Wayne

I recently bought my first barbell with BEARINGS in the sleeves and boy – does that thing SPIN! It got me thinking – just WHY do barbells spin, and when is that actually useful? Here’s what you need to know. At a glance… Barbells spin to allow our grip to move subtly through full range of motion exercises without passing a load of unwanted torque through our wrists which can cause discomfort or injury SOME spin is desirable in almost all applications EXTREME spin is most useful for Olympic weightlifting (clean & jerks, snatches, etc.) Barbells with a LOT of …

WHY do barbells spin? Here’s why… Read More »

Whether you’ve bought a barbell yet or not – you’re clearly interested in finding out whether black oxide finished barbells rust.  Yes, yes they do rust. BUT it is manageable for most people to control, and the trade off is awesome bar feel as it’s one of the least invasive barbell finishes you can buy preserving the ‘bare steel’ feel when you go to grip & rip a deadlift!  At a glance… Black oxide barbells are likely to rust as the finish is the last corrosion resistant of the common options available You can get rust off of your black …

Black oxide barbell rust: WHY? And how to FIX it.. Read More »

I find it incredibly frustrating when my grip on the bar feels WEAKER – and more often than not this is due to the barbell knurling getting gummed up with chalk and various other bits of gym-detritus. Knowing when and HOW to clean barbell knurling is key to keeping your equipment in tip top condition. After all you spent a lot of hard earned dough buying it – so now we need to look after it! Here’s what you need to know. At a glance… Cleaning your bar knurl can be done with a stiff nylon brush with 3-in-1 oil …

How to clean barbell knurling: You NEED 4 things! Read More »

So you’ve seen the dreaded orange RUST appear on your barbell… So what now?! The first thing to tackle is whether it is SAFE to use a barbell that has rusted. Lets take a look at that now. At a glance… Using a barbell with minor surface rust on it is typically safe Tetanus is caused by a bacteria that grows in soil or faeces and is not commonly found on gym equipment so the risk of contracting it from a barbell is low Most rust on gym equipment is surface rust only and unlikely to affect the structural integrity …

Is it SAFE to use a rusty barbell? PROBABLY… Here’s why Read More »

So you’ve laid out quite a bit of money on a barbell – now you will want to look after it properly! The core architecture of a barbell is three pieces of metal (2x sleeves with the shaft) which means we meet an old foe – RUST! Treating rust is one thing – but it’s ALWAYS best to get ahead of the game to PREVENT rust from forming on your barbell in the first place. Here’s all you need to know about barbell rust prevention… At a glance… Rust is caused by moisture reacting with the metal surface of the …

3 SUPER SIMPLE steps to barbell rust prevention Read More »