3 Reasons For A Variety of Bars
Hey everyone. We have over 20 different types of barbells in our gym. Not 20 barbells. 20 different TYPES of barbells. A lot of people would think that's excessive and maybe it is, but I'd like to explain three big reasons that I think it's necessary to serve our members to the level I want them to be served.
1) Injury Avoidance- A 45 pound Barbell is very useful and versatile, but there's no compelling reason that it should be the barbell you use for every exercise. If you lack a LITTLE bit of mobility, then deadlifting with a straight bar is a recipe for pain. As you drop your hips into position your hips freeze up and your low back takes the load instead. A trap bar is an easy modification to still continue practicing that movement but with less stress on the low back. Benching with a fat bar reduces strain on the shoulders and elbows. Squatting with a safety bar or lightly cambered bar reduces shoulder stress. It's not the movement that is flawed, it is the tool. At Core Blend we always have the right tool.
2) Life isn't a 7-foot long bar- There are numerous health benefits to lifting weights. Bone heatlh, improved body composition, etc. However, a big part of being fit is the ability for it to apply outside of the gym. I don't know very many people that are tasked with lifting or manipulating a barbell when they're outside of the gym. They're gripping awkward pieces at awkward angles. If you get tasked with helping move the bleachers at your kid's soccer game, I can guarantee you it isn't going to be attached to a barbell. Lifting, pushing, pulling a variety of different shapes from a variety of different positions is HUGELY beneficial to when you're outside of the gym. That's why we have medicine balls up to 150 pounds! That's why we have trap bars! That's why sometimes we pull off of blocks! That's why we carry things in a variety of awkward ways. Yeah, it's funny to watch you guys sometimes, but that's not the point.
3) Variety is the Spice of Gym Progress- The various bars and positions we have you lift in help work on weaknesses. If you want to get better, it's hugely beneficial to use a variety of equipment. Weak in the middle of your bench press? Try a board press with the Bench Blokz. Weak off the floor with your Deadlift? Try some deficit pulls on the trap bar! Poor core strength in the squat? Try using a Safety Squat bar! You got roped into throwing routes to your son for an hour and now your shoulder is shot? Try the Swiss Bar on your next bench workout!
Please send this to Morgan so that she understands why I insisted on spending so much money on equipment instead of a fence for our house. You could save our marriage.