Olympic Barbell Weight

[Wellhairedbeast]

I was wondering if anyone knows a good way to weigh a barbell? Only option i can thinking of is standing on some scales with it and subtracting my weight, but that might not be very accurate.

The reason i ask is that i added up my weights today and noticed i had 145kg including the bar, whereas i bought the set as 140kg, at first i thought this was awesome but now im doubting the weight of the bar, particularly as some sites list it as 15kg whereas i have been basing my workouts on it being 20kg.

Now i am 100% certain that the box with the bar started the bar itself was 20kg approx, and also when i changed from standard bar over to the olympic bar i did not notice any discrepancy in the change, ie. it felt like i was still increasing weight and not dropping 5kg.

The though of losing 5kg off my personal bests does really annoy me and im really not happy about this.

Whats more confusing is that some sites listing the 140g Marcy olympic bar and tripgrip plates set show 2 less 5kg suggesting that bar is 25kg.


Whatever the outcome half the information has been incorrect which i find disgraceful, how difficult can it be to know what your selling/manufacture?

[Wellhairedbeast]

Hmmm i have looked at other websites some list both the 6ft and 7ft bar at 15kg, whereas some list the 6ft bar as 20kg, and that really doesnt make sense as to why they would make the smaller bar heavier? GRRRRRR im going mad i feel like someone might have stole 5kg of my strength!!!!

[itsbruce]

How long is the bar? If it is 2.05m long then it may be the women's version of the Olympic bar (15cm shorter and 5kg lighter than the men's).

[Wellhairedbeast]

It is 7ft, although i will double check in a while since half the information on it seems to be lies...

7ft should be 20kg anyway.

[itsbruce]

I was wondering if anyone knows a good way to weigh a barbell? Only option i can thinking of is standing on some scales with it and subtracting my weight, but that might not be very accurate.

Standing on the scales with the weight and then immediately after without the weight, then taking the difference, should be pretty accurate.

[Wellhairedbeast]

Ok i can confirm it is definitely 7ft long.

However my digital scales change their mind a lot, holding the barbell would suggest its closer to 15kg to 20kg, but i tried weighing a 20kg plate with this method and that wasn't very accurate (didn't come out at 20kg) so unfortunately im still in the dark.

[oggynosh]

I know what u mean dude...I've had some bad experiences with that, once I went to a gym and the bar was heavier than the previous gym where I used to go, so It was a lil challenging mfor my to finnally know what weight exactly I was lifting...

[holvoetn]

Ok i can confirm it is definitely 7ft long.

However my digital scales change their mind a lot, holding the barbell would suggest its closer to 15kg to 20kg, but i tried weighing a 20kg plate with this method and that wasn't very accurate (didn't come out at 20kg) so unfortunately im still in the dark.

How do you know that plate is supposed to be exactly 20kg ? Maybe the scale IS right ...
I have some 20kg plates at home only weighing in at low-end of 19kg.

[Wellhairedbeast]

Well the scale is a bit inconsistent (i take an average when doing my own weight). They are digital if that makes any difference, and if i weigh the same object on my cooking scales (also digital but are actually very accurate as i have tested them) it gives a different answer but unfortunately those scales are too small for weighing a barbell.

To be honest i was a cheapo and did by the scales from Lidl!

[StevieB]

buy a luggage scales and strap it to the bar?

[muddy]

buy a luggage scales and strap it to the bar?

It sounds a little OCD, but this is what I did when I bought used weight plates. I took a hanging spring scale to places that were getting rid of hundreds of plates. I only bought the ones that came in pretty close to what was marked. The persons selling the weights thought I was a total idiot.

[holvoetn]

The persons selling the weights thought I was a total idiot.

But you ... <nevermind >

[muddy]

The persons selling the weights thought I was a total idiot.

But you ... <nevermind >

Yeah, but how were they to know that just based on weighing the plates?