Everything feels heavier at new gym I'm working out at

[shinobimusashi]

OK so I've been getting up and working out in the morning before work at a new gym lately. I used to work out in the afternoon at a gym 1 mile from my house. Now I'm getting up at 4:30 AM to get a work out in before work at a different gym closer to the job. It's pretty nice but damn everything feels heavier, I can't lift as much as I could at my gym. Why is that? Does it have anything to do with working out so early in the morning or does every gym's weights/barbells weigh just a little bit differently? Like the barbells feel thicker than the ones at my home gym, doesn't every barbell weigh the same?

 

[Prokofievian]

I feel weaker in the morning as well. I started my latest training program training at 6am and one day I did a session at about 4pm. Everything felt extremely easy.

...it might also be that your new gym has pound plates, and your old gym had kilo plates. For certain plate arrangements the weight differences could be extreme. 275 is about 11 pounds heavier than the ''same'' plate arrangement in kilos (120). As a general rule, the pound plates are heavier, with the exception of the small plates.

 

[KO By Knee]

Depending on how long it's been since you switched it could just be your body adapting to now having to push itself right after waking up rather then waking up, getting alert eating etc.. No gym should have bars or dumbbells that are any different besides shape really, 45lb plate might come in different shapes and sizes but in the end it will always be 45.

I have a preference however, I use a bar that's thin with hand markers on it for bench and if I use any other bar I swear my max goes down at least 10 pounds. It's all the same weight but again what your body used too and outside factors.

 

[bad seed]

your new gym is probably at lower elevation, thus making gravity exert a greater force on your weight so the 45 lb plate you're used to now feels 0.005 nanograms heavier.

 

[FightGuyOpenMind]

OK so I've been getting up and working out in the morning before work at a new gym lately. I used to work out in the afternoon at a gym 1 mile from my house. Now I'm getting up at 4:30 AM to get a work out in before work at a different gym closer to the job. It's pretty nice but damn everything feels heavier, I can't lift as much as I could at my gym. Why is that? Does it have anything to do with working out so early in the morning or does every gym's weights/barbells weigh just a little bit differently? Like the barbells feel thicker than the ones at my home gym, doesn't every barbell weigh the same?

You may be low on glucose that early in the morning (I don't know your eating habits). This could affect your energy levels.

Weights can vary in range, even differing from what they're listed at.

There are a few things to consider, but frequency of training should allow you to adapt to the new gym.

 

[ThunderL1ps]

If you've lifted long enough, you'll notice when the weight is off. It can happen. I've experienced the same thing.

 

[flowwiththego]

Weights can vary. I weighed a bar at 47.1 pounds and 45 pound plates weighed 46.7 pounds and 46.4 at a gym i dont usually bench at. I knew it felt heavier.
Also switching to an early morning workout is a huge factor. As someone mentioned above just the size of the bars and handles make a difference.

 

[boingyman]

Could be time of day, could be the actual real weight of your equipment vs the gyms. It could be a combination of both. Barbells typically vary between 28-29mm diameter depending on the type of bar. Usually oly bars are 28mm, power bar are 29mm and hybrid bars are 28.5mm. Plates can vary in weight significantly unless you're using calibrated plates, especially 45# plates. I recently bought second hand plates. I brought in my scale and weighed everything. Plates varied between 41-47# out of like the 15 45# plates I looked at. The ones I purchased all weighed between 44.7-46# since I rather get a slightly heavier plate then lighter and all were the same diameter. So imagine you benched '315' and all of 45s were actually 42# on average. You actually didn't even bench 300# if that's the case. Or imagine the gyms weights were all 45# or heavier.

 

[Midnighter]

Different gravity.

 

[Phlog]

At the end of the day your fuelled real well. In the morning you're lifting after fasting.

 

[Thepaintbucket]

No, they don't all weigh the same. It's about quality control. Generally the more expensive brands are closer to the labelled lbs, where as the cheaper brands can be off by a lot more. Shouldn't make much of a difference tho out side of a PR.

 

[RottenPineapple]

It depends on gym equipment, different exercise machines have different weight

 

[NoSmilez]

Answer is simple. No girls around at 4am

 

[rocketskates]

Lifting earlier, tired, haven’t had any meals in you, it’s not when you normally workout.

If I lift before say 10am I feel weaker and also after like 3pm. I normally lift from noon to 2pm and have for years so thats kind of my sweet spot.

 

[Fla graplr]

Dehydration and lack of carbs

 

[KO By Knee]

Different gravity.

He should probably check the gyms gravity level.