If you’ve ever stepped a Nano-clad foot into a CrossFit box, odds are you’ve heard the 35-pound (15kg) barbell called a “women’s” barbell and a 45-pound (20kg) barbell called a “men’s” barbell.
But “gendering” a barbell is not only inaccurate, it’s also just plain silly. Big Exercise Mat
That’s why activist and the owner of Rocket Community Fitness, Alyssa Royse, urges CrossFit box owners and coaches to designate barbells and prescribed weights in different–actually helpful ways.
People of any gender can use any weight barbell—so long as they have the requisite strength to move it well and safely, she says.
Calling the heavier, 45-pound barbell a “men’s” barbell and the lighter, 35-pound barbell the “women’s barbell” suggests that all men are stronger than all women, says Royse.
But that’s not the case—and it’s physically dangerous to imply such.
When you tell people what barbell they should be grabbing based on their gender, you increase the risk that an individual lifts more weight than they are physically capable of.
And when an individual lifts more weight then they are physically capable of? Well, that increases the risk of injury.
Another issue with gendering barbells as for men or women is that you are implying that there are only two genders, says Royse.
Good news: There are so many other ways for coaches to help figure out what barbell to use.
If, for example, you are doing a barbell bicep finisher, you might tell people to pick the barbell that allows them to get 20 or more reps unbroken.
You could also refer to the barbells based on how small- or large-hand friendly they are. You could, for example, tell people to pick a barbell that they can hookgrip.
Finally, you can suggest that people vary the barbell they use class-to-class —so long as they never pick a bar that is heavier than they can lift safely.
CrossFit, after all, is the sport of constantly varied movements. And varying barbell width and weight is just another way to add a little variety into your fitness routine.
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