What are the ball bearings in dumbbells and barbells for?

Asked by: Derek Gonzalez

The ball bearings allow the weights to rotate without the bar in your hand needing to rotate. As you move a weight in most exercises, unless you have amazing form, some amount of rotational energy will be transfered to the weight. This is true in Olympic lifts even if you have perfect form.

Why do barbells have ball bearings?

Bearings are small balls or needles inside a sleeve that provide the bar with a smooth, consistent spin. Since bearings allow the bar to spin, these are common in Olympic weightlifting bars used to progress the bar from the ground to an overhead position.

What does the bearing in barbell do?

In barbells, bearings come in three types – ball bearing, thrust bearing and needle bearings. Like bushings, they fit between the bar and the sleeve and reduce the friction between the outer and inner sleeve, making the spinning movement smoother.

Do I need a barbell with bearings?

It truly depends on your goals and the type of lifting you prefer to be using your new barbell for. If you’ll be strictly Olympic lifting, a bearing barbell is the way to go. If you’re going to be doing primarily slower lifts, like bench press, deadlift, and squats, the bearing barbell might be the way to go.

What are barbell bushings?

Bushings are one piece rings of brass or bronze. They are nice and smooth so that the shaft and end of the bar spin along them.

Are bushing or bearing barbells better?

That a difference between bushing and bearing bars is price typically bushing is less expensive bearing is more expensive. We also talked about smoothness of the spin typically needle bearing bars are

What are steel ball bearings used for?

The steel ball bearing serves as a connector between two metal objects. These bearings are lubricated so they roll smoothly between the inner and outer metal rings, and also between the objects they are connecting.

Why do barbells need to spin?

Olympic barbells are supposed to spin in order to reduce torque during explosive movements and make it safer for the wrist, forearm, and elbow. For Olympic weightlifting exercises like a snatch or clean and jerk, a spinning barbell sleeve is essential to minimize injury and improve comfort.

What is a bushing used for?

Bushings are akin to thin tubes most commonly used for machinery with rotating or sliding shafts to improve efficiency and reduce vibration and noise. Bushings can be used for drilling operations in drill jigs, hydraulic external gear pumps and motors.

Why do bars have center knurl?

A center barbell knurl helps prevent the bar from slipping on your back while squatting and also helps to align the bar properly when lifting. Traditional powerlifting movements tend to benefit from a center knurl, while Olympic lifting and CrossFit training do not.

Where are needle bearings used?

Needle bearings are heavily used in automobile components such as rocker arm pivots, pumps, compressors, and transmissions. The drive shaft of a rear-wheel drive vehicle typically has at least eight needle bearings (four in each U joint) and often more if it is particularly long, or operates on steep slopes.

What are brass bushings used for?

Brass bushings are often used on the propeller shaft. Another benefit is that brass does not rust, therefore it is an ideal metal for a marine environment. Some marine bushings are a two-part design. They have an outer shell made of steel, and an inner bushing pressed in made out of brass that rides against the shaft.

When should I use bushings?

Bushings are widely used for heavy-duty wheels that require high load-bearing tolerances. Bushings are self-lubricating, and therefore ideal for low-maintenance or maintenance-free operations. Self-lubrication is achieved through a uniform pattern of indents on the surface of the bushing that act as grease reservoirs.

What are bunting bearings used for?

Typical uses of Bunting’s BB16 material are for off road equipment, earth moving equipment, escalators and the US Military. BB16 is heat treated to a Rockwell Hardness B scale (HRB) of 70 to increase its resistance to deformity under heavy loads.