We just got a new barbell for our home gym. It is smaller than what you'd find in a regular gym but it will get the job done. While I'm excited that I can do new exercises using a barbell, I also don't want to make some common mistakes. Here are some that I plan on avoiding when I begin working out with the barbell.
Only doing the "fun" or "easy" barbell exercises
I know there are a lot of exercises I can do with the barbell and many of them are challenging. It is easy to avoid the challenging exercises like the barbell squat and only perform exercises like the barbell curl. My goal is to learn and do a combination of barbell routines.
Not paying attention to form
Bad form while lifting weights in general can lead to injury. Poor form using a barbell can be dangerous. There is a risk of injuring your back, shoulders, and if you're careless, there is the potential of dropping the barbell on yourself during the bench press or other exercises.
Trying to lift too much weight
How often have you heard people ask each other "how much can you bench press?" Lifting a lot of weight can be impressive but it can also be dangerous if you attempt to lift beyond your skill level. It's best to progress slowly and not go heavy to impress others.
Depending on who you ask or what you read, barbells can be a great training tool or a very dangerous one. It has always been something I've wanted to try. I'm sure I'll form my own opinion about using it in the future. What do you think? Do you use a barbell or is it best left to the powerlifters?
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York Barbell 300 lb Olympic Weight Set With Bar & Collars
Sale Price: $492.95  |
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
thnaks for the effort and warning…i’ll keep it in stack
Form is crucial and I think it ties in with too much weight – typically your form gets messed up because you are trying to lift too much weight. This is definitely the biggest mistake I see at the gym (especially with guys) everyone wants to lift really heavy weights to impress people but really they are just injuring themselves.