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Editor’s Note: The REP Fitness PowerSpeed Bar is no longer in production. We suggest viewing the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Bar as the best alternative, or view our guide to the best Olympic barbells or best powerlifting barbells for more options.
The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar is a unique take on a powerlifting barbell that stops the knurling short to allow for “rapid re-centering” of the bar in a rack. Although overall, it’s a good barbell, spec-wise, we did not find the shortened knurling to be of a big benefit at heavier weights and there were other minor qualms we had with the bar listed in further detail in our review.
Looking for an Alternative to the REP Fitness PowerSpeed Bar?
Best Alternative to the PowerSpeed
REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar
Product Highlights
- Powerlifting 20-kg barbell from REP Fitness
- Aggressive deep mountain knurling
- IPF knurling marks for benching
- 29 mm shaft diameter
- Tensile strength of 200K PSI
- Bronze bushings
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Aggressive knurling for powerlifting
- IPF markings
- High tensile strength
- Bronze bushing for smooth rotation
- Stainless steel option (for a higher price)
- Priced competitively for a high end power bar
- Free shipping
Cons
- Knurling may be too aggressive for some
- Not for versatile use
Bottom Line
The Double Black Diamond Power Bar is REP Fitness’ top-tier powerlifting barbell, and provides a solid powerlifting barbell for a competitive price. The bar comes in cerakote coating with Duracoat sleeves, or stainless steel with chrome or stainless steel sleeves. The sleeves are smooth with a slight bevel at the end for easy adding of plates. With a high tensile strength and aggressive knurling, it’s a solid powerlifting barbell.
The REP PowerSpeed Bar is no longer in production, though you still may be able to find it online secondhand. If you want a great bar to take its place, REP offers the Double Black Diamond Power Bar. This beast of a bar features aggressive knurling. Our product testers who used this bar said, “It’s a pretty aggressive, sharp bar, however the peaks on the knurling are very small. If you like a grippy knurling this is a really good.”
Rep Fitness
The PowerSpeed bar is a powerlifting barbell with a unique knurl design that allows rapid re-centering of the bar between sets. What happens when aggressive powerlifting barbell knurl meets your average j-cup? Shredded UHMW plastic on the j-cup and difficulty re-centering the bar because the knurl bites too deeply into the plastic. We've removed the knurl and left the bar smooth for 5.5" from the sleeve to the start of the knurl, which allows you to re-center the bar quickly and easily with no damage to jcup plastic.The bar is a no-compromises powerlifting bar, with the following features:20 kg, 215k tensile, 205k yield, 2000 lb rated 29mm, IPF markings Very deep, aggressive knurl Smooth sleeves with zero side-to-side sleeve slop movement, hard chrome finish Bronze bushings with smooth, silent sleeve rotation Choice of hard chrome or manganese phosphate shaft coating
Unboxing
The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar showed up alongside another bar we plan to review from Rep Fitness, the Excalibur Bar. Rep Fitness has started using boxes for their bars and, to be honest, I’m not a fan. Both boxes were torn up with the collars a bit scratched. I suggest adding more padding to the box, or just using the tubes. It may be more expensive, but it’s worth it and will lead to fewer returns on Rep’s end.
Thankfully, the PowerSpeed Bar came out of the box in pretty good shape all things considered.
Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar Review
The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar is one of the most unique Olympic Barbells to be released in recent memory. Having used a large number of barbells and specialty bars (my Wife jokes that I’m a hoarder…”, I’ve seen a lot of different ideas come and go. Thick bars, thin bars, bars with a ton of knurl marks, bent bars, square bars, circular bars, bars with spotted knurling, plated bars, and a million other combinations have all come across my squat rack.
And all of this innovation is for a good reason. The barbell is a staple in every gym worth its salt in the world. And typically not just one barbell, but ten, twenty, thirty, or more. With so many barbells being bought and used, and the general build staying relatively unchanged for half a century, there’s definitely room for innovation.
So, before I get into my opinions on the PowerSpeed bar, I want to commend Rep Fitness for pushing the envelope. I love seeing innovation in our industry as I think it’s lagged behind for so long and we’re just now, finally seeing companies really compete through creativity and innovation. Rep Fitness has been coming out with some awesome equipment lately, and at affordable prices. They’re at a great price point for most people to get bit by the garage gym bug. With this said, after using the PowerSpeed Bar for quite a few sessions (I’m currently squatting every day and it’s been used for every one of those reps) I’m not completely sold on the bar competitive “advantage” over other bars.
Before I get too far into the review, here are the basic specs for the PowerSpeed Bar:
- 20 kg, 215k tensile, 205k yield, 2000 lb rated 29mm, IPF markings
- Very deep, aggressive knurl
- Smooth sleeves with zero side-to-side sleeve slop movement, hard chrome finish
- Bronze bushings with smooth, silent sleeve rotation
- Choice of hard chrome or manganese phosphate shaft coating
To break all of that down, the PowerSpeed Bar weighs in at the standard 20 Kilogram weight which is the widely regarded standard for power bars. The steel used for the shaft is STRONG. At 215K PSI Tensile Strength and a 29MM diameter, I knew this bar would be stiff and it is. Not the greatest for deadlifts, but feels great for benching and most importantly for squatting. Although most people could get away with a much lower tensile strength, it’s nice having the peace of mind that a 215K PSI-rated bar provides.
The 29MM diameter shaft has pretty much become the standard for power bars, and for a bar that’s used for squatting, the thicker the better (to a certain point.)The PowerSpeed Bar utilizes bronze bushings, which, again, are the standard for most barbells, and especially power bars. Bronze bushings are extremely reliable and affordable. Although many bars have started to use composite bushings, bronze is still a reliable choice that will be around as long as you plan to use the bar. If you do pick up this bar, wait a couple of weeks to judge the spin as bronze bushings typically take a bit to get broken in. Also, in relation to the bushings, this bar’s tolerances are TIGHT. There’s hardly any side-to-side movement of the sleeves, a very good thing.
The bar comes with the option of either hard chrome plating or a manganese phosphate shaft coating. Having never owned a bar that used manganese phosphate, I decided to pick that option so I could see how it performs over the long run. The manganese phosphate feels similar to Cerakote’s chalky feeling and so far I’m a fan. it’s not the prettiest coating, kind of like a dull brown, but if it stops corrosion it’s a coating we could recommend.
The knurling is one of the best features of this bar. Power bars are designed in large part for low rep, high weight movements. Therefore, I want something that isn’t going to slip out of my hands or off the back of my shirt. Rep Fitness nailed it with this knurling. It’s deep and aggressive, similar to a Texas Power Bar, and will likely be loved by many.
Suggested Improvements
We like that Rep Fitness is trying new things. It may seem like we’re “bashing” their bar, but that’s the nature of being honest in our reviews. The idea of making it easier to slide on j-cups is great, but the disadvantage of being able to grip out wide is too big of a disadvantage for most people. One idea I have is to simply make the knurling more passive at the end of the bar, that way there’s still something for people to grip, but it accomplishes the original intent of the bar.
The next glaring weakness of the bar is the smooth sleeves. I don’t see a reason to have bare sleeves other than cutting costs. They may have a good reason for it, I just don’t see it. So, my suggested improvement would be to rib the sleeves. Finally, both of the end cap stickers are peeling off the bar. I’ve seen this happen with other imported bars and it is an annoyance. In my opinion, this is the shining point for branding the bar, make it memorable, and exude quality. I do like the etching on the inner sleeve, however.
Full Rating
Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar
The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar is a unique take on a powerlifting barbell that stops the knurling short to allow for "rapid re-centering" of the bar in a rack. Although overall, it's a good barbell, spec wise, we did not find the shortened knurling to be of a big benefit at heavier weights and there were other minor qualms we had with the bar listed in further detail in our review.
Product Brand: REP Fitness
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 299
Product In-Stock: InStock
3.9
Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar FAQs
What is theRep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar?
The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar is a one-of-a-kind powerlifting barbell with short knurling enabling “quick re-centering” of the bar in a rack.
What are theRep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar specs?
20 kg, 215k tensile, 205k yield, 2000 lb rated 29mm, IPF markings, Bronze bushings with smooth, silent sleeve rotation, etc.
Where to Purchase
Rep Fitness
The PowerSpeed bar is a powerlifting barbell with a unique knurl design that allows rapid re-centering of the bar between sets. What happens when aggressive powerlifting barbell knurl meets your average j-cup? Shredded UHMW plastic on the j-cup and difficulty re-centering the bar because the knurl bites too deeply into the plastic. We've removed the knurl and left the bar smooth for 5.5" from the sleeve to the start of the knurl, which allows you to re-center the bar quickly and easily with no damage to jcup plastic.The bar is a no-compromises powerlifting bar, with the following features:20 kg, 215k tensile, 205k yield, 2000 lb rated 29mm, IPF markings Very deep, aggressive knurl Smooth sleeves with zero side-to-side sleeve slop movement, hard chrome finish Bronze bushings with smooth, silent sleeve rotation Choice of hard chrome or manganese phosphate shaft coating
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