Retarded Newbie Question - Tracking Progress

[ChemHate]

I have literally JUST STARTED weightlifting (as in my first time in a weight room was yesterday), so please forgive my dumb questions - but when tracking lifts (i.e. how much can you lift), do I include the bar with that number, or just the plates?

[Ujiyasu]

im no professional but i think you would count the bar too?
my thought process is that the bar will weigh something so why not

its not like when you lift the bar disappears and you are only lifting the weight of the plates on your bar

im gonna watch this thread, im curious as to the answer n wn

ps congratulations on starting weightlifting!!

[MaxKon]

You count the bar, you can also lift just the bar as a light weight.

[ChemHate]

MaxKon

You count the bar, you can also lift just the bar as a light weight.

Many thanks. This is very good to know, as I can currently barely benchpress the bar by itself.

[MaxKon]

ChemHate

MaxKon

You count the bar, you can also lift just the bar as a light weight.

Many thanks. This is very good to know, as I can currently barely benchpress the bar by itself.

Just the bar is really advisable for beginners for most exercises.

[Monster Pup]

If you were to tell someone how much you can lift, you would include the bar weight because that's part of the weight as a whole.

For your own personal progress tracking, technically it doesn't matter. The bar weight stays the same, so if you add 5lbs to the plates, you're still adding 5lbs total.

[Jmart0193]

You count the bar as well as the plates, otherwise, if you just lifted the bar you would track it as nothing... That just doesn't make sense. lol