So, I was at the gym the other day, you know, getting ready for my bench press session. I’ve been trying to track my lifts more seriously lately, writing down the weights and reps. And it hit me – I always count the plates I add, but what about the bar itself? How much weight am I actually starting with? Felt kinda silly not knowing for sure.
Honestly, I just kind of assumed for a while. Maybe someone told me once ages ago, maybe I read it somewhere online, but I wasn’t totally certain. You look around the weight room, and there are usually a few different looking bars lying around. Are they all the same? Seemed like a pretty basic piece of info I should have locked down, right? Especially if I’m trying to be accurate with my training log.
So, I started paying more attention during my next few workouts. I made a point to pick up the main bar, the one everyone typically uses for benching and squats, you know, the big long one. It definitely felt pretty hefty on its own. I took a closer look at the ends, near where you slide the plates on – the sleeves, I guess they’re called. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, the weight is stamped right there! I saw “20 KG” on one once. But that’s not always the case, which is a bit annoying when you just want a quick answer.
I noticed most gyms I’ve been to have these standard-looking ones, though. The really long ones, about 7 feet maybe? They look pretty much identical everywhere.
Figuring it Out for Real
After a bit of this looking around and hefting the bar, I did what probably makes the most sense – I just asked one of the gym staff who wasn’t busy coaching someone. He just kinda chuckled, probably gets asked that a lot, and said, “The big main one? That’s your standard Olympic bar.” And he confirmed what I was starting to suspect based on that “20 KG” stamp I saw.
- The standard Olympic bar, the one you’ll use for bench press 99% of the time, weighs 45 pounds.
- Or, if you think in metric like many places outside the US, that’s 20 kilograms. They’re basically the same weight (20 kg is about 44 lbs, but 45 lbs is the number everyone uses).
It felt good to finally have that definite answer clear in my head. It’s like, okay, now I can actually calculate my total weight properly for my logbook. It’s always 45 pounds plus whatever plates I manage to slap on either side.
Hold On, Are ALL Bars 45 lbs Though?
Now, here’s where you gotta pay a little attention. While that 45lb/20kg bar is the super common one for benching, squats, deadlifts etc., it’s not the only bar you might find in a gym. Don’t just assume every single bar weighs the same. You might sometimes see:
- Shorter or slightly thinner bars. Sometimes these are called “women’s bars” or technique bars, and they often weigh less, maybe around 33 lbs / 15 kg.
- Those shorter, zig-zaggy looking bars, the EZ curl bars? Yeah, those are way lighter. Their weight can vary a bit, but definitely not 45 lbs. Maybe 15-25 lbs is more typical.
- Sometimes there are thicker “axle” bars or specialized squat bars with a curve. These can sometimes weigh more than the standard 45 lbs.
But for your regular flat bench press, or incline press, using the main racks or benches? Yeah, you’re almost certainly grabbing that standard 45-pound (or 20 kg) Olympic bar.
So, that was my little journey of figuring out the bench press bar weight. Seems like such a simple thing, but knowing that 45 lbs / 20 kg baseline makes tracking my progress way easier and more accurate. Just gotta remember to double-check if you happen to grab a bar that looks obviously different from the main ones. Otherwise, it’s safe to assume it’s the standard. Now I can stop wondering about the bar and focus more on actually pushing the weight!
