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Specialized Barbells and Dumbells

Ez Curl Bar Regular Bar
This is an Ez Curl bar for standard weight plates. The advantage of the EZ curl bar over a regular straight bar is that the bar is supposed to be easier on the wrists while doing curls. Personally I prefer a straight bar.

Ez Curl Olympic Bar

This is an Olympic EZ curl bar. The reason people want these over the Standard bars which are cheaper is that they get to use the same weight plates they already use for an Olympic weight set. Also a pair of 45 pound plates on an Oly Ez Curl bar looks much more manly than stacks of 10 or 25 pound plates on a standad Ez Curl bar even if the weight is identical.

Trap Bar or Shrug Bar

This is an odd shaped type of bar that is used for a specialized deadlift. To use the bar you get inside the big area and grab onto the horizontal bars. In essence you perform a parallel grip deadlift with this bar. Since the bar will not hit your leg as a normal straight bar will when you lift the bar the movement closely resembles a squat. This type of bar is also used for shrugging with a parallel grip too.

Triceps Bar - good for two arm hammer curls

This bar is designed for doing two arm tricep extension type exercizes. The inner horizontal bars are held onto as one performs a two arm hammer grip style triceps extension overhead. Personally to me this bar seems better suited to two arm hammer curls for the biceps. Not too many weight trainers have one of these bars so its definately an optional thing.

Traditional Fitness Stores usually carry these. If you want one for Olympic Plates you might have to mailorder it.

Oly Dumbells

Why would one want Olympic Dumbell handles when they cost so much more than regular dumbell handles one might ask? Well firstly one gets to use ones regular Olympic plates that already are used for the straight Olympic barbell. But the real appeal of Olympic dumbell is the Fred Flinstone like feeling from having a pair of 25 pound plates or even 45 pound plates on one of these. That just looks more imposing than a whole lot of 10 pound plates on a standard dumbell bar. The problem with using big weight plates such as 25 pounders or 45 pounders is that the plates tend to get more in the way of the movement.

Thick Handled Dumbells and Barbells

These are thick dumbell bars with a three inch diameter gripping area. Normal dumbells are a little more than 1 inch. Notice how the gripping area in the middle is thicker than the area where the 2 inch Olympic plates slide on. Thick bars are used for improving ones holding grip strength. Its much harder to hold onto a weight with a 2 to 3 inch diamater grip area as opposed to the usual 1 inch thick grip. Training on thick bars makes it easier to work with regular bars. Thick Barbells are also used for similar purposes as the thick dumbells.

A good source for Thick Dumbells and Barbells is FatBastard Barbell Company