An Olympic bar is a weightlifting bar with rotating sleeves that reduce torque on the athlete’s arms. It conforms to specific dimensions and is used in Olympic weightlifting competitions, as well as other exercises like squats and bench press.
An Olympic bar is a type of bar used by athletes in Olympic weightlifting competitions. It is similar to most other bar styles but has some distinctive features. The most recognizable of these is that the bar sleeves rotate, allowing the weights to rotate on their own axis. Olympic bars also have fixed specifications that determine the length, weight of the bars, and even the specific size and placement of their textured grips.
An Olympic bar is very similar to other types of bar in its basic design and function. It consists of a long metal bar that athletes can grip to perform different weight lifting exercises. At each end, the bar has a pair of sleeves that allow the athlete to load weight onto the bar.
The most recognizable aspect of an Olympic barbell that sets it apart from other types of weights are the sleeves. These sleeves can rotate even when the main part of the bar is stationary, which also allows the weights at each end to rotate on their own axis. This rotation reduces the torque of the weight on the athlete when performing heavy lifts that involve a lot of movement. The weight is able to rotate, so the momentum of that rotation is not exerted on the lifter’s arms and therefore allows the athlete to perform the lift more safely.
In addition to these sleeves, an Olympic bar is also distinguished by conforming to a detailed set of specifications. The men’s Olympic bar is 7.22 feet (2.2 m) long and weighs 44.1 pounds (20 kg). At the outer ends, the diameter of the bar is 1.9685 inches (50 mm), and the diameter of the grip portion of the bar is 1.1024 inches (28 mm). Their grips are spaced 35.83 inches (910 mm) apart.
Olympic bars get their name from their use in Olympic weightlifting events. However, they are also the standard type of bar used by athletes during the Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships. These bars are required for both types of Olympic weightlifting competition: the clean and the jerk and snatch.
These events and exercises have determined the design details of the Olympic bar, but these bars are also useful for a variety of other exercises. Athletes can use the Olympic bar to perform any number of heavy lifting exercises, including most types of clean and snatch, squats and deadlifts, and even to perform press exercises like the bench press and military press. Athletes can also use them to perform pushups, although this use is less common.
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