The best Olympic barbell should be able to do it all, but not all can.. Some barbells are designed to do just one thing very well. Take, for example, the REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar, designed to excel at pulling heavy weights from the ground. While not an extremely versatile barbell, it does master the exercise it was made for: the deadlift.
RELATED: The Deadlift: Muscles Worked, How To Do It, And Benefits
How does the Hades bar compare to other deadlift bars, though? Well, without getting too ahead of myself, in our testing of this deadlift bar, we may have the best value for a deadlift bar currently on the market in our hands.
So, does it excel at what it’s been designed to do? Read our full REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar review to see if this bar deserves a spot in your garage gym.
Expert Testers of Powerlifting Bars
Aside from the best adjustable dumbbells, bars are one of the pieces of gym equipment we’ve tested most here at Garage Gym Reviews. And with a team of certified personal trainers, coaches, and competitive athletes, we’ve had our hands on quite a few barbells and know how aspects of knurling, grip, barbell length and width, and tensile strength can affect a bar’s performance depending on how it’s built.
For the specialized Hades Deadlift Bar, Lead Reviewer and face of Garage Gym Reviews Everything Lindsay Scheele tried out the barbell and took it through several conventional deadlift repetitions and variations, including staggered deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and more.
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar
Product Highlights
- 20 kg (44 lbs) deadlift bar
- Available for pre-order
- 27 mm shaft diameter
- Traditional powerlifting knurl pattern
- Aggressive knurling
- Black cerakote coating
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free shipping
- Affordable price range
- Barbell offers flex and whip for deadlifts
- 1% weight tolerance
- 1,500-lb weight tolerance
Cons
- Loadlable sleeve length is 15.75”
- Designed for deadlift only
- Not suitable for bench, squat, or Olympic lifts
Bottom Line
The REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar offers a high whip ability for heavy deadlifts and is rated up to 1,500 pounds. The Hades barbell also offers aggressive knurling and a 27 millimeter shaft diameter for the ultimate power grip. It does not offer center knurling and is not suitable for Olympic lifts or other compound movements like the squat, overhead press, or bench press.
A Quick Look at the REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar
In recent years, REP Fitness has continued to design and engineer innovative home gym products, from the best weight bench to cable attachments and barbells. REP Fitness recently released a new line of barbells that rival top competitors in the market, both in value and specs.
Their flagship multi-purpose bar—the REP Fitness Colorado Bar—is a direct competitor to Rogue’s Ohio Bar just with its name, along with being a well-made barbell. Many of these barbells are competitively priced and have a premium, high-end feel; the REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar is no different.
Named after the Greek god of the dead, the Hades barbell is finished with black cerakote on the shaft and Duracoat on the smooth sleeves, giving it a sleek black design and a “death-metal” look, according to GGR’s lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele. Along with the sharp design, the bar has laser etching on the sleeves with the bar’s name and weight, as well as unique metal end caps on the barbell.
The Hades is designed specifically for deadlifts, with a thinner shaft diameter than a mixed-use barbell and a tensile strength that will allow for some flex and whip while pulling off the floor. With a static rating of 1,500 pounds, it’ll support many heavy deadlifts with its durable build.
Before You Buy
- The Hades Deadlift Bar is built for deadlifts, but you may be disappointed if you want it to do other things. This isn’t the most versatile bar, and won’t be ideal for other exercises, like squats, benches, or Olympic lifts.
- The deep mountain knurling is pretty aggressive on this bar; however, the high TPI (teeth per inch), gives it a finer feel, which helps balance out the aggressiveness of the knurl. There are powerlifting knurl markings to help determine your deadlift grip as well.
- With a loadable sleeve length of 15.75 inches, you’ll need some iron weight plates to fit more than 500 pounds on the Hades Deadlift Bar.
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar Video Review
Is the REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar Worth It?
If you’re serious about heavy deadlifts, this bar is one of the best out there, with one of the most competitive prices, too. The barbell is $369.99 with free shipping, which helps make it a very affordable deadlift bar for pro lifters and home gym users alike.
RELATED: How to Deadlift Heavier
However, this barbell won’t be able to do it all. As it is specially-designed for deadlifts, the Hades won’t have the versatility of mixed-use bars or power bars. The deadlift bar won’t be ideal for bench presses, squats, or Olympic weightlifting. If you’re looking for a more versatile bar for your garage gym, the Hades won’t suit all your needs. Still, if you’re looking for a bar made specifically for heavy deadlifts, then this is the bar for you.
Great for:
- Lifters wanting a bar specialized for deadlifts
- People wanting to lift heavy weights
- Those looking for an affordable deadlift bar
Not recommended for:
- People wanting a more versatile powerlifting barbell
- Lifters wanting more spin for Olympic lifting
- Those who don’t like aggressive knurling
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar Specs
| Price | $369 |
| Weight | 20 kg (44 lbs) |
| Length | 91.7” |
| Loadable sleeve length | 15.75” |
| Shaft diameter | 27 mm |
| Bushing/bearing | Bronze bushings |
| Sleeve style | Smooth, Duracoat finish |
| Knurling | Deep mountain, very aggressive |
| Markings | Powerlifting markings |
| Material | Steel |
| Shaft coating | Black cerakote |
| Tensile strength | 190 Ksi |
Using the REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar
The REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar did what it was made to do extremely well. The aggressive knurling with a thinner shaft diameter provides for a great grip for heavy muscle-building deadlifts, ensuring your grip won’t likely slip during your workout. The decent 190K tensile strength gives it a bit more flex and whip, which can help you get in a slightly better position for your deadlifts at the start.
RELATED: 13 Deadlift Benefits, According To An Olympian
Although this is a great deadlift bar, it won’t provide the versatility you may be used to from other Olympic barbells. Lindsay found it great for powerlifting movements but little else. If you are purchasing this as a deadlift bar, though, it’ll do a great job in performing heavy deadlift workouts.
Construction & Durability
This bar is designed for deadlifts. The 27-millimeter shaft diameter paired with an aggressive knurl (more on that in a bit) allow for a very strong grip. The tensile strength of 190K allows for a bit of flex, which at the start of a deadlift can help bend the bar upward and help you set into a better position.
RELATED: Best Shoes for Deadlifting
The rotation system doesn’t provide the most spin, which is ideal for this barbell. Lindsay says of the rotation, “This barbell uses a bronze bushing system. You don’t really need or want a lot of spin on a deadlift bar, and the Hades doesn’t have a lot, which is ideal.” She gave the rotation a 4 out of 5.
The shaft of the Hades Deadlift Bar is finished with a black cerakote, and the smooth sleeves have a Duracoat finish, making for a sleek black look, which reminded Lindsay of a metal music. Cerakote provides decent corrosion resistance, and the chemical process behind Duracoat makes the sleeves corrosion resistant as well as resistant to scratches and general wear, too. Because of this, Lindsay gave the durability of the barbell a 4.5 out of 5.
Knurling
The REP Hades bar has no center knurling, which helps keep your shins from scraping against anything while you’re pulling. The knurling used has powerlifting marks to help place your grip.
RELATED: What Is Barbell Knurling?
Additionally, the knurling is a deep mountain knurl, which makes for a very aggressive knurl. Lindsay, however, notes that, “The barbell uses a high TPI (teeth per inch), so the finer knurling texture, in a way, feels similar to a volcano knurling.” The high TPI helps ease the aggressive knurling while still providing a solid grip. Lindsay gave the knurling on the Hades bar a 5 out of 5.
Versatility
Lindsay gave the versatility of the REP Hades Deadlift Bar only a 3 out of 5, as it is designed to do one thing very well. You can use it for other movements, but it won’t have the well-roundedness of a mixed-use barbell or power bar, as seen in our REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar review.
If you are looking for an Olympic barbell with versatility, then a deadlift bar shouldn’t be your next pick.
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar vs Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar
Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar
Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar
Pros & Cons
Bottom Line
When Garage Gym Reviews founder Coop Mitchell tested out the Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar a while back, he claimed it was the best value deadlift bar on the market. With the recent release of the Hades Deadlift Bar, can it still claim that title?
Comparing the two deadlift bars, most of the specs are nearly identical, with the Hades Bar being a little bit longer than the Ohio Deadlift Bar, which could allow for a little more flex at heavier weights. Otherwise, they have the same diameter, tensile strength, and knurling marks, and both use bushings to keep the bar from too much spin.
The main differences between the two barbells are the coatings and knurling. The Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar uses an aggressive volcano, whereas the REP Hades Bar uses a deep mountain knurling, for a very aggressive knurl.
Secondly, the Hades bar has a black cerakote finish with Duracoat sleeves, giving it a durable and sleek black finish on the entire bar. Rogue offers a few options, with a black zinc or E-coat shaft and bright zinc sleeves—as well as a bare steel option for a lesser price. The bare steel won’t offer much corrosion resistance, but it’ll allow for a more direct grip on the barbell.
The prices also appear similar, with the Hades Deadlift Bar at $369 and the Rogue Fitness Ohio Deadlift Bar ranging between $345 and $375, depending on the coating. However, REP offers free shipping on their barbells, which means the price you see is the price you get. Rogue will cost more once you factor in shipping costs. While both bars are great, the lesser cost of the Hades Deadlift Bar edges it ahead of the Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar.
| REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar | Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar | |
| Price | $369 | $345 – $375 |
| Weight | 20 kg (44 lbs) | 20 kg (44 lbs) |
| Length | 91.7” | 90.5” |
| Loadable sleeve length | 15.75” | 15.5” |
| Shaft diameter | 27 mm | 27 mm |
| Bushing/bearing | Bronze bushings | Bushings |
| Sleeve style | Smooth, Duracoat finish | Smooth, bright zinc finish |
| Knurling | Deep mountain, very aggressive | Volcano, aggressive |
| Markings | Powerlifting marks, no center knurl | Powerlifting marks, no center knurl |
| Material | Steel | Steel |
| Shaft coating | Black cerakote | Black zinc, E-coat, or bare steel |
| Tensile strength | 190 Ksi | 190 Ksi |
Customer Experience
The REP Hades Deadlift Bar has a lifetime warranty on the barbell that covers defects of the bar. This lifetime warranty lasts until the bar becomes unusable for reasons other than a defect in material or workmanship. Along with this, REP offers 30-day returns on any product. Watch out, though; there’s a restocking fee for any product not returned in its original packaging or missing items (such as any hardware).
For questions, REP Fitness can be contacted a few ways—phone, email, or a live chat on the website. In our experience, they respond within 24 hours and are quite helpful, which led us to rate the customer service a 4.5 out of 5.
Ordering the REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar
The Hades Deadlift Bar can be purchased directly from REP Fitness’ website, and REP offers free shipping on all items. REP Fitness does offer financing options for orders through Affirm or PayPal Pay-In-Four. Affirm can only be used on orders over $650, so you’ll have to purchase some other home gym essentials with your Hades Bar to qualify for this financing option.
In our experience, the Hades Deadlift Bar was shipped to us with no shipping or packaging damage. The bar came packaged well and in great condition, leading us to rate the shipping and delivery a 5 out of 5.
Customer Reviews
At the time of this writing, REP Fitness has only three reviews on their website for the Hades Deadlift Bar, which makes sense because the barbell was only recently released. Still, the few reviews are all 5-star reviews, giving positive marks on the bars specs and aggressive knurling. One review compared the grip and knurling to other top power bars as well.
Final Verdict of Our REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar Review
With a sleek, black finish and specs that rival top deadlift bars like the Rogue Ohio and Texas Deadlift Bar, the REP Hades Deadlift Bar has killer value with a durable construction and competitive price. While it won’t have the versatility of other multi-use Olympic barbells, if you’re looking for a specialty bar designed specifically for lifting heavy loads from the ground, this will be a great option for most garage gyms.
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar Rating
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar
Designed for the heaviest of deadlifts, we look at the overall value of this barbell in our REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar review.
Product Brand: REP Fitness
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 369.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.4
REP Fitness Hades Deadlift Bar FAQs
What are the benefits of deadlift bars?
Deadlift bars like the REP Hades are specially made to perform optimally for deadlifts. The aggressive knurling and thinner shaft diameter create a very grippy bar, and the higher tensile strength and long barbell length allow for more flex in the bar during your pull, creating a slightly more advantageous position at the start of the deadlift.
Is a trap bar deadlift better than a deadlift bar?
The trap bar deadlift can be a better choice for some than a deadlift bar, although both have their advantages and disadvantages. For one, the trap bar’s design puts the bulk of the weight central to your body, whereas a traditional deadlift bar will have the weight slightly forward. This can help relieve some stress off the back, making this an ideal alternative for someone with back issues.
RELATED: Deadlift Variations
Along with the better center of gravity, a trap bar often has neutral grips, which helps relieve stress on the wrists and forearms. While a deadlift bar and conventional deadlift has many benefits, a trap bar might be a good alternative for anyone dealing with minor or past injuries, and it can also be a great way to change up your training.
Do powerlifting competitions use deadlift bars?
The barbell used in competition depends on the powerlifting federation. For example, the USAPL and IPF use a stiff power bar for all three competition lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The USPA, on the other hand, uses a deadlift bar for the deadlift and then a squat bar for squats, particularly for heavier weight classes.
