A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. Barbells range in length from 4 feet (1.2 m) to 7 feet (2.1 m).
The central portion varies in diameter, but is close to one inch (2.54 cm), and is often engraved with a knurled crosshatch pattern to help lifters get a good grip. Disc weights (plates) are slid onto the outer portions of the bar to obtain the desired total weight.
These weights are often secured with collars to prevent them from sliding off during the exercise (which can result in injuries) or flinging the unevenly-loaded barbell through the air.
A men's Olympic bar is a metal bar that is 2.2 m (7.22 ft) long and weighs 20 kg (44.1 lbs). The outer ends are 50 mm (1.9685 in) in diameter, while the grip section is 28 mm (1.1024 in).
The bars have grip marks spaced 910 mm apart to allow intuitive grip width measurement. It is the standard used in competitive weightlifting where men and women compete at the highest level - the Commonwealth Games, Pan-American Games, World Championships, and the Olympics.
The total weight of the barbell varies based on the type and number of plates loaded onto the ends of the bar and the lift being performed and can be as much as 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
In addition to regular Olympic bars, powerlifting often requires use of sturdier bars to better accommodate the heavier weights being used in the sport. These bars can be longer (to allow loading of more plates) and thicker (to deform less under load). Additionally, powerlifting bars have their grip marks spaced closer, at 810 mm.
This closer spacing is used to check legal grip width in the bench press. The International Powerlifting federation does not, however, allow the use of bar with different dimensions than 29 mm grip section and 2.2 m overall length.
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