateurs should know how much a particular bar weighs.

What is the bar for?

The neck is a metal rod on which pancakes are put on the sides. There are alternative simulators, but without this equipment it is impossible to complete the basic strength exercises.The neck provides:

• convenience of working with a barbell;
• working out several muscles at the same time;
• safe exercise with large weights.

Different types of bars are designed to emphasize the load on a specific muscle group.

Weight, length and other characteristics

Every athlete who works with weights needs to know how much the bar weighs and what is the difference between all types.

The length of the empty training bar is 120-180 cm. The standard Olympic bar is fixed at 220 cm.

Standard diameter of the pancake seat: American - 25mm, European - 30mm. Olympic standard - 50mm. The first one is suitable for beginner athletes and women. The second allows both men and women to train comfortably. The third one is able to withstand 500-600kg and is used by professionals.

The central part - the one for which the athlete takes the bar - is usually made with a diameter of no more than 3 cm, for Olympic Games- 2.8 cm.

The length and density of the steel determine the weight of the bar: an Olympic bar weighs 20 kg, a regular bar 160 cm long weighs 6–8 kg.

Types of bars: features and their weight

Bars can be roughly divided into three main groups: straight, curved and parallel grip. All of them are suitable for both home workouts and gym classes.

Straight bar without pancakes (suitable for bench press)

Classic. Diameter no more than 3 cm, length 1.5–2 meters. The versatile chrome bar allows for bench presses, standing curls and squats. With a lot of weight and prolonged load, the athlete may have pain in his arms - it is worth stopping the exercise to avoid stretching. Straight Neck Types:

• Olympic weightlifting
• olympic for women
• powerlifting
• universal

Table: What is the length and diameter of all types of straight bar and how much they weigh

Video: Workout with a Straight Standard Bar

The curved shape allows you to hold the bar in the way that is comfortable for the athlete, regardless of weight. Provides an anatomically natural hand position. Must be used when doing French press sitting or standing... Desirable - performing a French bench press or standing curls. In other exercises, it is as effective as a straight bar.

As in the case of the straight neck, there are two types:

• EZ neck
• W-shaped

The first is best used if the emphasis in training is on working out the biceps. It reduces stress on the hands, from the wrists to the forearms. Usually the length of such a bar is 120 cm, weight is about 6-7 kg.

Video: EZ Barbell Biceps Workout

The second bar is a variation of the first with a different incline. Allows you to additionally load the triceps and forearms. Suitable for bench press. Average length - 120 cm, weight - 6-8 kg.

Video: W-Bar Workout

Designed for exercises to work out the biceps and triceps, back.

T-bar is mounted on the simulator and is not a separate inventory. Reduces back stress when pulling the barbell in an incline and lying down. Helps to pump up the back and shoulder girdle.

Video: Denis Borisov on the T-bar deadlift

Redistributes the load on the sides. The athlete is in the center of the projectile. A handy training tool for beginners.

Video: Trap Bar Exercise Options

Castles: varieties and their features

The locks hold the discs in place; without these locks, working with the bar would be dangerous. Sizing formula: the diameter of the neck is equal to the size of the lock. Three types of locks:

How to choose a neck

There are no universal rules for choosing a neck... The most important thing is to "try on" the neck for yourself, to feel that it is comfortable to work with it.

Professional trainers advise taking a bar of medium length or more, otherwise the athlete will not be able to put the apparatus in a rack.

However, experienced athletes advise the following:

• for home workouts, a universal straight bar is suitable;
• if the emphasis is on working out the biceps, it is recommended to take a curved bar;
• when pumping triceps, a parallel grip projectile is suitable;
• for deadlifts - trap bar.

Video: Empty Neck Compilation

Barbell - required element for those who want to pump the body, become stronger and more enduring. The main principle of working with a barbell is the absence of pain in the hands. When they first appear, you need to change the neck so as not to earn stretching. What kind of bar you train with depends on the exercise and physiology of the athlete.

Unlike a straight bar, a curved bar puts a lot of stress on the inner head of the biceps, so this exercise is well suited for building arm mass. Another benefit of this bar is that it reduces the stress on the wrists, which reduces the risk of injury in the future if the athlete is working with a lot of weight.

Correct technique

1. Before doing the exercise, you need to stand up straight, holding wide grip barbell with curved neck... The palms are facing forward, and the elbow joints are pressed tightly to the body. This will starting position for bending the arms.
2. After exhaling, a smooth flexion of the arm is performed in elbow joint... The part of the arm from the elbow to the shoulder must necessarily remain motionless, since only the forearms are included in the work.
3. The movement is carried out until the biceps are completely contracted and until the barbell is level with the shoulders. A small pause is maintained at the upper point of the amplitude and the muscles are additionally strained.
4. On inhalation, the bar gradually lowers down to its original position.
5. 15-20 repetitions are performed. It is recommended for beginner women to work from 12 kg, and for beginner men from 20 kg.

This exercise can be done in block trainer from the bottom block. A special EZ handle is used for this. With its help, you can feel the middle part of the biceps well at the end point of the amplitude.

Security

Curved bar flexion refers to simple exercises, but this does not mean that safety precautions can be neglected. Advanced athletes must definitely work at the racks, as their hands can get tired at any time under the action heavy weight... You can also use the help of a belaying friend. He should stand behind, since only in this position can you catch the barbell.

Beginners are encouraged to work with an empty neck. As a rule, its weight reaches only 10 kg, but at first this is quite enough. After you feel that the exercise has become too easy, you can start using large weights.

In this exercise it is important to hold your wrists firmly... It is not necessary to "break" them too much, as this leads to quick fatigue of the joint. When working with a lot of weight, such a movement can injure the joint.

Typical mistakes

Body rocking... In some cases, athletes can be observed trying to bend the arms holding the curved bar by swinging the torso. This does not need to be done, as the load will not be applied to the biceps normally. Better to do fewer reps without losing quality.

Breeding elbows to the side... For beginners, this mistake is especially common, since they do not know the technique. this exercise... Breeding the elbows leads to a decrease in the amplitude of flexion, so the biceps contract poorly. It is very important to keep your elbows close to your body, they should not swing and move.

Beating the barbell off the hips... This technique is often used by weightlifters to simplify the exercise. However, beginners who work with light barbells do not need to use this technique, as it will prevent them from using their arms normally.

Equipment

To complete the exercise, you will need a curved bar and barbell discs. A curved bar differs from a straight one in that it allows you to load the biceps more, and this has a positive effect on their development. Additional equipment may require gloves. They enhance the grip and also provide good grip for the hands on the surface of the bar.

1. The load on the biceps directly depends on the degree of curvature of the bar: the more the bar is curved, the higher the load.
2. Don't throw your arms too high up. In other words, the bar should not rise to shoulder level, since the load will begin to decrease towards the top of the amplitude, which will negatively affect the efficiency of the entire exercise. In this case, the hands in the upper part of the movement are always in front of the elbows.
3. You do not need to move your elbows back when lifting weights and push forward when lowering. It is enough to shift the elbows by 5 cm while lifting the bar, and then return them to their original position.
4. There is no need to swing with the whole body, since the barbell does not rise by inertia, but due to the strength of the muscles.
5. At the bottom, the arms are fully extended so that the biceps can fully stretch under the load. This movement greatly improves the amplitude and efficiency of the exercise.
6. It is important to keep your shoulders and back straight. The chest is straightened and the shoulders are pulled back slightly to keep your posture always straight.

In bodybuilding, a variety of equipment and equipment are used. Most of the workouts are done using a dumbbell or barbell. A straight bar is usually used, but some exercises are easier to do with a curved bar. It is also called the EZ neck and is found in every well-equipped gym... A curved barbell is most often used for triceps and biceps exercises. Such a projectile helps to reduce the stress on the hands and minimize the risk of injury.

The curved bar is used in the biceps curls performed on the Scott bench and standing, as well as the French press, which is done lying, standing or sitting. No confirmed information about greater efficiency, and, consequently, the load and performance in terms of growth muscle mass there is no such projectile, but it certainly has its positive qualities that must be taken into account.

The choice in favor of this projectile is due to several advantages:

1. Ease of use. Many lifters are simply much more comfortable with the EZ bar, which allows them to lift much heavier weights.
2. Shifting emphasis. The curved bar has a slightly different load on the muscles, therefore, alternating with the usual straight bar, you can achieve a uniform and comprehensive study of muscle tissue.
3. Security. The shape of the curved neck reduces stress on the wrists, which greatly reduces the likelihood of injury, even at high amplitudes and weights.
4. Grip reliability. Most bodybuilders point to the fact that holding the EZ bar is much more comfortable, and therefore safer, which allows you to perform difficult exercises with minimal risk of injury.

Some athletes working with a curved bar believe that it helps to improve the biceps relief, but there is no confirmation or refutation of this fact. In any case, working with such a projectile, you can diversify the training program.

There is no fundamental difference between these two apparatus regarding the amount of weight that an athlete can lift. The difference between necks is the structure. Curved design allows for a more secure grip with less stress on the wrists. A shorter bar allows for more balance when lifting a lot of weight, since it is much easier to "find" the center of gravity. The latter helps to evenly load the arms and do the exercise technically correctly.

The curved bar is of the greatest value for athletes with hand injuries. This equipment is great for athletes looking to lift heavy weights as it is much safer and less traumatic. Manufacturers sports equipment release bars strongly and weakly curved. You need to choose according to your own feelings, that is, the shell that is more convenient to work with.

Which is best for muscle growth

It is impossible to say for sure which of the shells pumps the muscles more. But, given that muscles grow better when they are worked out comprehensively, it is better to train with alternating bars, changing grip, width of hand position, position, using a variety of simulators. This will load each individual muscle area. Otherwise, a stop in progress becomes inevitable, that is, a plateau state occurs when the muscles stop growing.

The arsenal of shells and various fitness equipment in bodybuilding is very diverse. The bulk of work in the gym is barbell or dumbbell training. The most popular barbells are straight, but there are others with a curved bar that are more convenient to use in some exercises. A curved neck (also called an EZ neck) can be found in any normal room. It is most often used during arm exercises - biceps and triceps. the main objective its use is to reduce stress on the hands and prevent injury.

The curved bar is used for bicep curls (standing, on a Scott bench) or for the French press (standing, sitting, lying). There is no definitive information on whether the EZ bar is more effective in loading the muscles or promoting their growth, but this type of bar has its advantages.

Which neck should you choose - curved or straight?

In general, there is no difference in the amount of weight lifted between these bars. The main difference is the comfort and less stress on the wrists. Moreover, the curved bar is shorter and better balanced when large weights and also on a curved neck it is easier to find the center of the bar. Finding the center correctly allows you to perform the exercise correctly technically and load your arms equally.

A curved bar will be more important for those athletes who have had hand injuries in the past. Also, this type of bar is safer to use when working on hands with maximum weights... Today, a distinction is made between slightly curved and strongly curved bars. Both options are used to train the hands, what to choose is an individual matter, you need to evaluate for convenience.

Nobody can say unequivocally which bar is better for muscle growth. But the principles of bodybuilding tell us that to effectively build muscle, you need to work out all the possible areas. muscle group... Therefore, we advise you not only to use different bars in your workouts, but also to change the type of grip, the width of the arms, perform the exercise in different provisions, use different shells and simulators. It is this approach that will allow you not to forget any muscle bundle and work out everything.

Types of bars in bodybuilding

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Those who have not wondered about the choice of bar have not been to the gym. Straight, EZ, W - any self-respecting fitness center has a full arsenal of torture tools muscle fibers... It remains only to find out - which of them will give you the maximum advantage when performing classic exercises... As always, there is no unequivocal answer to this question. Which bar to choose is a matter of physiology and personal preference.

Straight Bar Biceps Curl

Usually, the question of choosing a bar comes up when you train your biceps. As you probably know, one of basic exercises on him - . As a rule, many of the athletes prefer to take a straight bar for this purpose, and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this from the point of view of biomechanics.

• When working with a straight neck, your
  the palms are in the supination position and are directed strictly to the ceiling. Due to this, the main load falls exactly on the biceps, which reduced to the maximum... Compared to the EZ bar, the load on this muscle there will be more, which speaks in favor of a straight neck.
• However, straight bar lifts have their drawbacks. Injury risk... The hands are in a somewhat unnatural position for themselves, the load on the wrists and the risk of injury increase. More than one athlete injured their wrists in this exercise, so if this is your weakness, you should think about safety belts in the form of special belts or still opt for an EZ neck.

EZ Bar Biceps Curl

When working with an EZ bar, the mechanics of the movements change.

• The palms are in a semi-supination position, which together with the biceps activates brachialis... As a result, the load on the biceps becomes slightly less, which reduces the degree of its contraction.
• At the same time, the semi-supination position is much more natural for the body - in life our palms are in this position much more often than when they are directed strictly to the ceiling. Therefore, with such a grip, the exercise is simply more convenient, and more the risk of injury is significantly reduced... So for those with weak wrists, the answer to the question of which bar to choose is quite clear.
• Last but not least, there will be another plus point for the EZ neck. It is usually short enough that facilitates the task of stabilizing the weight of the bar and reduces the risk of falling to one side.

Dotting i

What is the best bar for biceps? You will decide. If we compare the risk of injury with the risk, it is not enough to work out the biceps - in our opinion the scales tilt in favor of the EZ-shaped neck... The fact is that the difference in the degree of biceps activation can hardly be called dramatic, while the risk of injury to the wrists is quite tangible, especially since not everyone does strengthening exercises on the wrist muscle group.