Olympic vs "standard" barbell

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

I got a dumbbell set about a year ago, that has 1 inch plates.

I understand Olympic barbells are 2 inch and standard are 1 inch. As I would ideally like to re-use my existing plates, am I going to miss out on a lot by getting a standard 7 inch barbell over an Olympic one?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Basically, I'm pretty new to the whole thing so I'll probably be following a beginner programme, 5/3/1 for beginners looks good.

So I can't think I'll be using very heavy weights any time soon, I probably won't be going much over the weight of the bar right?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

I'll exceed 100kg of weights in a couple of weeks?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

I was an absolute weakling when I started lifting and inherited zero athletic ability from my parents. I could deadlift a plate a side to start off with though (60kg), and it didn’t take that long to get to 100kg adding 5kg a week. If you’re doing a 5/3/1 variation you will need an adequate bar at some point because you’ll be training properly and getting stronger. Another thing is that cheap standard bars can have crappy knurling, don’t always weigh 20kg, don’t always have decent bearings or bushings in the collars and don’t always feel like their own weight is distributed evenly across the bar.

Have you got or are planning on getting a rack too? What are you using to rack squats? I’d keep what you have for your accessory stuff where you’d use dumbbells and get a proper bar and a set of proper plates for squat/bench/deadlift/OHP both for safety and longevity. Now gyms have re-opened the prices are likely to have begun to stop being so ludicrous.

I am planning to get a squat rack and an adjustable bench.

Any suggestions for weight and the price I should be paying?

I went to the gym for a while and just never enjoyed it. With my dumbbells I’ve stuck with it for a year, only now looking to get some proper large weights now I’m bulking again.

I know I will stick with this unlike the gym which I know I won’t.

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Was looking at this: https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.u...ast-iron-tri-grip-weight-set-7ft-bar-wtwk0546

But the barbell looks a bit weak? But I can’t find weight on its own so not sure if it’s worth getting this and then just a stronger barbelll later?

Any ideas?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Check out the long-running home gym/equipment thread in this forum as the regulars will have recommendations for you. I'd just get a decent bar now as if you plan on training for years and years it's a great investment and will last forever as long as you're not smashing it onto rack pins or exposing it to the elements.

EDIT - just seen you post in that thread, good oh. I would say deadlifting upstairs no matter the construction of the floor below you is not a great idea unless you're incredibly careful putting the weights back on the floor even with thick rubber mats, and tbh swapping deadlifts out for RDLs would be more sensible as the weight never touches the floor if you start off the rack. This avoids any noise (or structural integrity) issues but then it isn't really 5/3/1 any more. That said there's a lot of beginner programs out there and deadlifts aren't a mandatory exercise unless you're a powerlifter.

I was considering skipping deadlifting after the stories I'd read.

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Is there any reason you can’t do 5/3/1 with just deadlifts swapped out for RDLs?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Is there a reason for that? RDLs just aren't as good for anything?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

@Somnambulist This is for hypertrophy yeah.

Have you got any other routines you might recommend for that purpose then?

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

How many days a week can you train/do you want to train?

Three for now.

I run five days a week.

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

@Somnambulist I assume this is the workout you refer: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

So this is enough for decent size gains in terms of hypertrophy? I'll make sure I get enough protein and eat enough to compensate for the running I do. I like the look of this routine a lot, very simple and doable, meaning I'll probably actually stick to it.