I want to buy an olimpic sized bench press bar that is curved even more than a curl bar, so I can get an almost parallel grip that is a bit wider than shoulder width apart. 20 inches should be good. I'd pay good money too. Anyone know where I could buy a bar like that?
Where can I buy a curved bench press bar?
- Thread starter CCS
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Think a metal shop could shape a tube that is strong enough to hold 225 pounds at that distance? The ends that hold the olympic weights would be the hard part. A muffler shop could so the bar, but attaching the weight holding ends would cost a lot. And if it broke, I'd be in trouble.
s.a.f
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I dont get whats wrong with a normal bar?
Would this do the same thing:
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bod ... ug-bar.php
Would this do the same thing:
http://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bod ... ug-bar.php
No. I registered on bodybuilding.com and asked them. They told me instantly what I need. A log bar, or preferably a football bar.
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/splbars1.html
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/index.ph ... 1&Itemid=1
http://www.newyorkbarbells.tv/splbars1.html
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/index.ph ... 1&Itemid=1
OK, I can get an olympic barbell on craigslist for $60, or a new one for $80. A welder says he will transform it for $60, but I told him I'd pay him a lot more if he did a super job. So he said for $100 he'd do a super job. So I'll meet him later.
Basically, for $160, I can have a better bar than I could buy, with no shipping. My alternative is to pay $250 for a shorter bar that is parallel and just fits on the bench, or to hunt around for the elusive football bar which is $350 and funnier looking than I want. Or I can pay $160 for a log bar that is too round for a spotter to grab, and too big for me to go low, and still is perfectly parallel.
Basically, for $160, I can have a better bar than I could buy, with no shipping. My alternative is to pay $250 for a shorter bar that is parallel and just fits on the bench, or to hunt around for the elusive football bar which is $350 and funnier looking than I want. Or I can pay $160 for a log bar that is too round for a spotter to grab, and too big for me to go low, and still is perfectly parallel.
I will. I called my friend who did welding for a few years. He said the welder would need an arc welder to do what I needed, but that anyone with a welding shop probably has one. It is not expensive like a plasma cutter.
I'll have him grind down the corners a bit too so it is not sharp. Then I'll leave it at the gym so I can just show up, check it out, and use it, then leave it there. Other people can use it too as long as there is not an insurance issue. I read about football bars. Guys lifting a lot of weight use them to avoid injury. Most guys don't need them for light weight, but I do. By light I mean under 300 pounds. Obviously 200 is heavy for me, but not most lifters.
I'll have him grind down the corners a bit too so it is not sharp. Then I'll leave it at the gym so I can just show up, check it out, and use it, then leave it there. Other people can use it too as long as there is not an insurance issue. I read about football bars. Guys lifting a lot of weight use them to avoid injury. Most guys don't need them for light weight, but I do. By light I mean under 300 pounds. Obviously 200 is heavy for me, but not most lifters.
rusty_y2k2
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Dunno if this is any use to you now, but this page might be helpful (scroll down for a buttload of bar variants)
http://www.westside-barbell.com/specialty_bars.htm
http://www.westside-barbell.com/specialty_bars.htm
rusty_y2k2 said:
Thanks. Now I know were to get a football bar. However, I recently learned that dumbbell press can work the triceps and chest just as evenly as bench press. It even gives you more control of what you want to target, rep to rep. But to work them exactly the same takes precise lifting, and is what lets you lift as much as you can bench (not counting wide grip bench).
So I'll stay with dumbbells, no that I know they are a compound lift just like bench press. You can make them single group lifts if you want though.
rusty_y2k2
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Yeah I use dumbell press a lot in addition to bench... it's an excellent exercise.
You'll never move quite as much in terms of 1 rep max on dumbells as you can on a normal bench, but the extra stabilisation required more than makes up for it in my opinion.
what is it you are trying to target specifically, the triceps or the pecs?
You'll never move quite as much in terms of 1 rep max on dumbells as you can on a normal bench, but the extra stabilisation required more than makes up for it in my opinion.
what is it you are trying to target specifically, the triceps or the pecs?
You can't press as much dumbbells as you can wide bench. And you have to have perfect movements to dumbell press as much as you can bench at shoulder width.rusty_y2k2 said:
Both. My upper pecs and biceps are lagging my lower pecs and triceps.
I want some muscle right below my collar bone, but I don't want a line between my upper and lower pecs.
rusty_y2k2
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even with perfect form I've never known anyone to be able to lift the same in a dumbell press as in a normal (shoulderish width) bench...
for one it just becomes impractical - the dumbells generally don't go heavy enough! I bench 135kg as 1 rep max on a normal benchpress, but the dumbells only go up to 50kg each at my gym. I can move those fine, but getting them in position is a pain and usually requires someone fairly strong to hand them to me... Since they don't go any higher I can't say for sure but I really don't think i'd be able to move another 17.5kg each on top of the 50kg dumbells to match my normal bench.
But anyway, that's just general interest... I'm afraid you can't actually recruit the upper pecs separately to the lowers according to studies I've seen. The uppers always lag the lowers and are the last area in the chest to fill out. Anecdotally though, I've always found incline fly (especially with cables rather than weights) feels like it gets the uppers more - might be worth a try.
for one it just becomes impractical - the dumbells generally don't go heavy enough! I bench 135kg as 1 rep max on a normal benchpress, but the dumbells only go up to 50kg each at my gym. I can move those fine, but getting them in position is a pain and usually requires someone fairly strong to hand them to me... Since they don't go any higher I can't say for sure but I really don't think i'd be able to move another 17.5kg each on top of the 50kg dumbells to match my normal bench.
But anyway, that's just general interest... I'm afraid you can't actually recruit the upper pecs separately to the lowers according to studies I've seen. The uppers always lag the lowers and are the last area in the chest to fill out. Anecdotally though, I've always found incline fly (especially with cables rather than weights) feels like it gets the uppers more - might be worth a try.
its called a buffalo bar, you can get it here, albeit expensive
http://ironmind-store.com/Buffalo-Bar15 ... info/1270/
they make quality stuff though
http://ironmind-store.com/Buffalo-Bar15 ... info/1270/
they make quality stuff though
P
peteraugusts
Guest
Anyone heard about barbell bench press and Smith machine bench press.Can anyone tell me which one is better from these two for shoulder width.