The bars that come with those sets are not very good. I would get a better bar as soon as possible. You can get a Texas Power Bar for a decent price. Also, Ivanko sells a very good bar for a reasonable price. Theses bars will cost more than your whole set, but a good bar can last you a lifetime.
NY guy, that's the set i have, well it's the set i bought, but not the set i got-they messed up but i was like its 300 pounds of metal, and it was the same price so it doesn't really matter to me. It works for me. The most i've used on it is 275 for deadlifts and it held up fine. For now, the bar is fine as i'm rarely going over 150# and i rarely work out at home anymore but i second nanook in saying get a new bar. Dick's Sporting Goods and The Sports Authority are basically the same pricewise, so i'd figure they'd have about the same deal.
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
You definitely don't need to buy the bar right away, we're just giving you fair warning. I honestly had no clue that there was a difference in bars and plates until the guys here told me so. [img]tongue.gif[/img] just passing on the knowledge. Like i said, i rarely lift at home, always lifting in the school's weight room, and when i do lift at home, the only really heavy lifts are the deads and maybe some rows. So, like you, i don't have a present need for a better bar, but once you get farther down the road, just remember that. With all the help here, you'll be swole in no time! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
yeah I need to buy a whole new weight set because now I have some regular plates (25mm) and a bar that has a max load of 350lbs. this sucks if you deadlift 300lbs! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Save you money for a quality bar once you have enough plates. The ivanko powerbar retails for about $375 but you can find them shipped for less than $350. It the best bar I have used and will last forever if oiled monthly. It has oil ports on the endcaps and spins so smooth.
Yeah, I got 300lbs of Olympic weights and the bar for $130 at my local athletics store. For $90 I might even have bought two sets and had a bar for outside. You saved a ton on just the weights. Don't let people worry you about the bar breaking on you. If you really want to test it throw it out the window on the highway going about 80mph and see how it holds up, j/k. You got to get yourself a thickbar though. As soon as I get rich I'm getting some of those(5' & 7') and 1,000lbs of rubber plates for work and for home.
"Don't let people worry you about the bar breaking on you"
Please explain that. I have done a ton of reading on bars and research prior to purchasing. It's very easy to snap a chrome bar made in china. You mention a 1,000lbs of plates for working out at home, but then say bars won't be breaking and not to worry. If you could move even 500lbs, you would know the risk involved with a cheap bar. This risk increases 10 fold when you use the cheap bar in a powercage. Also, whats the rotation like on the cheap bar when loaded with weight. I'll bet the sleeves don't even spin, let alone give you a fluid motion when you twist it during a lift.
As a rule, if you pull or squat more than 400lbs, you need a quality bar.
I have a Cap barbell set from Dick's (they've since switched to a different set).
I've had 340 loaded up on the bar with little to no bending or issues. I think the Cap barbell is tested to 700 lbs. It also has a nice natural movement and rotation on the ends. I'm not sure how the new brand is.
I think that anyone who is serious about lifting would want at least one good bar for squats and deads. Keep the cheap bar for lighter stuff like overhead lifts. I just don't think that the quality control on the Chinese bars is very good. I have one and the chrome paint is chipping off. It is fairly thick and can create a sharp edge where it is peeling.
Kmfisher, It's not the bend, it's the point at which the bar will snap and where the bar is weak. 700lbs is not much when you apply a force to the bar such as the bar landing on a power rack support. As an example, my ivanko bar can support 202,000 lbs per square inch but. The biggest issue I see in cheap bars is the knurling process. They knurl the entire bar and then cut the finger rings aka suicide rings into it which creates a weak spot. Ivanko rolls the knurling on after the bar is straight and finished.
I got the 300lbs from Sports Authority after last christmas. its great. I also got an olympic weight tree to keep them off the ground. It saves a lot of space. I have some time before i need to get another set. I can deadlift somewhere around 245-250 for a couple reps.
It's a good set.
Here's a side note on the bars. One of the school's is like like 20 years old..and this kid was deadliftin 500....then went up to 550 max i think. He got it halfway up and the bar just snapped. It was pretty scary. it's not something you want to see. He's arite, but it shook us all up a lot. They got rid of the bar and are checkin everything else to prevent it.
Doug
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Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
sorry to hijack the thrad, but Doug if you think that's bad...
this kid my sophomore yr. of HS was doing a clean & jerk or someother type of over head lift and didn't have a spotter (although idk what a spotter would've done). anyway he dropped the bar, breaking his forearm, knocking out 3 teeth, and ripping his bottom lip in half.
You are not hijacking the thread. I guess such are stories totally related to the thread. Nothing better than an illustration to make a point, specially on the side of safety. Of course I'm freaked out but thanks for sharing.
__________________ We are only human so long as our thoughts are humane
I did originally start off with a few cheap bars, but literally bent all three of them within months just squatting around the 300 lb range. The only bars I buy now are rated for 1500 lb, not that I even need to worry about going that high. They are very sturdy though, and they roll nicely on such exercises as cleans.
Congrats on getting the new toy though. Your bar should do the trick for the first year or so. Once you get really strong and are hauling around significant loads you may want to upgrade, but for what you're doing and for the fact that there won't be 30 or more people a day using it, what you go should suffice nicely.
thats pretty scary keith...yea...i dont know what a spotter could have done. Our Assistant Principal(guy who things hes a mix between Rocky and a cowboy) doesnt let us do nething over head with out a spot..
i guess its good to know he cares (or doesnt want a lawsuit..lol
Doug
__________________
Alpha Volunteer Fire Company
State College, PA
'Protecting State'
Speaking of overhead lifts. I saw a bunch of football guys doing overhead presses yesterday. And, guess what i heard? EXPLODE!!!!! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
:p 
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