The king of all upper-body lifts must be the bench press. However to trace your good points precisely, you’ll must reply this query:
How a lot does a bench press bar weigh? The usual weight of a bench press bar is 45 lbs (20.4kg). This bar is in most gyms and is the competitors customary. The usual feminine bar is 35 lbs, and coaching bars weigh 22 lbs. Specialty bars can range from 33 to 55 lbs and have varied grips to hit different muscular tissues and cut back your likelihood of shoulder damage.
So should you aren’t acquainted with the completely different bench press bar weights, you gained’t perceive easy methods to maximize your potential.
On this article, you’ll study all issues bench press, together with:
- What’s a bench press bar?
- Commonplace bench press bar weight
- How a lot is the bench press bar?
- Specialty bars for bench urgent and their weights
- How to decide on the correct bench press bar
Let’s get to it!
What’s a Bench Press Bar?
A conventional bench press bar is about 7 ft lengthy, manufactured from metal, and may load as a lot as 1620 kilos, relying on the bar and model.
Most bench press bars are constructed to be straight barbells, however as you’ll discover out, a few of them are constructed in another way to assist enhance completely different points of efficiency. A few of these bars have a curve to improve the vary of movement and a design to permit a number of grips to stimulate varied elements of the higher physique and keep away from damage.
The obsession over the bench press bar issues how helpful it may be for the higher physique.
The bench press bar can enable the lifter to load extra weight than in every other occasion of resistance coaching. It’s a testomony to chest, arm, and shoulder power.
Anybody can profit from utilizing an ordinary barbell to bench press, not simply athletes!
On the lookout for extra kinds of bars to bench press with? Try this text in regards to the 7 kinds of bench press bars and their makes use of!
Commonplace Bench Press Bar Weight
A typical bench press bar ought to weigh 45 kilos. There may be, although, a distinction between female and male bench urgent bars. The male bench press bar is usually 45 kilos, and the feminine bench press bar weighs roughly 35 kilos. The feminine bar weighs much less as it’s thinner and shorter than the normal bench press bar.
Anybody can use the normal bench press bar, although. It wasn’t meant for simply male efficiency.
Along with female and male bars, specialty bars are used to enhance your bench urgent skill and these may not weigh 45 kilos. This has to do with the form and measurement of the bar.
Under is a chart outlining the varied kinds of bench press bars available in the market, specs, and key options for every bar.
How A lot Does a Bench Press Bar Weigh?
Seeking to elevate your bench press? Try this text in regards to the high 9 workout routines for bettering your bench press in powerlifting!
Commonplace Bench Press Bar

The usual bench press bar weighs 45 lbs and is round 7 ft lengthy. You’ll be able to test at present’s worth on Amazon for a budget-friendly mannequin.
The dearer the bar, the extra it will probably load. The dearer bars occur to be the longest as properly. They’ve extra space on the loadable sleeve so as to add weight.
Two bars on this record that aren’t customary bench press bars are the:
Speciality Bench Press Bars
The Cambered Swiss Bar

The Cambered Swiss Bar is bent and has completely different grips to make use of for varied bench urgent strategies. These varied grips can help you place your palms in a impartial grip place along with your palms dealing with one another.
That is not like an ordinary bar along with your palms pronated and dealing with away from the physique.
A Swiss Bar can profit these with shoulder accidents or should you’re rehabbing from a shoulder damage. It is because your shoulders are extra retracted and depressed when bench urgent. Your scapula is pulled again and down into the rib cage, growing the soundness of the shoulder joint.
Need to study extra in regards to the swiss bar as a specialty bar for bettering bench press? Try this text on the swiss bar for bench urgent!
The Curved Bench Press Bar

The Duffalo Bar is for much longer than the normal bench press bar as a result of it’s curved as an alternative of straight. This bar helps enhance the athlete’s vary of movement, which will increase backside power for a greater bench press.
You’d need to think about using the Duffalo Bar to scale back the pressure and decrease your threat of damage in your shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
The right way to Select the Proper Bench Press Bar
For most individuals, the usual barbell of 45 lbs is all they may ever want. It’s what you’ll discover in most gyms. And if you wish to construct a house health club, it’s probably the most sensible—as a result of it’s so frequent, it’s extra budget-friendly.
The burden capability of most traditional bench press bars is over 1000 lbs, which is way over most individuals will ever want.
On the planet of power, the requirements of competitors are additionally primarily based on the burden of the 45-pound bar.
Is A Lighter Bar Proper For You?
However ladies, or these lifting lighter weights, may gain advantage from a 35-lb bar, which may very well be cheaper.
When coaching your bench press, most individuals say they need to construct measurement and power. Some individuals say they may need to focus simply on measurement or possibly simply on power. This implies we should rigorously strategize how a lot weight to placed on the bar and easy methods to practice successfully.
For many who need measurement, you need to do extra reps and practice to failure. This implies the burden on the bar could be lighter than regular so to work extra on repetition.
Is A Heavier Bar Proper For You?
For those who’re trying to construct power, you’ll need to load extra weight on the bar and do fewer reps. However should you do fewer reps, you may need to improve the variety of units you do. This lets you follow your “single rep power” extra steadily should you do extra units of fewer reps.
This tends to be the idea behind “cluster units” that almost all powerlifters carry out. An instance of measurement versus power can be:
- Constructing Measurement – Bench Press 4 x 8 with 73% of your 1 rep max
- Constructing Power – Bench Press 8 x 4 with 80% of your 1 rep max
In each situations, you’ll carry out a complete of 32 reps. Nevertheless, constructing measurement requires the lifter to do extra consecutive reps with much less weight; for power, the lifter does the next depth however with fewer reps.
Is A Specialty Bar Proper For You?
Specialty bars range in weight from 33 to 55 lbs.
These bars, although, are additionally used for different workout routines. For instance, the Swiss Bar can be utilized for the bench press and barbell squat for a number of advantages.
If you wish to cut back the load in your shoulders and arms, these specialty bars generally is a nice funding in your dwelling health club.
Undecided how a lot it is best to bench press? Try this text about how a lot it is best to bench press primarily based on age and weight!
Last Ideas
The usual bench press bar weight is 45 kilos. When speaking about efficiency requirements, it’s famous that selecting the correct quantity of weight on the bench press is affected by physique weight, age, and coaching targets.
Contemplating these requirements will help information your coaching in the correct path for enormous success.
Whether or not you’re a division 1 soccer participant or an area powerlifter, all kinds of athletes must carry out the bench press. The bench press is a marker for higher physique power, and the extra you enhance your bench press, the extra your power and measurement will elevate to be higher than earlier than.
FAQ
How a lot does the bar weigh on a bench press?
The usual weight of the bench press bar is 45 kilos, whereas the feminine customary bar is 35 kilos. Specialty bars can vary between 33 and 55 kilos if you need distinctive grips that may cut back the load in your shoulders and arms.
Why is it necessary to make use of an ordinary weight for bench urgent?
Utilizing an ordinary weight bar when bench urgent is extra sensible since most gyms will solely have customary weight bench press bars. Utilizing an ordinary weight on bench press can also be necessary to grasp the way you evaluate to different populations relatable to you and your coaching. It offers you a aim and easy methods to form your program.
What ought to I think about when selecting the burden of my bench press bar?
Most individuals will solely want an ordinary bench press bar of 45 lbs. Girls may think about a lighter bar as the usual is 35 lbs. When you have shoulder accidents or need to cut back the load in your shoulders, you would think about using a Swiss Bar with distinctive grips or a curved barbell weighing as much as 55 lbs.
Is it okay to start out with a lighter weight and work my approach up?
It’s completely okay should you begin with a lighter weight and work your approach up in power. Based mostly on linear periodization and progressive overload, beginning lighter and increase the load every session will help enhance your total power.
What’s the most weight for a bench press bar?
The heaviest bench press bars weigh 55 lbs. The heavier a bench press bar, the extra weight capability it is going to have. A regular bench press bar can load as much as 1,620 kilos, greater than anybody has ever achieved. Or some specialty bars, like a Swiss Bar, have distinctive grips as an alternative of a straight bar, resulting in additional weight.
About The Writer

Joseph Lucero is a power and conditioning specialist who owns his on-line teaching enterprise “Harvesting Power.” He earned his grasp’s diploma from the College of Texas at San Antonio and has his Licensed Power and Conditioning Specialist certification (CSCS) from the NSCA. He coaches all kinds of power athletes, together with powerlifters and strongmen, and has authored many books on Amazon concerning completely different matters in power coaching!