Articles on Olympic barbells and weight plates sold in the UK, from an independent buying guide that sells nothing and reviews nothing.https://www.olympicbars.co.uk/https://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/why-barbells-are-28mm-and-29mm/https://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/why-barbells-are-28mm-and-29mm/The two shaft diameters that define every Olympic bar come from two federations solving two different problems. Understanding why explains most of what a bar listing is telling you.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/looking-after-a-barbell-in-a-british-garage/https://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/looking-after-a-barbell-in-a-british-garage/An unheated garage goes through condensation cycles all winter, and bare steel loses. What finish to buy, what maintenance actually works, and what to do about rust that has already started.Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/buying-a-second-hand-barbell/https://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/buying-a-second-hand-barbell/A used bar can be excellent value, and two specific faults make one worthless. Here is what to check, in what order, before any money changes hands.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/what-the-plate-colours-mean/https://www.olympicbars.co.uk/news/what-the-plate-colours-mean/Red, blue, yellow, green and white are not decoration. They are a code that lets a referee read a loaded bar from twenty metres away, and knowing it makes a gym floor legible.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT