Dead Lift Bar Vs. Olympic Bar
There are thousands of exercises to perform for strength training, but three are used in powerlifting competitions. One of these lifts is the deadlift. The deadlift uses the lower back, upper back, trapezius, buttocks and legs. This makes it a very effective exercise and also a very dangerous one. Bad deadlift form causes extension to the lower vertebrae and often causes severe injury. Two types of bars that can be used to perform the deadlift are the Olympic and deadlift bar.
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Olympic Bar
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The Olympic bar (sometimes called the straight bar) is the grandfather of exercise equipment. As the name implies, it is used in the Olympics. The Olympic bar is a long straight bar, weighing 20 kg (44.1 pounds). The grip is the bar itself, horizontal to the body. Olympic bars are common at gyms and can be used for hundreds of exercises.
Deadlift Bar
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The deadlift bar (sometimes called the trap bar) was invented for the deadlift. It is a circular shape so that the lifter can stand in the center. The grips are vertical to the body. Because of its shape, the deadlift bar is usable for only certain exercises. It is less common at smaller gyms.
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Olympic Bar for a Deadlift
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The Olympic bar can be problematic for performing a deadlift. The center of gravity is set forward slightly because the bar and grip are forward. This frequently causes bad exercise form, because in that position the body wants to lift primarily with the back instead of the legs. The bar shape requires the lifter to pull the bar very close to the shins. When the bar is pulled up it can scrape the lifter's legs and knees. Also, the lifter has to wait until the bar is past the knees before thrusting the hips out (a crucial movement of the exercise). Despite this, powerlifting competitions use the Olympic bar. Serious athletes will favor the Olympic bar for that fact. As long as the lifter is trained in proper form, the bar will not become a problem during the deadlift exercise.
Deadlift Bar Deadlift
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The deadlift bar allows the lifter to stand in the center, with the weight around him. This sets the center of gravity at the same point as the lifter and maximum torque can be achieved and lifting will be primarily done with the legs. This results in a less chance of injury. The deadlift bar will also not get in the way of the knees because it is bent out.
Considerations
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With proper form, the deadlift is a safe and useful exercise, and both types of bars can yield effective results. The common workout program includes doing deadlifts twice a week on days when targeting back muscles and might include a pyramid-style workout (moving up weight each rep) with 10, 8 ,6 and then 2 repetitions per set.
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References
Resources
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