I have a bar from the 80s, how safe am i? I always think that its going to break. What makes weight bars so durable and strong? Im sure there are some strong answers 
Steel is strong. A standard 45lb bar can take 300+ pounds on both ends and barely deflect. Once the weight is removed, the bar returns to its normal, straight condition, so it isn’t being damaged. Unless the one you have is real junk, it’s probably the least of your worries.
Why do you think it is going to break? Is it corroded, bent, or otherwise damaged?
Stranger
It’s possible if not likely the 80’s weight bar is not a standard (Olympic) bar but a thinner, weaker, cheaper hobby bar. Those have way lower weight limits (but still in the many hundreds of pounds range).
So, whether the weight bar is at risk depends on the type of bar and the load applied.
Steel doesn’t degrade due to time alone (lest we speak of geological time). The bar could be 100 years old and still perfectly strong.
It is the thinner bar (not olympic), i used to lift 220 pnds with it in the 90s, it dipped a bit on each side by the weights. Im not ready to buy new weights, bar etc just because im afraid this one will break
This sounds like my concerns about out-of-date food.
In both cases, there may be no problem. But if you can afford a replacement bar, then your peace of mind is worth the payment!
There are different “holes”* on the weights from old to new. So i would have to buy everything again (pricey here in Scandinavia)
*Idont speak english, so excuse me if i misrepresent “holes”.
By “dipped” do you mean it permanently deformed, or just bent under load? The smaller diameter bars will visibly deform under even just a couple hundred pounds of weight, which is the reason that Olympic-style lifting bars have become popular even though the vast number of casualweight trainers are never going to deadlift 500+ pounds. As long as it isn’t permanently deforming (which means the material will have yielded and can continue to bend until the weights start slipping) there isn’t a structural concern.
Stranger
Bent under load, not permanent
Thank you, i feel safer now.
Of course, bars can fail - if you’re an animal:
How much weight do you plan to put on the bar?
If it’s a hollow bar, then it’s meant for light workouts. Those kinds of bars typically came as part of a kit that had weights. Whatever weights it came with would be the maximum it should be able to hold. Some minor bending might be expected, but that would be more of a slight spring effect that just happens when the max weights are on it. If additional weights are being used or there are weights that didn’t come with the set, then it could be that too much weight is being put on the bar. If it’s a solid metal bar, then it would take a lot of weight to bend that kind of bar. Unless you’re a powerlifter, I wouldn’t expect that kind of bar to bend with normal use. If you’re concerned, it’s easy enough to get a different bar. You could get a new one at a sporting goods store, or there is a ton (haha!) of super cheap used weightlifting equipment in thrift stores, on craiglist, etc.
[quote=“filmore, post:13, topic:1015853”]
would be the maximum it should be able to hold. Some minor bending might
[/quote]The max i can lift is 240lb, but what has worried me is that the steel is old. But ive been settled a bit by people above.
If you are going to lift as heavy as the guy in the video, invest in an Olympic setup and a rack that isn’t going to wobble when you pick your weights off it. I was kind of terrified what was going to happen even before the bar started to deform. That’s clearly a cheap 14 gauge steel rack that probably would have buckled if he’d dropped the whole bar. Also, if you are going to lift that heavy without dual spotters, get some spotter arms and learn when and how to dump a bar safely; as soon as he started leaning to snag one side of the J-hooks that should have been a sign to dump out immediately.
Yeah, steel doesn’t lose strength with age, just damage, corrosion, or heat (well above normal terrestrial environments).
Stranger