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A U.S. Army soldier uses a barbell with Olympic plates (but no collars) to perform a bench press. He is accompanied by a spotter.

A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. It consists of a steel bar that is 5 to 7 feet (approx. 2 metres) long. The central portion is one inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, and is engraved with a knurled crosshatch pattern to help lifters get a good grip. Cast iron disc weights (plates) are slid onto the outer portions of the barbell to obtain the desired total weight. These weights are often secured with collars to prevent them from sliding off during the exercise (which can result in injuries).

Olympic Collars are used to secure weight plates to a bar. They are 2" in diameter, where as commercially available non-Olympic bars use 1" collars.

Olympic plates have a central hole that is two inches (51 mm) wide. The outer portions of Olympic barbells are also two inches wide. Seven foot Olympic barbells weigh about 20 kg, roughly equivalent to 45 lb.

An Olympic bar is a 86 inch, 45lb steel or chrome bar that is used for weight training. It is the standard used in competitive weightlifting sports where men and women compete at the highest level - the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. The max weight for this barbell is 450kg(1000lbs).

Standard plates have a central hole that is one inch (25 mm) wide. Standard barbells are one inch wide all the way along. Standard barbells typically weigh 10 kg, roughly equivalent to 22 lb.

In the sport of weightlifting, a specially designed barbell with rotating sleeves is used in conjunction with rubber "bumper" plates. The barbell is designed to withstand thousands of drops onto a lifting platform from as high as arms-length overhead without bending or breaking; the rubber plates allow it to absorb the impact of the drop, helping to prevent damage to the barbell and the dropping surface. The rotating sleeves specifically allow the barbell to be used with the Olympic lifts, which involve dropping under a rising barbell while still remaining in contact with it—a movement that could damage the wrists if the central portion of the barbell could not rotate independent of the weight sleeves on each end.

The EZ curl bar is a variant of the barbell that is often used for bicep curls, upright rows, and lying triceps extensions exercises. Its zigzag grips allow the user's wrists to take a more natural orientation. This reduces the risk of repetitive stress injury in this exercise.

In addition to the standard Olympic bar, now an Olympic Curl bar (along with other varieties) also exists. Also referred to as an "EZ Bar," a curling bar is shorter and lighter than an olympic bar at a standardized 48" and 18lbs and has two indentations for hand placement while curling. Some believe the curl bar is more efficient to build upper-arm and forearm muscles than the traditional straight bar.

Countless different exercises can be performed with a barbell. Some of the most common include -

• Squat
• Deadlift
• Military press
• Bench press
• Lunge
• Biceps curl

Barbells are also used for Olympic lifts such as the Clean and jerk and several others.

• Dumbbell
• Kettlebell
• Trap bar