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The Truth About How Heavy Is Planet Fitness Bar Explained
People often ask how much does Planet Fitness bar weigh. The bar you see most commonly used for weightlifting at Planet Fitness is part of the Smith machine. The Planet Fitness Smith machine bar weight is much lighter than a standard barbell. It typically weighs between 6 and 20 pounds. Many of these bars are also counterbalanced. This means their actual felt weight can be even lower, sometimes feeling like almost zero pounds before adding plates. This is very different from the standard olympic bar weight, which is usually 45 pounds (20 kilograms). So, yes, the weight of barbell at Planet Fitness is indeed much lighter for the main lifting bar.
Why Gym Bars Can Be Different Weights
Different gyms have different goals. This affects the kind of equipment they offer. It also affects how heavy the bars are.
Learning About Different Gym Setups
Some gyms are for serious powerlifters. They have heavy barbells. These bars are made for lifting very heavy weights. They are strong and stiff. The standard olympic bar weight is key here. Olympic bars are used for lifts like squats, bench press, and deadlifts. Their weight is set. It is usually 45 pounds. This helps people track their progress easily.
Other gyms are more for general fitness. They want to help many different people work out. Some people are just starting. They might not be ready for a heavy 45-pound bar. This is where places like Planet Fitness come in. Their goal is to offer a welcoming place for beginners and casual exercisers.
Seeing How Equipment Fits the Gym’s Goal
Planet Fitness has a “Judgment Free Zone” idea. They want people to feel comfortable. They want to make exercise easy to start. Heavy, standard barbells can feel scary to new people. They can be hard to control. Lifts like squats with a free barbell need good form. Bad form can lead to hurts.
Smith machines are different. The bar moves up and down on a fixed path. This makes the lift feel safer. It helps guide your movement. Because the bar is on a track, it does not need to be as heavy on its own. It does not need to stand alone. This design allows for a lighter bar weight. This is a big part of why the Planet Fitness Smith machine bar weight is low.
The weight of barbell at Planet Fitness is lighter on purpose. It fits their goal. They want to make starting weight training less scary. A lighter bar is easier to handle at first. You add weight plates to make it harder. But the starting weight is low.
Typical Gym Bar Weights
Not all gym bars weigh the same. A typical gym bar weight depends on the type of bar.
- Standard Olympic Bar: This is the most common type in many gyms. It is about 7 feet long. It usually weighs 45 pounds (20 kg). Women’s Olympic bars are shorter and lighter, often 35 pounds (15 kg).
- Powerlifting Bar: These are like Olympic bars but stronger. They are made for very heavy lifts. They weigh 45 pounds too.
- EZ Curl Bar: This bar is not straight. It has bends in it. It is used for arm exercises like curls. It is shorter and lighter than a standard bar. Its weight varies. It can be anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds.
- Trap Bar (or Hex Bar): This bar is shaped like a hexagon. You stand inside it. It is used for deadlifts or shrugs. Its weight varies. It can be 25 pounds or more.
- Fixed-Weight Barbells: Some gyms have barbells with weights already on them. You cannot change the weight. They come in different sizes, like 20 lbs, 30 lbs, 40 lbs, etc. These are not standard Olympic bars.
- Smith Machine Bar: This is the bar found in a Smith machine. It is attached to the machine. Its weight is usually low. The Smith machine bar weight at Planet Fitness is light.
The average weight of a barbell in a gym is hard to say. It depends on which bars the gym has. If a gym has mostly Olympic bars, the average might be higher. If it has many lighter bars and Smith machines, the average would be lower. But the standard Olympic bar is 45 pounds. This is a common reference point.
Here is a simple table comparing some bar types:
| Bar Type | Typical Weight Range | Found At | Main Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Olympic Bar | 45 lbs (20 kg) | Many gyms, powerlifting gyms | Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts |
| Women’s Olympic Bar | 35 lbs (15 kg) | Many gyms | Same lifts, lighter weight |
| EZ Curl Bar | 15-30 lbs | Many gyms | Arm exercises (curls) |
| Trap Bar | 25+ lbs | Some gyms | Deadlifts, shrugs |
| Fixed-Weight Barbell | 20-100+ lbs (fixed) | Many gyms | Various exercises |
| Smith Machine Bar | 6-20 lbs (often less) | Many gyms, including Planet Fitness | Guided Squats, Bench, etc. |
This table shows that bars have many different weights. The weight of barbell at Planet Fitness (the Smith machine bar) is at the low end of this list.
Grasping the Planet Fitness Smith Machine
The Smith machine is a key piece of equipment at Planet Fitness. It is where most people lift bar weights. Knowing how it works helps explain the bar weight.
How the Machine Works
The Smith machine has a barbell fixed within steel rails. The bar can only move straight up and down. It cannot move side to side or back and forth. This fixed path is a safety feature. It helps keep the weight stable. It also has safety catches. You can hook the bar onto these catches at any point in the lift. This is good if you cannot finish a rep.
The bar is attached to the machine by cables or rods. These attachments are often linked to a counterweight system.
Interpreting Counterbalance Systems
Many Smith machines, especially newer ones, have a counterbalance system. This system uses weights or springs. These weights or springs are set up to pull up on the bar. They lift some of the bar’s weight.
Think of a seesaw. If you have a weight on one side, you need a weight on the other side to balance it. A counterbalance system does something similar. It uses weight on the machine to “balance” some of the bar’s weight.
This means the Smith machine bar weight itself might be, say, 20 pounds. But the counterbalance system might be pulling up with 15 pounds of force. So, when you lift the bar, you only feel like you are lifting 5 pounds (20 – 15 = 5).
Some Smith machines have a counterbalance system that almost completely cancels out the bar’s weight. The bar feels very light. It might feel like only a few pounds. Or it might feel like almost zero pounds.
This is a big reason why the Planet Fitness Smith machine bar weight feels so light. The counterbalance is designed to make the starting weight very low. This is good for beginners. It lets them learn movements with very little resistance. They can add weight plates slowly as they get stronger.
Planet Fitness Smith Machine Bar Weight Range
Based on reports from people who go to Planet Fitness and look at their equipment, the Smith machine bar weight varies.
- Some older Planet Fitness locations might have machines where the bar is heavier. Maybe around 15-20 pounds. And maybe without a strong counterbalance.
- Many newer or updated locations have machines with effective counterbalance systems. On these machines, the bar might weigh 10-15 pounds, but the counterbalance makes it feel much lighter. It could feel like 5-10 pounds, or even less. Some people say the bar feels like only 6 pounds.
It is hard to give an exact number for every single Planet Fitness gym. Different machines might be used. But a safe range to think about for the felt weight of the bar before adding plates is 6 to 20 pounds. The actual weight of the bar might be higher, but the counterbalance reduces what you feel.
So, when someone asks how much does Planet Fitness bar weigh, the answer is usually: “The Smith machine bar is typically 6-20 pounds, but often feels much lighter due to a counterbalance system.”
Comparing Planet Fitness Bar to Standard Weights
It is helpful to see how the Planet Fitness Smith machine bar weight stacks up against other common gym weights.
Is Planet Fitness Bar Lighter? Yes!
The most direct comparison is to the standard olympic bar weight. As we said, this is 45 pounds. The Smith machine bar at Planet Fitness is, in almost all cases, much lighter than 45 pounds.
So, to answer the question is Planet Fitness bar lighter? Yes, definitely. The main bar for lifting (the Smith machine bar) is significantly lighter than a standard Olympic barbell found in many other gyms.
This is important to know. If you can bench press 100 pounds using the Smith machine bar at Planet Fitness (meaning you added 80-94 pounds in plates, depending on the bar’s felt weight), that does not mean you can bench press 100 pounds using a 45-pound free barbell. The free barbell itself adds 45 pounds to the lift from the start. Plus, controlling a free bar is harder.
Figuring Out Your Starting Point
Knowing the light weight of the Planet Fitness Smith bar is good for tracking your progress. If the bar feels like 10 pounds and you add 40 pounds of plates, you are lifting 50 pounds total. This helps you see if you are getting stronger over time using that machine.
However, if you plan to lift in other gyms with standard barbells, you need to adjust. Your lifts on a free bar will likely start lower than your lifts on the Smith machine. This is normal. It is because the starting weight is higher (45 lbs vs. 6-20 lbs). Also, you need to use more muscles to balance and control a free bar.
Looking at Other Planet Fitness Equipment Weights
Planet Fitness has more than just the Smith machine. They have other equipment too. The Planet Fitness equipment weights include:
- Dumbbells: They usually have dumbbells up to 75 pounds. Sometimes heavier in certain locations. These are standard dumbbell weights. A 20-pound dumbbell weighs 20 pounds.
- Weight Machines: They have many selectorized weight machines (where you use a pin to choose the weight). These machines have weight stacks. The weight numbers on the stack usually show the resistance in pounds. The actual force you are lifting can be different due to levers and pulleys. But the number on the stack is the general weight.
- Plate-Loaded Machines: Some machines use weight plates instead of a stack. You put standard weight plates (like 25 lb, 45 lb plates) onto the machine. The weight is the sum of the plates you put on.
- Pre-Loaded Barbells: Some Planet Fitness gyms might have shorter, fixed-weight barbells. These are often used for classes or specific exercises. They might come in weights like 20 lbs, 30 lbs, 40 lbs, etc.
So, while the Smith machine bar is special because it’s so light and counterbalanced, most other Planet Fitness equipment weights use standard measurements or clearly marked weight stacks. The confusion mainly comes with the Smith machine bar because its felt weight is often different from its actual weight, and it is much lighter than a standard barbell.
Deciphering Why Planet Fitness Uses Lighter Bars
There are clear reasons why Planet Fitness chooses lighter, counterbalanced Smith machine bars over standard Olympic barbells.
Making Exercise Accessible
The main reason is about making fitness open to everyone. A 45-pound bar is heavy for someone who has never lifted weights. It might feel too hard. It might seem scary.
A light Smith machine bar feels much easier to start with. Someone new can lift just the bar, which might feel like 10 pounds or less. This lets them learn the motion for a squat or bench press. They can practice form with very little weight. This builds confidence.
Adding weight plates is simple. You start light and add just a few pounds at a time. This gradual increase feels manageable. It makes the start of a weight training journey less intimidating.
Focusing on Safety Features
The fixed path of the Smith machine bar adds safety. You do not need to balance the bar yourself. This is helpful for beginners. It reduces the risk of the bar falling on you. The safety catches also help. If you cannot complete a lift, you can quickly hook the bar onto the catches.
While some advanced lifters argue that free weights (like a standard barbell) are better because they work more muscles for stability, the Smith machine prioritizes safety for a general audience. The lighter bar is part of this safety focus. It is easier to control within the fixed path, especially at the start.
Fitting the Planet Fitness Model
Planet Fitness is known for being low-cost and welcoming. Their equipment choices fit this model. The Smith machine is popular and fits their focus on ease of use and safety. Having lighter bars that are easier for anyone to pick up aligns with their “Judgment Free Zone” and appeal to beginners.
Using standard Olympic barbells and free weight areas might attract a different type of gym-goer. It might also require more space and different types of supervision. Planet Fitness’s model works well with the equipment they provide, including the lighter Smith machine bar weight.
Grasping the Impact on Workouts
Knowing the weight of the Planet Fitness bar affects how you train there.
How It Changes Your Lifts
If you are used to lifting with a standard 45-pound barbell, using the Smith machine will feel different. The bar is lighter. The path is fixed.
- Starting Weight: Your minimum weight is much lower. If the bar feels like 10 pounds, your lowest lift is 10 pounds plus any plates. With a standard bar, your lowest lift is 45 pounds (just the bar).
- Muscle Activation: Because the machine balances the bar, you use fewer muscles to stabilize the weight. Free weight exercises work more small muscles. Smith machine exercises focus more on the main muscles doing the lift (like legs in a squat, chest in a bench press).
- Form: The fixed path can help guide form. But it can also let you use a less natural path than your body might prefer with a free bar. This is something to be aware of.
Tracking Progress at Planet Fitness
When you track your lifts at Planet Fitness on the Smith machine, remember the starting bar weight. If the bar feels like 15 pounds, and you add two 25-pound plates, you are lifting 15 + 25 + 25 = 65 pounds total. Write this number down.
To see progress, try to lift more weight over time (add more plates). Or try to do more reps with the same weight. This is how you get stronger.
Remember that the weight you lift on the Smith machine is not directly comparable to the weight you lift with a free barbell. Lifting 200 pounds on a Smith machine is not the same as lifting 200 pounds with a free barbell. The free barbell lift is generally harder due to the balancing required and the higher starting weight (45 lbs).
Moving to Standard Barbells
If you start at Planet Fitness and later go to a gym with standard Olympic barbells, be prepared for the difference.
- Start very light with the free bar. Just lifting the 45-pound bar might be enough at first for some exercises.
- Focus on learning good form with the free bar. Get help from staff or a trainer if possible.
- Your free weight lifts will likely be lower than your Smith machine lifts when you start. This is okay. You will build strength and control over time.
The skills you learn at Planet Fitness on the Smith machine are a good starting point. They help you learn the basic movement patterns. But controlling a free weight is a different skill.
Fathoming the Details: Actual vs. Felt Weight
It is worth repeating the idea of actual weight versus felt weight for the Planet Fitness Smith machine bar.
Seeing the Counterbalance Effect Again
The actual metal bar in the Smith machine might weigh something like 15 or 20 pounds. But the counterbalance system uses weights or springs to pull up on the bar. This lift-assist reduces the weight you feel.
Imagine holding a bucket of water. If someone helps you hold the bucket, it feels lighter to you. The counterbalance system does this for the Smith machine bar.
So, if the bar weighs 20 pounds but the counterbalance provides 14 pounds of lift, the felt weight is 6 pounds. This 6 pounds is the number you often hear people talk about for the Planet Fitness Smith machine bar weight.
Why This Matters
Knowing about the counterbalance is important. It explains why are gym bars different weights, especially the Smith machine bar. It shows that the design is meant to make the starting weight very low.
It also confirms is Planet Fitness bar lighter than a standard bar. The counterbalance makes it feel even lighter than its actual weight. This is unique to many Smith machines. Standard barbells have no such system. Their weight is their weight.
Understanding this helps you manage your expectations. It prevents you from thinking you are lifting more than you are when just using the bar. It guides you in adding plates correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some common questions people ask about the Planet Fitness bar weight.
How much does the main lifting bar weigh at Planet Fitness?
The main lifting bar at Planet Fitness is on the Smith machine. Its weight varies by location and machine type. It typically weighs between 6 and 20 pounds. Many locations have counterbalanced machines, making the bar feel much lighter, often around 6-10 pounds, before you add weight plates.
Is the Planet Fitness bar 45 pounds?
No. The main lifting bar on the Smith machine at Planet Fitness is not 45 pounds. A standard Olympic barbell weighs 45 pounds, but Planet Fitness primarily uses lighter Smith machine bars.
Does the Planet Fitness Smith machine bar weigh zero?
No, the bar itself has weight (usually 10-20 pounds). However, the counterbalance system on many Planet Fitness Smith machines is very effective. It lifts most of the bar’s weight. This makes the bar feel very light, sometimes close to zero, especially for the felt weight. But it is not truly weightless.
How can I find the exact weight of the Smith machine bar at my Planet Fitness?
Finding the exact felt weight can be tricky. The best way is often to ask a staff member. Sometimes, the machine itself has a label. You can also try adding small weights you know the weight of (like small dumbbells or plates) to the bar to see how they feel compared to the bar’s starting weight. However, staff are usually the most reliable source.
Why is the bar at Planet Fitness so much lighter than in other gyms?
Planet Fitness focuses on being welcoming to beginners and casual exercisers. A lighter bar, especially on a guided Smith machine, is less intimidating than a heavy 45-pound free barbell. The design prioritizes ease of use and safety for people new to lifting.
Can I train effectively with the lighter bar at Planet Fitness?
Yes, you can train effectively. You add weight plates to the bar to make it harder. You can still build strength and muscle using the Smith machine and other Planet Fitness equipment weights. Just remember that the weight you lift on the Smith machine is specific to that machine and different from lifting a free bar. Focus on adding weight over time and doing more reps to see progress.
What is the weight of the smaller, fixed barbells at Planet Fitness?
Some Planet Fitness gyms have pre-loaded, fixed-weight barbells. These are shorter and have the weight printed on them. They usually range from 20 pounds up to 100 pounds or more, in increments of 10 or 20 pounds. These are separate from the Smith machine bar.
Does the counterweight system always make the bar feel the same?
Usually, yes. The counterweight system is designed to reduce the bar’s felt weight by a fixed amount. However, like any machine, it can change over time due to wear and tear. If a machine feels very different, it might be worth telling a staff member.
In conclusion, the weight of barbell at Planet Fitness is primarily defined by its Smith machine. This bar is purposefully lighter than a standard barbell. This design choice fits the gym’s goal to provide a comfortable place for everyone to start exercising.