We are living in a time when many commercial gyms and personal trainers have had to close up shop. Many, dare I say most, will not be reopening any time soon if at all. This has created a revolution in the fitness industry of more people than ever who are interested in working out at home or in private micro-gyms like the one I currently own. If you have found yourself in the market to outfit either your own personal training space or are scaling back to running your business as a micro-gym, you surely are considering what equipment is essential. Here, I am going to discuss what is the single most profitable piece of equipment you can own both in terms of its ability to help you get fitter as well as proving to be the most versatile and useful piece of equipment a fitness facility of any size can own.
Fitness Equipment to Develop a World-Class Strength Program
There are a couple of main considerations when purchasing equipment for any size fitness facility. They are cost to purchase, versatility (how many different exercises can be done with it), estimated lifespan or durability, and cost to own (or in other words – how much floor space does it require as it sits in the gym?) This last point is especially important if you are leasing space and or have a very limited amount of space as would likely be the case for a home gym. When weighing all those things, I’m here to tell you the best bargain and single most versatile piece of fitness equipment you can find is the standard 20 kilogram/44.1lb barbell. As I was thinking about this topic earlier, I took about two minutes and developed a list of exercises that immediately come to mind that can be performed with a simple barbell. In no time at all, I had written down 50 exercises. There are many more that could be added to this list, but suffice it to say within the list of 50 are enough movements to work the musculature of the entire body, prevent boredom by providing for plenty of variety, and develop superior strength. The barbell can also be used for both conditioning and mobility work. Of course, in addition to the barbell, you would also require the loadable Olympic plates that fit on the ends of the bar. Altogether, this barbell and weight plate combo is enough to construct a legitimate world-class strength and conditioning program.
Considerations When Purchasing a Barbell
There are varying degrees of quality from which to choose when purchasing a barbell. While few would ever appreciate a high-end bar that may fall in the $1,200.00 range or higher, it is also advisable to avoid a lo- end, low-cost-bargain purchase. A decently made, standard barbell will be a lifetime piece of equipment for the average user. Take reasonable care of it, and it will likely become an heirloom piece that may even get passed down for generations. For these reasons you should consider spending a few bucks here and not skimping on quality. You should be prepared to spend $200 – $500 for a quality barbell. Yes, you can find some decent bars for a bit less, and I have owned some in the past. Many broke completely, and over half of them also were bent from normal use before I had owned them a year. For $200, though, I’ve bought barbells with a lifetime guarantee against bending and breakage and never had a bit of trouble with any of them.
When shopping for a good barbell, look for a few things that will indicate it is of high quality. It will have a 28.5mm diameter shaft. Any bigger, and it is probably junk. The larger diameter shaft may measure as much as 32mm. While this doesn’t sound like much it makes a huge difference when it comes to how it feels in your grip – especially if you are a woman or happen to have a relatively small hand. As an aside – there is such a thing as “women’s” barbell. It will be a bit shorter than a standard 20kg bar, have a 25mm shaft and weigh in at 15kg/33lb. This is usually a very durable barbell, but may not be rated to be used with more than about 250 – 300lbs. For women, this may suffice, but the average man will quickly exceed this weight limit. These barbells are usually most useful for those women or small-handed individuals who want to train the Olympic lifts (the snatch and the clean and jerk). If you are on a budget, though, and most of us are, I recommend sticking to the standard 20kg bar for your first purchase. I’ve trained hundreds of women, and they all were able to grip a 28.5mm bar for the basic lifts. Aside from that, pick a bar with a nickel or cerakote finish since it will be more durable. I’ve owned unfinished steel bars in the past, and they rust terribly. Some love the patina they develop over time, but I find most people prefer a lower-maintenance barbell. The rust can also make a mess and stain your clothing.
Cost of Purchasing a Barbell in Greensboro, NC
Finally, most barbells you will purchase in the price range of $200-$500 will be what are called “bushing bars”. That is, they will have a metal bushing in the sleeve of the ends of the bar that will facilitate it spinning freely. Bushing bars work great and are very low maintenance. Out of some 70 bushing barbells I’ve owned, I have never had a problem with any of them functioning well. On the other hand, they do make a barbell with needle bearings in the sleeves. These are usually much more expensive and frankly can be somewhat delicate. I’ve only ever owned 10 such bars in my lifetime, and about half of them had maintenance issues. They do spin wonderfully well, which is a huge benefit for the Olympic lifts, but I still don’t consider them worth the money for the majority of us. And never under any circumstances buy a barbell with a bolt in the ends of it. This is a sure sign of an inferior bar. The standard is for the ends of the bar to be secured with what is called a “snap ring” and will usually have two snap rings installed on each end.
So, when considering what equipment is essential for your new gym, remember – the barbell is the single most important piece of equipment you can own. It allows for incredible variety to your programming, It’s cheap and easy to store, and extremely durable provided that you bought one of decent quality. When evaluating your lists of wants and “must haves”, make sure you prioritize your barbell purchase and don’t go too cheap trying to save money. I hope this helps you navigate your future equipment purchases.