, Key purchasing decisions
. For exercises where you are not going to be handling more than around
pounds, even a cheap Olympic or power bar (or exercise bar) will be
adequate. ere is nothing magical about an Olympic bar. It just has revolv-
ing sleeves that make for smoother and easier handling, relative to the plain
one-piece exercise bar. But for heavier exercises you must have a quality bar
that is not going to bend.. Rather than start with a shoddy bar and later move to a quality bar, start
with a good bar. While you can manage well with one good bar, you will find
a second bar useful—to spare you from having to keep stripping the same
bar down.. If money is tight, rather than get a second regular-diameter straight bar, you
would be better served by getting a Trap Bar.. If you are into Olympic weightlifting, you will need a bar that has the neces-
sary flexibility, together with the smoother revolving sleeves of the higher
priced Olympic bars. But if you are not into the very quick lifts—and you
are unlikely to be if you are reading this book—then a good quality power
bar (or a one-piece exercise bar) will do fine. You will not want the bar to flex
much as you lift.. Shop around for a barbell set, or buy bar and plates separately. Get enough
plates—appropriate for the diameter of the bar(s) you choose—to cover
your immediate needs, and add to them as required. Hunt around for a
robust power rack (or half rack, or squat stands and a pair of self-spotting
stands) and a heavy-duty bench. Examine what you are considering buying,
or buy from a reputable mail-order function-and-durability-first supplier.
Never buy flimsy, lightweight gear. Prices vary and so does quality. Price
tends to go with quality, but not necessarily so. Compare different brands
for quality and price.. Do not consider buying something so shoddy that it could let you down and
cause an accident. And if you buy something as a temporary measure, but
plan to buy something of better quality later on, that is probably going to be
false economy.