What is an insulating rod and what is its purpose?

There are a number of situations in electrical installations where certain work is performed directly under voltage. This also includes all manipulations in which portable grounding is installed on disconnected current-carrying links of the circuit. Since even in a disconnected electrical installation there may be induced voltage, residual potential, which pose a threat to human life and health. Therefore, among the means to ensure personnel safety in such situations, the insulating rod stands out.

Types of rods Story

In ordinary language, a barbell is a metal rod, the ends of which are adapted for attaching various kinds of weights to them. In ancient times, there was no concept of a barbell as such, and ancient athletes used metal, wood, and stone rods, beams or blocks.

Ancient Egypt and Greece, where the cult of strength and beauty of the body existed for some time, have some references to sports equipment of that era. Often the barbell was a round or square beam or block up to 3 m long and no more than 40-50 cm in diameter; in some cases, holes were cut into the projectile for hands. The types of barbells of antiquity could be classified by weight, material and shape of the projectile.

The first mentions of the use of objects similar to modern barbells can be found in the chronicles of medieval England in the 14th-15th centuries. There are mentions that sailors of the English fleet competed in lifting weights attached to the ends of an iron rod. Cannonballs of different diameters were used as pancakes, which had a pre-cast hole and were put on the ends of a steel rod; there is also a mention of the use of bags of shot as a counterweight for a barbell.

The term barbell (stange – rod, rod) owes its origin to the inventive Germans, who in 1896 invented a collapsible barbell, the weights of which could be increased and changed. In the same year, the Olympic Games took place where the new product was tested and appreciated.

But a real breakthrough in barbell engineering can be called the invention of a rotating barbell by engineer Berg (Germany), in which the bar was in the hands of the athlete, and the discs and their attachment points moved freely as the sports equipment moved along a given trajectory. For the first time such a barbell could be seen at the European Championships in 1929.

By the way, it is worth noting that the types of barbells and their history of development include the barbell of Kraevsky, who is considered the father of Russian athletics. He designed the bar with three marks - one in the center for lifting with one hand and two marks closer to the edges for holding the projectile with both hands. Later it was improved by Jan Sparre and Koshelev, and the bar itself came into use at almost all tournaments and world championships.

By the way, if you see the marks on the bar that we talked about above, then most likely what you see is a barbell created according to Kraevsky’s drawings.

Kettlebells

Another representative of the “free weight” category. Coming from kettlebell lifting, the kettlebell has found a place in the fitness industry, where it has become widespread. Just as a weight for muscle development, like a barbell with dumbbells, the kettlebell is distinguished by its spherical shape and a closed handle for holding it.

Weights can be monolithic or collapsible. Monolithic weights, which in turn have a fixed weight: 4/ 8/ 12/ 16/ 20/ 24/ 28/ 32/ 36/ 40/ 48/ 56/ 68/ 80 and 92 kg, have become widespread. Just like barbell discs, competition weights must have a color that matches the weight. Competitions are held with three types of weights: 16 kg - yellow, 24 kg - green, 32 kg - red.

Since weights, like all the other equipment listed here, are considered from the point of view of the fitness industry, there is no standardization here, except for weight and color. A huge number of manufacturers produce weights of various shapes (round, square, cylindrical, etc.), various materials (metal, aluminum and more) and filling (cast and hollow inside), chrome-plated, painted, rubberized and so on.

Olympic barbell

The Olympic barbell is considered the most respected and popular; everyone, without exception, wants to work with it in gyms. Club owners mainly buy one or two of these copies due to their high cost. A set of weights with an Olympic bar can cost several thousand dollars, such as the famous Eleiko barbells.

They are ideally balanced, have a soft knurl, Kraevsky markings, and are made from the best steel samples, which ensures proper shock absorption and fracture strength. The plate attachment points, called bushings, are mounted on bearings to the bar, allowing the weight to rotate independently of each other and the bar itself.

The Olympic barbell is strictly standardized in weight and size, so you can be one hundred percent sure that you are pressing or pulling exactly the weight that you put on the bar.

Neck weight – 20 kg Neck length – 220 cm Neck diameter – 28 mm Landing bushings – 50 mm Weights – 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.5, 0.025 kg. Lock weight – 2.5kg

Locks (clamps)

Locks (clamps) are devices that secure the disc to the bar.

• Threaded ones are strong and reliable, but fixation will require additional time.
• Clothespins - quickly fix, but weaken over time and therefore it is necessary to monitor their reliability (especially on dumbbells).
• Locks for Olympic bars are the most reliable and easy to disassemble and reassemble. The disadvantage is the high price.

For collapsible dumbbells, the locks used are the same as for barbells.

Powerlifting barbell

Powerlifting is a sport in which a pronounced craving for heavy weights and extreme loads prevails. An ordinary barbell will not work here, as it will simply break in half.

The barbells that serious guys use look very similar to the Olympic ones, but unlike the latter they are much stiffer, since increased strength of the sports equipment is required. The Olympic bar is springy when performing exercises, but with heavy powerlifting weights it can simply break, and this is a risk to the athlete’s life.

Neck weight – 20 kg Neck length – 220 cm Neck diameter – 29 mm Landing bushings – 50 mm Weights – 50, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 kg. Lock weight – 2.5kg

As you can see, everything is identical to the Olympic jersey with the only difference being that there are weight plates weighing 50 kg, the diameter of the bar is larger and the knurling on the bar is coarser + there are practically no oscillatory movements of the bar when working with it.

Benefits of working with a barbell[edit | edit code]

This projectile also has a number of advantages and disadvantages, let's start with the pros.

• Versatility

The barbell is a universal equipment, it may not be the same as dumbbells, but in comparison with exercise machines it definitely wins. Power units are designed for one or two movements and have a rather limited range of motion. The barbell allows you to strengthen almost all the muscles of the body with a wider range of resistance. In addition, it is much cheaper and takes up less space than any home exercise machine.

• Simplicity

A barbell is a stick with two ends with a weight attached to each of them. Its use is simple and straightforward, and its robust design allows the use of large weights. The plates are always fixed (using special clamps) and remain stable throughout the entire exercise.

• Adaptability

Adding weight is an important point in the progress of muscle mass and increasing strength. As the body gets stronger, it needs more resistance, in the form of additional weight, to progress towards its goal. Dumbbells are often limited in this regard and do not allow you to “reach the handle.”

• Better athlete power development

Everyone knows that the body responds best to basic exercises by growing. They involve more than one joint and involve many muscle groups. Almost the entire base is tied to a double-edged sword, so it is the barbell that allows you to develop the power indicators of an athlete many times better (in comparison with dumbbells/simulators).

• Symmetry at work

Most barbell movements should be performed symmetrically in the lateral plane. For example, exercises such as squats, bench press - in them both arms/legs must perform the same actions. The barbell forces the body to “tighten” its weak points so that there are no various distortions and displacements during movements.

• A surge of anabolic hormones

An athlete's muscle growth depends on the level of concentration of anabolic hormones, in particular testosterone and growth hormone. Multi-joint exercises promote much greater release, unlike dumbbells and exercise machines. Therefore, the potential for volumetric growth from working with a barbell is much higher.

Disadvantages when working with a barbell[edit | edit code]

• Asymmetrical execution

Very often you can observe asymmetry in the performance of symmetrical exercises, for example in the bench press - when one arm is clearly ahead of the other due to the unevenness of the applied shoulder force. This leads to the appearance of a dominant side and inharmonious development of the muscle group from an aesthetic point of view. The barbell does not allow you to achieve deep muscle contraction at the top position of the positive phase, as is the case with the chest and shoulder press.

• Reduced security

The barbell is very difficult to get rid of, unlike dumbbells. Moreover, when weights increase, the likelihood of serious injuries increases sharply.

• Limited range

The bar allows you to work only in a limited range and only in one plane of movement (up and down). It prevents the muscles from “running wild” and limits their degree of freedom (wider trajectory). All this leaves an imprint on the athlete’s form. For example, doing one bench press will (over time) flatten your chest.

Standard rod

In general, the term standard barbell is rather arbitrary; it can be understood as any barbell with a straight bar that is not similar to the Olympic barbell. There are many manufacturers and each one creates something different, but there are still some features that can be designated as this category, this is a neck with a diameter of no more than 25 mm, while the bushings can have the same diameter, and the weight of the neck ranges from 10 to 20 depending on needs consumer. Well, most likely a standard barbell is a sports equipment that either has no seating bushings at all or they are cast monolithically into the body of the bar.

Neck weight – 10-20kg Neck length – 150-220cm Neck diameter – 20-25mm Landing bushings – 20-50mm (not standardized) Weights – 50, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 kg. Lock weight – 2.5kg or 1kg

Manufacturer

You should not buy dumbbells and barbells of unknown brands. In terms of price, they can be noticeably more profitable than branded shells, but they have a number of disadvantages. For example, rubberized models may have a very strong odor that does not disappear over time. Using such dumbbells or weights at home is simply impossible. Also, the rubberized coating on the cheapest dumbbells often cracks and peels off.

When choosing dumbbells or barbells, you should pay attention to branded products. Even if they are local or Chinese brands, they will in any case be better than “no-name”. The most famous manufacturers: Alex, Eleiko, FitLogic, Foreman, Hop-Sport, HouseFit, Inter Atletika, Newt, Stein, USA Style, Vadzaari, Joerex, Kettler, Sprinter, Torneo, Stroy-Sport. As well as the world famous Adidas, Reebok and Nike. It is worth noting that the price of their products may be inflated due to the promotion of the brand. It is worth remembering that high-quality set dumbbells or barbells cannot be cheap.

Squat bar

With the squat bar everything is very complicated; each powerlifting federation has its own standards. For example, the WPC federation requires that the thickness of the neck should not exceed 32 mm, the bushings should not be longer than 508 mm, and the total length of the neck should not exceed 2400 mm with a weight with locks of no more than 30 kg.

But such a bar is prohibited in the IPF, they generally have their own standards, in general this is the topic of a separate article, but you should know that such bars exist, they are very specific but still exist.

What is better for muscle growth

It is impossible to say for sure which of the projectiles pumps up the muscles more. But, given the fact that muscles grow better when they are worked out comprehensively, it is better to train by alternating bars, changing grip, arm width, position, using a variety of exercise machines. This will allow you to load each individual muscle area. Otherwise, a stop in progress becomes inevitable, that is, a plateau occurs when the muscles stop growing.

Barbells: straight, curved, oval. Which is better?

Igor February 16, 2018

Training barbell

It is still worth mentioning this type of barbell, although it has something in common with a standard barbell in many respects. Training bars are used in a wide range of exercises, and there are two standards:

European

Bar weight – 5-10 kg Bar length – 120-180 cm Bar diameter – 30 mm Plates – 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 kg. Lock weight – 2.5kg

American

Bar weight – 5-10 kg Bar length – 120-180 cm Bar diameter – 25 mm Plates – 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5 kg. Lock weight – 2.5kg

As you can see, the types of rods are almost identical, with the exception of a few details.

The types of barbells that we talked about are classified by functionality, but in addition, there are several options for the design of the bars, which allows you to expand the capabilities of sports equipment and use them in a wider range of exercises.

Content

• 1 Barbell 1.1 History 1.1.1 Kraevsky Barbell

EZ – fingerboard

Two Latin letters EZ are an abbreviation for the English word easy, which means easy. In this case, we mean the curved shape of the bar, which, by changing the grip angle, makes it easier to perform the exercises.

For a long time, athletes experienced discomfort when working with straight bars in exercises such as biceps curls, French presses, triceps overhead, narrow presses, etc. until someone decided to slightly change the shape of the bar. The places where the athlete holds the bar were made at angles, which had a positive effect on the comfort of performing the exercise and stopped breaking out the hands.

Check before use

Checks before use are carried out through electrical tests. This work must be carried out by a fully equipped person who will act in accordance with safety precautions. The regulation requires testing of measuring structures at least once every 12 months, while other types of devices can be checked at least once every 24 months. In practice, it is strongly recommended to carry out a check every time before starting practical work.

Also read: Transformation ratio

Trap neck

Quite an interesting device, which is a hexagon with welded landing sleeves along the edges to hold the load. Literally translated, trap trap is a trap, meaning that the hexagon is closed on all sides.

A universal tool for pumping up your arms, but you can also manage to do deadlifts with it. It is noteworthy that the trap bar can pump up the most inaccessible areas of the biceps and triceps; it is an extremely effective tool.

Making pancakes

The procedure for making a barbell with your own hands begins with the casting of concrete discs. To work, you will need a wide round shape; unnecessary utensils will cope with this task. The weight is selected based on individual preferences; the total mass of the projectile will consist of several pancakes. The work is carried out in stages:

1. The inner surface of a suitable shape is lined with plastic film soaked in water. This will help you easily remove the finished product, and the surface of the frozen disk will be smooth and even.
2. In a bucket or other container, mix a solution consisting of 7 kg of cement, 8 kg of crushed stone, 10 kg of sand, 3.5 liters of water.
3. The components are mixed until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
4. A metal tube is placed in the middle of the mold and securely fixed. After the mixture has hardened, it is removed. A hole remains in the disk.
5. The solution is poured into the mold, the main condition is that it should not be too liquid, otherwise the hardening process will be delayed.
6. When the concrete hardens, the pancakes are removed from the mold and weighed. To adjust the weight, excess material is cut off with a grinder.

When the discs are completely ready, their surface is coated with paint. With its help you can protect products from moisture and make the appearance more attractive.