How much weight to make a barbell bend?

SummerSofas

3

I was just wondering how much i would have to lift for a 20 kg olympic barbell to appear to bend?

200 kg? 250 kg?

Too much.

Not sure, I was told most bars can hold around 425 - 450KG.

Reply 3

a_t

16

4 plates I think, ask Matt

Reply 4

Mr. Fox

11

What do you mean by 'bend'? There are loads of positions and movements in which a barbell might bend, even with a relatively light load (e.g. at the end of the ascending phase of a squat). You've also got to bear in mind that an olympic bar is much more flexible than a power bar, and so will bend under a lesser load. Somewhere between 2 and 3 plates is usually enough to noticeably bend a power bar during a deadlift.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 5

The Troll Toll

3

Original post by Mr. Fox

What do you mean by 'bend'? There are loads of positions and movements in which a barbell might bend, even with a relatively light load (e.g. at the end of the ascending phase of a squat). You've also got to bear in mind that an olympic bar is much more flexible than a power bar, and so will bend under a lesser load. Somewhere between 2 and 3 plates is usually enough to noticeably bend a power bar during a deadlift.

^this

Reply 6

u4m1r

13

What? 2 to 3 plates? I've put on 250kg and didn't see any bend at all.

Reply 7

The Troll Toll

3

Original post by u4m1r

What? 2 to 3 plates? I've put on 250kg and didn't see any bend at all.

You were using a very stiff bar then.

It depends on what the bar is made of. Remember that there is a difference between static and dynamic loading so whilst the bar might not be deflecting with Xkg on the rack, it might well have deflected a fairly significant amount at the bottom of a dive-bombed squat.

Also keep in mind that not all barbells are of the same diameter, and that a few extra millimetres diameter can make a fairly noticeable difference to its second moment of area.

Reply 9

SummerSofas

OP

3

Lol i can't answer the specifics, about my bar. It is supposedly an "olympic" bar, is 7ft long and 20 kg. I've seen youtube vids where they lift 400 kg and the bar bends. I noticed when rezzadeveh set the C&J WR on 250 kg the bar wasnt really bending.

just wondering of its genetically possible for me to bend the bar

Reply 10

The Troll Toll

3

Original post by SummerSofas

Lol i can't answer the specifics, about my bar. It is supposedly an "olympic" bar, is 7ft long and 20 kg. I've seen youtube vids where they lift 400 kg and the bar bends. I noticed when rezzadeveh set the C&J WR on 250 kg the bar wasnt really bending.