Barbells

Barbells for Olympic Lifts

SMAI has an extensive range of barbells. From commercial gyms to personal training studios and home gym setups, SMAI has the barbell to suit your fitness needs. The SMAI Olympic Barbell is designed to be the highest-performing barbell for its price. The SMAI Olympic Barbell has been manufactured with 8 needle bearings and 2 brass bushings, giving it the smoothness and quality expected by Olympic athletes and professional lifters. Master your squat, deadlift, and bench with SMAI’s extensive range of barbells. SMAI’s Barbells are great for all types of workouts. These barbells have been built to handle the toughest of exercises, so you can train smarter with the confidence that you are using the best equipment. Choose from our range of Olympic Barbells, Trap Bars, Body Pump Sets, Barbell Storage Solutions, and much more. You are sure to find something that suits your fitness needs. Get the SMAI barbell today!

What are barbells good for?

Barbells are used in weightlifting exercises and workouts, typically loaded with additional weight plates or bumper plates, but can be used on their own, as they are already weighted - usually 15kg or 20kg standards.

Barbell workouts like power cleans, front squat, & squat snatch can all be performed using a weightlifting barbell Barbell

What are the different types of barbells?

Barbells are available in different weights, lengths, construction and quality. A 20kg barbell or a 15kg barbell are standard weights for adults. while a 10kg barbell (or youth barbell) is suitable for younger weightlifters in training! Read our Ultimate guide to barbells here for all the info.

Barbell FAQ

What are needle bearing barbells?

Needle Bearing barbells refers to the construction of the barbell collar - the part of the barbell that the weight plates are loaded onto. The collar needs to spin freely to allow you a smooth lift, and to provide a smooth spin, there are two types of construction methods - Needle Bearing or Bushing. Barbells featuring needle bearings will spin more easily and smoothly, making for a smoother lift. Needle Bearing barbells and considered to be higher quality construction as the bearings must be of a very high quality to withstand the loads of a barbell.

What are bushing barbells?

A barbell that features only bushings relies on the bushing to provide the spin rotation of the barbell collar. A bushing is a single piece, and does not contain internal ball bearings or needles to facilitate movement, and as such has a higher friction - put simply, it wont spin as easilty, freely or smoothly as a needle bearing barbell.

What weight barbell should I get?

Standard Barbells are typically either 20kg, or 15kg. An IWF standard 15kg barbell will be slightly shorter than a 20kg bar, and the hand grip bar will also have a slightly narrower circumference. This makes a 15kg bar better suited for those with smaller grips or lifting lower weights. You can also get a light barbell if you're a young or beginner athlete. In IWF competition, men use a 20kg standard bar, and women use a 15kg bar, however in training, any bar is suitable for men and women - choose the bar that feels most comfortable in your grip, and meets your lifting capacity needs!

What are barbells made from?

Barbells can be made from steel or aluminum - while aluminum barbells might seem cheaper, beware aluminum barbells will be both lighter and have a lower weight lifting capacity. Aluminium barbells will also be more susceptible to bending.

What is the max weight capacity of a barbell?

Each barbell will be different, depending on its construction and quality. A high-quality Olympic weightlifting barbell should support weights of up to 680kg.