How Much Does a Safety Squat Bar Weigh?

Safety squat bars make squatting a whole lot of weight just a little bit safer and more comfortable, but also more challenging.

That said, lifting weights is all about being precise, and many people wonder how much a safety squat bar weighs.

Unfortunately, there's no standard answer here, as they generally weigh anywhere between 55 and 70 pounds, with some being lighter and some being even heavier, depending on a few factors. Let's figure out everything that I know about the safety squat bar.

What Is a Safety Squat Bar?

The safety squat bar is a special type of barbell that has been designed with squats in mind.

Unlike a normal Olympic barbell it has two handles that stick outwards in front of your shoulders, both of which are padded.

What is interesting to note is that although the padded handles make the squat a bit more comfortable, how this squat bar is bent also makes the actual motion a bit more challenging. 

This is because the safety bar squat changes the weight distribution and changes how your body has to move during the squat effectively targeting your quads, glutes, and upper back a whole lot more.

Although it challenges these muscles more, it also gives your shoulders, elbows, and wrists a bit of a break, thanks to the padded handles that you can hold at shoulder width and shoulder level, as opposed to having to awkwardly grip a barbell parallel to your shoulders. 

If you have any shoulder issues and have ever done a squat with a traditional barbell, you know just how awkward it can feel, a problem that the safety squat bar does away with.

How Much Does a Safety Squat Bar Weigh?

Now that you're familiar with what a safety squat bar is, you probably want to know how much they weigh. After all, squatting is all about being able to push as much weight as humanly possible.

Some people might not be concerned with the bar itself, and only the plates they put on it, but this just doesn’t make sense.

That squat bar can weigh anywhere between 50 and 80 pounds, with anywhere between 55 and 70 pounds being the average. For those operating in the metric system, that's between 27 and 32 kilograms.

Some options might be even heavier than 80 pounds or 36 kilograms, especially if they are made out of heavy-duty metal, such as solid steel. Beware that there are different materials that these safety squat bars can be made out of, such as aluminum, titanium, and steel, with aluminum usually being the lightest and steel being the heaviest.

Here are a few of the most common safety squat bars that we get asked about by brand along with their weight:

Related: Ez bar weight explained.

Should You Count the Weight of a Safety Squat Bar?

Many people also wonder if they should count the weight of the safety squat bar. It seems some gym bros say, you never count the weight of the bar.

However, this is absolute nonsense, especially considering that the safety squat bar itself weighs more than a full 45-pound plate.

If you're squatting two plates that equal 90 pounds, there is no sense in ignoring the extra 55 pounds, or potentially up to 80 pounds, that the safety squat bar weighs.

If you're squatting 90 pounds in plates and the bar weighs 80 pounds, then you're squatting almost twice as much as you're letting on. The squat bar weighs a significant amount, and there's no reason why you wouldn't count it.

Related: Find out the weight of a barbell.

Benefits of Using a Safety Squat Bar

Before we call it today, let's just take a quick look at some of the main benefits that you get by using a safety squat bar as opposed to a normal squat bar.

Great for Users with Limited Shoulder Mobility

When squatting with a normal Olympic barbell, getting your hands on the bar and as close as possible to your shoulders can be a struggle and sometimes painful if you have limited shoulder mobility.

But the safety squat bar handles make it much easier to hold the bar safely and reduce the strain on your shoulders.

Less Stress on Your Torso

The safety squat bar keeps your torso in much more of an upright position than a regular barbell, therefore allowing for better squat mechanics, better balance, and a lower chance of injuring your back.

Improved Core Engagement

Due to how the weight is distributed when using a safety squat bar, you also engage your core and upper back a lot more than you otherwise would.

Improved Quad and Glue Engagement

Thanks to the weight distribution being just a little bit different than with a regular barbell, your glutes and quads are activated much more than with regular squats.

Related: What's the weight of a hex bar?

Rounding Up

As you can see, the safety squat bar has all benefits and no drawbacks.

Sure, it might feel a bit more challenging to squat with a safety squat bar, but then again, isn't that the whole point of it?