35 lb Barbell?

So I've been working out at the same gym for two years and I just discovered today that our 7-foot long Olympic style Barbell that I've been using is only 35 lbs instead of 45lbs (it's technically around 37 lbs, I weighed it).

Needless to say this is the worst news that I've heard all day and my life is forever changed.

My question though is this:

What is the purpose of a 35lb Barbell???? I mean I never in a million years would have guessed that this bar was not your typical 45lb bar, but turns out it is.

Thanks for any insight, I appreciate it.
 
It's..just a lighter and smaller barbell. Some people term it the "girl's bar", but it's good for when anyone is learning to do any barbell exercises. The smaller bars tend to be thinner, so it's useful for people with smaller hands and/or weaker grip strength. Obviously, it's not competition standard, but it doesn't need to be to have the intended effect in the gym. (That is, providing weight for you to lift up.)

It's not really life-changing. You've still been pushing your limit when lifting, even though you thought you were pushing a different weight. If you expressly need to, add a 5lb plate to each side from now on.
 
Yep, just a lighter bar, primarily to allow newbies to get started on the barbell lifts. If it's a good quality bar, it'll still be able to handle a lot of weight on each end. Just have to adjust your math.
 
Use this as inspiration to get that extra 10lbs that you think you've been lifting this whole time.
 
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