I've had this idea for a barbell with "dynamic grips" or w/e you wanna call them and I was wondering what you guys had to say about it.
Basically, sometimes I like to do certain exercises without actually holding anything to watch my movement and to practice good form. I've noticed that especially with deads and bb bp that my hands/arms would slightly go further apart at the end of a rep. So in a bench my arms would go from shoulder with apart at the beginning of the rep to just slightly wider grip at the end of the rep and the same with deads.
You can't really accommodate for this in a barbell cuz your hands are stuck at whatever point you grab the bar for the entire rep. I thought about just grabbing the bar at the point at which I think my hand would normally end up but realized that of I do that I throw away the advantage of narrowly gripping the bar in the beginning of the rep.
So someone might've come up with this idea already but I was thinking what if the grip on the bar could move as you lifted it. The movements would have a left-right limit so that your hands don't just go flying to the sides and you die while doing bench and there movements wouldn't be too jerky by introducing some friction between the bar and the grips.
I realize that one could just opt for the dumbbells as they basically accommodate for this and it does seem to make this whole idea seem retarded but really who wants to dead using db and if you're doing really heavy bp dumbbells become less practical.
I also realize that whatever adv this will add if any will be minimal but I never really took the idea seriously and just wanted to share with you guys to see if you had any thoughts. Do you find that you arms want to spread apart at the end of a rep? Would something like this help? What other things could help?
No argument there but what's your criticism of the thing. Do your hands even do that thing? It might be an issue on my part
James Wood
I'm not seeing the purpose of this at all. Any barbell form you can practice without a bar, you can practice with a stick or broom. If you practice it without anything in your hands, you're learning incorrectly.
Grayson Moore
If your barbell was smooth and you put two large linear bearings on it youd be set. It would be easier to have handles attached to the linear bearings because they'd be pretty thick.
I like the idea for a real barbell, it could improve some lifts.
Andrew Scott
I don't really do it to practice, it's just. Something I do a couple of times before I start a set.
Connor Lopez
I can see this possibly making you some $$$$ on the late-night infomercial or desperate instagram 'fitness model shill' circuit. Patent it and partner up with some bozo has-been athlete and come up with some bullshit psuedoscience explanation for why it's so great.
Matthew Turner
basically you'd need to make a barbell from scratch, and now that I think about it, unless it was a bit more complicated theres no reason the whole bar wouldnt just slide off to the side and fuck you up.
So say youre deadlifting and your barbell just slides off to the right. That's snap city.
Joseph Howard
however stupid this is, it's not as stupid as shake-weight. two thumbs up
Joseph Thompson
Yea I thought about that as well. The grips don't really have to be thick and if they were slightly maybe that could be a thing to improve grip strength? But yea having grips wouldn't be a bad idea
Michael Morris
Nah m8, that's why I'm saying there'll be a an end to however far the grip can slide. Obv if it can go all the way you're fucked
Ayden Lee
Good concept and I can tell you've thought about it alot. The fact is though that, you don't want your hands to move at all during these lifts. Your want them to remain in the same position. Being able to move your hands freely will cause an immense loss of power and tightness during the movement.
Logan Roberts
That was never really the aim tbqhf. I just wanted to share to see of people had similar ideas or noticed similar things when they lifted. Too late now anyways, anyone can grab the idea and go crazy with it, not that I think I'm the first person to come up with it
Jayden Harris
why would both grips move at once? the bar would slide to the max range of motion to one side and that would be it.
being able to move your hands freely is a nice concept and would work your supporting muscles more, which may or may not have actual merit.
Samuel Miller
I agree with the strength loss. You'll definitely have to lose a few kilos on your bench/dead to accommodate. I guess it's kinda like shifting from bb press to db press.
Bentley Rogers
Meant for
Elijah Gray
Strikes me as sort of a dumbbell/barbell hybrid. Works support muscles but without the difficulty in getting the dumbbells into position.
Tyler Jackson
That never actually crossed my mind. I just assumed that both your hands would move outwards at an equal speed and distance, but that obv never happens. Possibly the total distance moved by both hands wouldn't be so big as to really affect the lift
Thomas Green
Why?
Isaiah Brown
Here's the problem in ms paint form. I don't see an easy way around it while leaving it still usable.
I think dumbbells are a pretty good solution to your barbell problem.
Jayden Campbell
Idk man, it's just something that I randomly started doing before sets. Maybe to psych myself up or get my muscles used to the motion. It could be one of those superstitious gym things that some people do before a lift because they think it'll make them do better. Like some people pace, some sip water and some just shout random shit idk
Gabriel Russell
Just use chalk, retard.
Evan Powell
But the motion involves using a bar, and you don't need to psych yourself up to lift a 45lb bar. You should warm up with just the bar.
Thomas Perry
Thanks for the painting m8. This could definitely happen and the only way I think it could be prevented is to have a little bit of friction between the grips and the bar. Also maybe if the grips aren't really allowed to slide too far (only a couple of inches L-R) then the tilting of the bar wouldn't become such a big deal. Finally, I would assume that the left arm in the image would slide towards the left as you began the lift, hence preventing any inequality.
Robert Lee
I've thought of this too but I can't think of any advantage it would have over dumbbells
Nicholas Thomas
From just a potential energy perspective the grips being equidistant from the center is an unstable equilibrium and the bar will always tend to slide one way or another if motion is allowed.
You could have a complex system with rack and pinion gears but overall I'm not a believer. I do however like dumbbells.
Cooper Powell
I do warm up with some weight before the actual lift. I still notice that as the weight goes up, my arms want to spread apart. However, it makes sense that this happens because as you lift the bar your arms form a sharper angle with the bar which would explain the tendency to want to slide apart. Maybe the resistance of this tendency helps build further strength in the chest
Cameron Watson
No... think about it.
If BP and one arm is coming up slower, it dips and bar slides to that side, putting more weight on that arm. Recipe for disaster mate.
Camden Reed
Yea I agree, the db does pretty much perform the same function without being a s complicated.
Kek we'll just stick into a Smith machine. Seriously though, that didn't cross my mind, definitely a fatal flaw