Bar whip is a very important barbell characteristic for advanced lifters competing in strength sports, such as Olympic weightlifters, powerlifters, and strongman/woman competitors. If you fit into these categories and don’t know what bar whip is and where it is helpful or detrimental, then this article is for you!

What Does Bar Whip Mean?

Bar whip is a colloquial term for the bounciness of a barbell during heavy lifts due to its bendiness. A bendier bar will require less weight to bend, whereas specialist stiffer bars will be designed to not bend at all.

For beginner lifters, this is not of too much of a concern as the weights being used are not heavy enough to cause significant bending. A regular 20kg Olympic Barbell will be a great choice. For advanced and specialist lifters, the barbell and the amount of whip can make a huge difference.

What Exercises Want High Amounts of Barbell Whip?

Deadlifts

Bendy barbells, like the Mirafit Behemoth Deadlift Barbell, an extra-long (230cm) and thin (27mm) barbell, will help you deadlift more weight because the bend in the bar pulls the barbell higher up the leg before the plates come off the floor. It should be noted that the use of a whippy deadlift bar is dependent on the rules of your competition.

Olympic Lifts

The clean, jerk and snatch is best performed with an Olympic weightlifting bar, which has a moderate amount of whip (less than a deadlift bar) and a shaft with extra spin. This helps you propel the bar overhead at higher speeds, with the shaft rotating to help with your turnover.

What Exercises Want Low Amounts of Barbell Whip?

Squats

To squat heavy, we want a stiffer bar, like the Mirafit Leviathan Squat Bar, an extra thick (32mm) barbell. A whippy bar will bounce in the bottom position and be more unstable with heavy weights on your back, which makes it more difficult to apply maximal force.

Bench Press

Another exercise where stability and maximal force output is key to performance. A whippy bar during a bench press will wobble. Opt for a Power Bar for a stiffer barbell which reduces the stability demands on the shoulders.

If you are lucky enough to train at a gym with a variety of specialised barbells, it is important to remember that they are best used for their specialisms and will make for a much more enjoyable training experience. So, if you are a serious lifter who makes a beeline straight for the 20kg Weight Plates, and you're looking to get the best out of each and every exercise in your training plan, make sure to use these specifically designed barbells.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Gym Planning