Standard weight set seems to cost less than Olympic.
I do not do Olympic Lifts. Just deadlifts, presses, maybe squats, rows, high pulls, overhead squats.
Is there a difference in using Standard or Olympic for these lifts?
Anyone have experience using both?
Sometimes the bar in a standard set is shorter than an olympic bar. This makes it somewhat easier to balance.
The other issue is how much weight the bar can handle. The more expensive the bar, the more it will handle as a general rule.
The question you would have to ask is, do you want a bar that will do fine for a couple of years, or do you want a bar that will last a lifetime? If the former, a standard set would be OK. If the latter, go Olympic and get a good bar. There was a thread on here recently about this.
Olympic bar is stronger, and the rotation will save your wrists.
Standard bar is probably strong enough for you, and with standard bars you can easily put a pvc pipe over them changing their thickness, and the pipe can rotate saving your wrists. There is more flexability with standard plates because of this. You can easily make thick handle dumbells or even log-like barbells with 5" pipe.
Standard plates have a smaller diameter for the same weight and therefore, better for dumbells, not as bulky.
I recently changed countries and rebuilt my entire gym, I went with olympic plates for the most things, and standard dumbells. I got a few small rubber plates for dumbells and I can sandwich some oly plates between them (screwm lock dumbells) to make up bigger dumbells if I want. And of course can make thick handles from pvc.
But I chose Oly for the main stuff because it was actually cheaper in the UK to get oly plates, because the bar is stronger rated to 500kg, and the loading of the bar is easier I find, coz of the bigger hole etc…
Note you prob. need a 6’ or 7’ bar for virtually ALL racks. Also if tall, a 6’ bar at least to give room to move. On a 5’ bar, there is no room to put in spotters especially for a benchpress setup. 5’ bar is only if you are really pushed for space.
My advice is this: go with the standard plates. Don’t buy too many at first. Get 8 plates of the smaller sizes, then 4 of the 5 pounds, then 2 of each up to the biggest. Then in the future, buy 2 of the biggest each time you need them. Don’t get too much weight at the start as you might wish to switch to oly later on. If you do, your standard plates can still be useful for dumbells etc…
good luck
[quote]FSTYLE1 wrote:
Standard weight set seems to cost less than Olympic.
I do not do Olympic Lifts. Just deadlifts, presses, maybe squats, rows, high pulls, overhead squats.
Is there a difference in using Standard or Olympic for these lifts?
Anyone have experience using both?[/quote]
Standard will be cheaper…at first.
When you start buying multiple sets of 50 pound standard plates you will realize you are over paying for plates.
You could always start out with a standard and upgrade to an oly set down the road.
If you train at home it never hurts to own more than one barbell.
If you train at home with dumbells standard is the way to go. IronMind and
PDA sell extra long dumbbell bars than can be hold hold well over 150 pounds each.
Olympic. You will be happier in the long run.