When talking about how much you can bench press, do you include the weight of the bar or just the plates?
Michael Turnbull, Limerick

Jason Anderson replies: To avoid any confusion, I always include the weight of the bar, just so that I know exactly what I am lifting. If you’re not sure how much the bar weighs simply place it on the nearest set of scales so you know how much to add. As far as collars go, the quick-release springs don’t affect the weight significantly but the chunky weightlifting collars add an extra 5kg.