Olympic Barbell Types Explained for Gym Owners
By Skelcore India
Most gym owners spend weeks choosing machines and about ten minutes choosing the Olympic barbell. That is a mistake. The bar is the one piece of kit that gets touched by almost every serious member, every day, for years.
This guide explains the main Olympic barbell types, what the numbers on a bar mean, and how many of each a real gym needs. If you want to see our full range while you read, start with our Olympic barbells and speciality bars.
What "Olympic" actually means
An Olympic barbell has sleeves (the ends where plates go) that are 50 mm across. That size takes standard Olympic plates, the ones with the big centre hole. Cheaper bars with a thin 25 mm sleeve are called standard bars. They are fine at home, but a commercial floor should not stock them.
The shaft in the middle is usually about 28 mm thick on a men's bar. It has a rough, patterned grip called knurling, so the bar does not slip out of sweaty hands. The sleeves are meant to spin on the shaft, which helps in fast lifts like cleans and snatches.
So when a supplier says "Olympic bar", ask three things. How much does it weigh? How long is it? Is it a straight bar or a speciality bar? The answers decide where it fits in your gym.
The main types, side by side
These are the bars we supply. Weights and sizes are from our product listings.
| Bar | Weight | Size | Best for |
|---|
| Competition Barbell, Black | 15 kg or 20 kg | Competition bar | Lifting platforms, branded gyms |
| Competition Barbell, Chrome/Black | 15 kg or 20 kg | Competition bar | Platforms, racks, general lifting |
| Hex Bar | 22 kg | Hexagonal frame | Deadlifts, shrugs, carries |
| Open Hex Trap Bar | 26.5 kg | 1800 mm | Deadlifts, carries, lunges |
| Safety Squat Bar | 30 kg | 2350 mm | Squats with sore shoulders |
| Olympic Bar 1.2M | 10 kg | 1.2 m, 28 mm shaft | Small spaces, beginners |
| EZ Curl Bar 1.2M | 10 kg | 1.2 m | Curls, extensions |
The straight bar: 20 kg and 15 kg
This is the workhorse. Squats, bench press, deadlifts, overhead press, rows. If a member says "barbell", this is what they mean.
The 20 kg version is the usual men's bar. The 15 kg version is the women's bar, and it is a little lighter and slimmer in the shaft in most designs. [TODO: confirm shaft diameter of our 15 kg competition bar.] Do not treat the 15 kg bar as a "ladies only" item. Smaller lifters, teenagers and beginners often feel much better on it, and a gym with a lot of new members should keep a few.
Our competition bars come in a black version and a chrome and black version. Black suits gyms that want a dark, matching look. The black bar can also carry your branding, which is useful if you run several branches. Price is on request, because it depends on the finish, whether you want branding, and how many you order.
Hex bar and open trap bar
With a hex bar, the lifter stands inside the frame and holds handles at the sides. The weight sits around the body instead of in front of the legs. Most coaches find this easier to teach, and it is kinder to the lower back for people with limited training experience.
The closed hex bar (22 kg) is the simple choice. The open version (26.5 kg, 1800 mm) leaves one side open, so you can step in and out easily and use it for loaded carries and lunges too. If your gym has a lot of personal training, the open bar earns its place. If you only have room for one, we would pick the open one for a gym with PT sessions and the closed one for a general-membership gym.
Safety squat bar
A normal barbell squat needs good shoulder, wrist and elbow mobility. Plenty of adult members do not have it, especially desk workers in their 30s and 40s. The safety squat bar has a padded yoke that sits on the upper back and handles in front, so the lifter does not need to reach behind the head.
It weighs 30 kg and is 2350 mm long. One per gym is enough for most floors. It will not be used all day, but it keeps certain members training squats instead of quitting them.
Short bars for small spaces
A full-length bar needs room on both sides for loading plates. In a hotel gym with one room, a studio with a low ceiling or a corporate gym in a converted office, that room does not exist. The 1.2 m Olympic bar (10 kg, 28 mm shaft) is the fix. It takes the same Olympic plates, but fits in a tight corner and suits beginners and lighter work.
Pair it with the EZ curl bar of the same length for arm work. Do not expect either to replace a full bar for heavy squats or deadlifts.
How many barbells does your gym need?
Do not guess from floor area alone. Count your stations. Every squat rack, every bench press station and every lifting platform needs its own bar, or members will queue and strip plates off each other's bars.
Here are three examples to adjust for your own floor.
- 2,000 sq ft neighbourhood gym: one bar per rack or bench station, plus one hex bar. Add a 15 kg bar if you have many beginners.
- Hotel or corporate gym, one room: two 1.2 m bars and a pair of benches may be all you can fit. Keep it simple and safe.
- Strength-focused gym with platforms: competition bars on the platforms, a spare in the store, one hex or open trap bar, and one safety squat bar.
Always buy one or two spare bars. A bar that gets bent or damaged should not stay in use, and a gap on a busy floor annoys members fast.
Checklist before you order
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|
| Sleeve size is Olympic (50 mm) | Fits your plates and every standard rack |
| Weight stated per bar | Needed to work out total load on the rack |
| Rotating sleeves | Smooth lifting, less strain on wrists |
| Finish suits your floor and humidity | Chrome and black finishes age differently |
| Branding needed? | Order early, branded bars are made to order |
| Storage planned | Loose bars on the floor are a trip hazard |
[TODO: confirm bar load rating and sleeve rotation type (bushing or bearing) for each bar.]
Plates, racks and storage come next
A bar is useless without the right plates, so plan both together. Our weight plates cover Olympic and bumper types, and a guide on how many to buy is on our blog. For squats and presses, check that your racks are tall and wide enough for the bar length you choose.
Bars also need a home. A wall-mounted Olympic bar rack saves floor space, and the storage range keeps dumbbells and plates in order beside it.
Talk to us before you buy
Send us your floor plan and the number of stations, and we will suggest how many bars of each type to buy. Prices are on request, because they depend on finish, branding and quantity, and we will send you a written quote. Request a quote and our team will get back to you.
Equipment in this article
