Special bars for your workouts

When we train, the daily routine often "eats up" our desire, time or even the part of the program that supports the general conglomeration of exercises. That is why it is important to include in our programs specific days for specific exercises focused on improving capacities, ranges of movement or alterations in our routines that provoke new stimuli.

This is something we can achieve, for example, with special bars. Special bars are usually understood to be those that are different from those we use on a daily basis for most of our exercises.

In CrossFit, functional training or weightlifting, the Olympic barbell is 20 kilos, 220 centimetres long and has a grip diameter of 28 mm for men. The female version weighs 15 kilos, measures 210 centimetres and has a grip diameter of 25 mm.

But what special bars can we find in some sports facilities and why should we use them?

Safety Bar

This bar is designed for squatting. It has a U-shaped pad that surrounds our head and also has 2 handles, so we don't have to hold the bar, it is quite supported and it is difficult for it to move. In addition, the discs are not on the same axis as the bar, but it is bent at a right angle, making the weight of the discs slightly forward.

This way we work on a back squat but with the weight slightly forward, which requires less hip mobility and less pressure on the back. It can also help people with limited mobility to simulate a front squat without the complications of holding the bar.

Hexagonal bar

This bar, depending on the manufacturer, may be completely hexagonal and we must get inside to use it, while others only have half a hexagon.

There are also hexagonal bars with a single grip, in which the grip has a single thickness, and others that are multi-grip, in which the grip can be altered to generate different stimuli.

Regarding its use, it is very focused on deadlifts, and has been shown to help improve strength, power and speed in the lower body.

But they can also be used for movements like the farmer carry, squat jump, or seal rows.

Z Bar

Used for biceps and triceps exercises, it is a bar with a grip area that is curved at different angles. These angles facilitate curl movements, making them less damaging to the wrists as they remain in a very neutral grip.

They usually weigh 10 kg and are around one and a half metres long.

Axle Bar

Although its use is closely related to the sport of strongman, we can all benefit from this bar, which is characterized by its non-rotating sleeves, but even more so by its grip thickness of 48mm, something that takes some getting used to. With this we will work a lot on our grip.

You can do deadlifts, push presses, or bench presses. This discomfort will help us when we return to using our regular barbell later.

Farmer Walk Bar

This bar is specifically designed for running farmer carries. It features a handle that comes out of the center of the bar, allowing us to carry it like a suitcase. In this case, the sleeves do not rotate either.

To use it, you should use two bars at a time to compensate for the weight.

As you can see, there are many options, today we have only tried to show you the ones that are easier to find in stores and sports facilities. But the world of special bars is much deeper and has varieties that you would never imagine and that we will tell you about in future articles.

Have you tried any of these bars? Are they available at your gym?