# Fat Bar Benching



## Milo (Jun 10, 2017)

Donnie Thompson is coming out with a new fat bar that is apparently specifically designed for benching. The thing is almost as thick as an axle bar and weighs around 80 pounds. What are the benefits of benching with a fat bar vs a regular 45 pound bar?


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## ECKSRATED (Jun 10, 2017)

The way u have to grip the bar makes it harder to tuck your elbows because it's so thick and lays in your hand differently than a normal bar. That's what I've noticed with them at least.


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## IHI (Jun 10, 2017)

So what is the muscle activation difference? Is it just stressing different strands of the same groups used for the exercise?


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## Solomc (Jun 10, 2017)

*Simple Reasons to Do Thick Bar Training: *
1)    You’ll improve grip by increasing strength and neural drive in the hand and forearm muscles, allowing you to deadlift more.

2)    You’ll improve forearm strength and your joints will feel better. You may even get rid of tendinitis and pain in the elbow.

3)    You’ll have forearm and hand strength that will transfer to combative sports that include grabbing or grappling abilities. You’ll likely improve at catching a basketball or football as well.

4)    Ladies, if you struggle with catching the basketball, want to get better at snagging the football, or prevent tendinitis that hampers your tennis or golf game, this is particularly important for you!  You won’t get big, unsightly forearms, but you will have more transferable hand strength.

Thick bars have been around for a while, and there is research to support their use, but not a lot. It seems they haven’t caught on in the U.S. as much as you’d expect considering the injury prevention and strength benefits. Cost may be a factor because mainstream gyms and financially strapped sports programs opt for cheaper, better known equipment. Let’s check out why thick bars are a good investment and how they can help you take it to the next level.

*Thick Bar Training Increases Neural Drive*
Training with bars that are thicker than the standard dumbbells or Olympic barbell will increase neuromuscular strength in the forearm and hand. The key is to train pulling and curling motions with thick bars to get this benefit because those lifts are when the hand and forearm are being maximally challenged to hold the bar against gravity. This is the best way to maximize neural drive.

*Research Supports Thick Bar Use*
A study from 1992 in the _International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics_  that examined how three different bar diameters affected neuromuscular strength supports thick bar training. Researchers tested how muscular strength and neural drive vary based on the size of an industrial handle as applied to three different resistances. They compared a handle matched to the inside grip diameter, a handle one cm smaller than the inside grip, and a handle one cm larger than the inside grip, and tested electromyographic (EMG ) activity.

They found that the smallest handle elicited the greatest maximal voluntary contraction and the lowest neuromuscular activation as assessed by EMG.

The largest diameter handle triggered the greatest neuromuscular response, and the smallest maximal voluntary contraction than the other two sizes. The study population included individuals who had no resistance training experience but did regularly grip handles in their jobs and exert force.

This study supports the use of thicker bars for greater neuromuscular activation of the forearms and highlights what we will see in additional research—that maximal strength may not be as great initially with thicker bars.

The key is that with training, you’ll be able to exert greater strength when using bars with wider diameter, and will benefit from improved neural drive and improved forearm strength when you go back to lifting with a standard bar.

*What Exactly Happens When Pressing With Thick Bars?*
A 2008 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research may appear to give contradictory results to the 1992 research, but at closer look it just provides guidance into when and how to program thick bar training. This study tested two different bar diameters (standard size of 2.8 cm vs. thick bar or 5.1 cm) on neuromuscular activation and strength.


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## PillarofBalance (Jun 10, 2017)

I have trained with a thick bar for quite a few waves. Honestly I don't see the point for a raw lifter. Maybe gives the shoulders a little break but so does a one board and it's way cheaper.


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## Gibsonator (Jun 10, 2017)

if it increases forearm strength I may give this a try, I know they sell the grips to make the standard bars thicker. my forearms tire out before anything else. no I don't do wrist curls.


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## BigSwolePump (Jun 10, 2017)

I had never heard of it before now. It seems like it would be uncomfortable to hold.


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## stonetag (Jun 10, 2017)

I was going to touch on what Gibs mentioned about a fat bar improving both forearm and grip strength. I really like swapping in a few sets with that bar now and again,also for standing curls.


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## Gibsonator (Jun 10, 2017)

stonetag said:


> I was going to touch on what Gibs mentioned about a fat bar improving both forearm and grip strength. I really like swapping in a few sets with that bar now and again,also for standing curls.



with a fat bar or do you have the grips that go around the standard size bar?


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## stonetag (Jun 10, 2017)

Gibsonator said:


> with a fat bar or do you have the grips that go around the standard size bar?


 The one at my gym does, that's not say they all do.


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## Milo (Jun 10, 2017)

Interesting. Sounds like a gimmick. It was also mentioned that training with a fat 80 pound bar consistently will make the weight feel much lighter when used with a 45 pound bar. They used the example of baseball players warming up with a heavy bat before stepping up to the plate. Thats a shit analogy though because the bats have a high weight difference. If you bench 405 with a fat bar, you wil still bench 405 with a normal bar. 405 pounds is 405 pounds.


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## ECKSRATED (Jun 11, 2017)

Milo said:


> Interesting. Sounds like a gimmick. It was also mentioned that training with a fat 80 pound bar consistently will make the weight feel much lighter when used with a 45 pound bar. They used the example of baseball players warming up with a heavy bat before stepping up to the plate. Thats a shit analogy though because the bats have a high weight difference. If you bench 405 with a fat bar, you wil still bench 405 with a normal bar. 405 pounds is 405 pounds.



I will say this tho that my one gym has these old thick ass bars that I used to use to bench with and when I would go back to the normal bars it did feel better on my hand. Lighter? No but felt better in my hands. Its a waste of money if u ask me. Just buy the fat grips that u can use on anything.


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