You need a barbell to be able to lift weights. Which barbell and weights are appropriate for a home gym though?
- Recommended Barbell: XMark Crowbar. This is a very good value for money full sized barbell. 28.5mm shaft, 2” sleeves with chrome coating, good tensile strength and corrosion resistant coating are just some features. It’s 7’ long and weighs 20kg./44lbs. which is the standard for barbells. Buy it on Amazon (Affiliate link)
- Recommended Weight plates: Cap Grip Plates. Weight plates are simple; they just need to be heavy and fit on your barbell.Cap Barbell Grip Plates are cheap and tick all the boxes of what you want from weight plates. They are bare cast iron, have 2” inner holes (which works with the barbell above) and are available in all the weights you need. Buy it on Amazon (Affiliate link)
Why I Chose the XMark Crowbar barbell
This barbell has all the right specs for the right price. Actually, it has all the right specs for a very good price. Check out the features of this bar;
- 7’ length
- 28.5mm thick shaft
- 185k PSI tensile strength
- 1500 lbs. load limit
- 2” Sleeves
- Chrome coating on sleeves
- Black manganese coating on shaft
- Brass bushings
- 20kg./44 lbs.
- IWF and IPF medium fine knurling
This bar has medium ‘whip’ which is how much the bar bends under load. This is not a permanent bend but just a little flex. This is perfect for general gym purposes. And since a home gym owners usually want to buy only one bar, that’s a great choice.
Now click here to check out the price on Amazon (affiliate link) When you see the price you can see why this barbell is such a good deal.
- 7 Long
- 28.5 mm shaft diameter
- 185,000 PSI tensile strenght. 1500 lbs. load limit
- Chrome coating with microgrooves on sleeves so your weight plates stay in place
- hard black manganese phosphate coating for grip and corrosion protection
- Brass bushings in sleeves for durability and free spinning sleeves.
Why I Chose the Cap Grip Plates
Weight plates have to fit on the barbell, be available in plenty of different weights and be strong. The Cap grip plates are good quality for a very friendly price. They are some of the cheapest weight plates per lbs.
They don’t have too many features but hey, they’re weight plates, they’re pretty simple pieces of equipment.
Not a lot of features but all the features you really need. They are also the cheapest plates per lbs. Check the current price on Amazon.
Alternative plates
The only extra feature you might want is a rubber coating on the outside. XMark offers a great starter set with 275 lbs. of plates in different weights. All you need to get started. Combined with the barbell, this is 319 lbs. of total weight. That’s enough for most beginners and intermediate weightlifters. If you need more, just add extra pairs of 45 lbs. plates.
- 2×2.5 lbs. 4×5 lbs. 4×10 lbs. 2×35 lbs. 2x 45 lbs. in one set
- Rubber coated
- 2” inner hole
- Grip holes to make handling easier
- Reliable brand
- One year warranty for home use. (excludes cosmetic damage)
- Cast iron plates with rubber coating and three grip holes.
- 2 inner hole diameter which fits on all Olympic barbells
- Complete set: 2 x 2.5 lb, 4 x 5 lb, 4 x 10 lb, 2 x 25 lb, 2 x 35 lb and 2 x 45 lb. Total weight 275 lbs.
- One-year home warranty: Does not include cosmetic damage.
