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Avatar universal

Have a question about barbells

Im  6 months into working out I was doing just bench press, butterflies, squat deadlifts, curls etc..the basics but recently I took a free class on snatches and clean&jerk figured why not it was free lol I was instantly hooked and sore as hell I loved it but the issue I had and maybe this is just in my head but it seemed like I wasnt doing the weight I felt I could have I know a big part of that is technique but the barbell they taught was with was a basic Walmart cheap barbell the issue I feel like atleast in my head is the bar was so thick I rlly couldn't grip it as tight as I would of liked too. I dont have big hands there pretty small rlly so my question is there a barbell on the market that still holds 2 inch plates but is thinner in the middle for better grip ? If so can u recommend one? I dont have a ton of money I'm looking at between. 150- 280dollar range max. And would the size actually matter as far as the weight I'm able to lift or am I just making an excuse in my head cause I didnt do as well as I thought I would of lol
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Avatar universal
You don't say how much weight you're lifting.  There are two basic types of barbells -- the thicker ones you see at the gym at the bench press and the thinner ones for free weights.  But a lot of people use the thicker ones for the types of lifting you were doing because it's kind of a power lifter kind of thing and if you get far up there in weight you need a very sturdy bar.  They are different, and the grip can really be quite different which has nothing to do with quality of the bar but with the style the designer of the bar is looking for.  The problem is looking around for these these days -- most people are now buying on the internet, which has caused stores to carry one or at most two brands of anything while there are a lot of brands out there.  I tend to buy on the internet from the outfit that supplies Gold's Gym because I use Gold's and have tested things out there.  Their supplier is called Power Systems, I think, and anyone can buy from them.  But you won't be able to test it out first unless you go to a store and then you're back at today's reality, which is that stores don't carry much variety anymore because of competition from the internet.  But again, it all depends on how much weight you intend to end up lifting, because if it's only going to be relatively light weights -- not power lifting -- those bars aren't as wide to begin with.  I'm not sure personally that's really an issue in the long run, the bigger issue is the comfort of the bar -- the roughness even if you're wearing gloves.  I'm not a serious weight lifter -- in fact I can't really go to the gym now because of pain issues from exercising a lot and then I got old and broken -- so perhaps the best thing to do is at the gym find someone who's a really juicer with muscles bulging out the sides of his or her head and ask them if they have a recommendation.  
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And if I might add, my own experience with owning weights and such hasn't been great -- things break.  A gym membership turns out to be a lot cheaper than constantly replacing things unless you can buy very expensive merchandise that doesn't break.  At they gym you will find the thinner bars that are already weighted and the thicker bars for free weights and you can find what feels good for you and not have to buy it.
973741 tn?1342342773
Hey, good for you!  It's cool when you find a new activity like that that you really like.  I have some of these bars at home.  Mine are weighted bars.  Are you talking weighted bars or are these the type you put weights on?  There are definitely different types of bar bells and finding what is comfortable in your grip is important.  Girth probably doesn't matter for the work out but is more about your comfort.  I find that it is like anything else weight lifting related.  As I do it, I get stronger and can increase the weight involved.  BUT, the way it feels in your hands is probably not going to change so---  find a set that feels comfortable to you.  I like resell places (like Play it Again Sports which is a chain) or you could try Dicks to get a feel and then look online for something similar.  (cheaper.)  

If your hand wasn't comfortable, I do think it would impact your work out.  :>)  good luck and keep up the good work
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Arlington, VA
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