I Am Scared Of Barbells: How To Break Down Fears & Build Up Strength

Sep 30, 2022by Peter Spina

Before I joined CrossFit 12 years ago, barbells terrified me.

They were heavy things people threw around and they were completely foreign to me. I was scared of injuring myself; or WORSE, looking dumb while attempting to lift one.

But I knew learning how to lift weights, squat confidently, and clean & jerk like a boss would make me stronger physically and mentally. And, I knew exposing myself to my fear of barbells was the best way of getting around it.

I have always considered fitness as the key to unlocking my true potential. Pursuing fitness isn’t about playing within my limits – it’s about testing my self-doubts and fears and undergoing voluntary hardship to become more of a badass.

So I went after those barbells.

It took more than a month of one-on-one training with a Strength Coach to build my knowledge, develop the muscular awareness and control, and become confident enough to lift on my own and in group classes.

And once I built that knowledge, those skills, and my confidence; MAN did I feel awesome! Lifting weights and feeling strong is a sensation like no other! And overcoming a fear? EVEN BETTER!

Perhaps you’re in the same boat I was 12 years ago. Maybe you’d love to throw a barbell around, or you know the benefits of strength training – but you are scared to start!

If you don’t have access to a personal coach to help you through, how can you get over your fear of barbells on your own?

Our Synergee Weighted Bars might be the perfect place to start!

Because you can attack your fears by confronting them:

Consider Weighted Bars a tool for exposure therapy. If the barbell is at the top of the fear ladder that you wish to overcome, start at a lower rung: like Weighted Bars.

Become comfortable with the movements, learn how to drop the bar or bail yourself out of a movement safely, and learn you are much stronger and capable that you are giving yourself credit for!

IS A WEIGHTED BAR THAT DIFFERENT FROM A BARBELL, THOUGH?

Yes, they are! If Barbells don’t fit your training (yet, or ever), you should definitely look into the alternative Weighted Bars offer!

And on the flip side, all the skills you develop with a Weighted Bar can be transferred over to a barbell when you are ready for it!

Weighted Bars are a classic fitness tool! It has been used for decades for aerobic and strength-building exercises and is recognized for its simplicity and efficiency!

On their own, they will give you an awesome workout that will tighten and tone your body; and they are also an awesome starting point for anyone embarking on a new strength journey! They are a means to an end, and an ends to a means, depending on what your personal fitness goals are.

What makes the Body Bar different from a barbell? A few things!

Weighted Bars	Standard Barbell
One simple, solid piece	Could be one piece, but usually accompanied by plates and collars
Steel bar encased in rubber foam	Hard steel
Rubber encasement provides strong, comfortable grip	Hard steel with knurling for increased friction & grip
Available in weights from 5 lbs – 25lbs	Starting at 35 lbs or 45 lbs
48” in length	79.13” or 86.75” in length
Starting at $90 USD for a pack of 2 Body Bars (as of July 22 2019)	Synergee Open Bar starts at $152.96 USD (as of July 22 2019)

The Weighted Bars are an awesome start for people who are new to weightlifting or starting to gather their own home fitness gear!

What makes them so great is:

they are not complicated AT ALL;
encased in a rubber padding that helps with grip, feels good on your hands, and protects the steel inside;
they come in lighter weights and shorter lengths to make them easier to use and store.

Don’t get me wrong – barbells are awesome! But if you a) don’t aspire to lift more than 25 lbs, ever; b) want to lift weights, but don't have the space for a barbell and plates; or c) hope to lift more than 25 lbs but aren’t ready for it yet, Weighted Bars are the Real Deal.

THEY SOUND GREAT - WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THEM?

I’m glad you asked!!

You can do all your typical strength training exercises – and more!

To finish off, let’s go through some of the exercises you can do with the weighted bars!

Deadlift

Stand up straight holding the weight bar in an overhand grip with your hands just outside your hips, feet hip width apart.
Set your hips back, bend your knees, and sit/lower until the weight bar reaches your shins, keeping your back from rounding the entire time.
Stand back up by driving your feet into the ground, extending your knees, then extending your hips.
Keep the weight bar close to your body the whole time.

Push n Slide

Get into the push up position and place the weighted bar in front or behind your hands, parallel with them and centered with your body.
Perform a push up. At the top of the push up, grab the Weighted Bar with your right hand by reaching as far left as you can.
Drag the bar across to the right, then drag it back to center.
Perform another push up. At the top, drag the bar again, but reaching with your left hand and pulling it from right to left.

Glute Bridges

Get into a bridge position with your feet flat on the floor, your shins perpendicular with the ground, and your upper back on a Synergee Bench (or on the ground)
Place the weighted bar across your hips, hold it in place with your hands.
Lower your hips, and then squeeze your glutes to raise them again to the starting position.

Presses

Stand with the weight bar in the rack position. Move your head slightly back so you don't hit your nose, then push up on the bar.
Once it clears your head, move your head back to the neutral position. Fully extend your arms overhead - your biceps should be lined up with your ears at the top of the press
Lower the bar back down to start.

Sit Up

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
Grab your Weighted Bar, center it on your chest, and rest it just below you collarbone.
Cross your arms over your chest to hold it in place.
Let your back lower until your upper body is lying on the ground.
Use your abs to bring your upper body back to the sitting up position.
Keep the bar centered on your chest throughout with your shoulders pinched back (i.e. don't let your chest cave in).

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER…

Put your weighted bar and these new moves with this workout designed specifically for the weighted bars!

(Actually, if you order now, our shipping is fast that by the time you are warmed up and ready to go our Weight Bars might be on your doorstep!)

THIS BAR IS ON FIYA

Complete each movement for 1 MIN, completing as many reps as possible in 60 seconds. After completing 1 MIN of each, rest for 1 MIN. Complete this sequence 5 times for a 24 MIN workout.

1 MIN Max Reps of:

Presses

Deadlift & Row

Glute Bridge & Sit Up

Push Up & Slide

Have a great week, Athletes!