Articles about: Barbells

The new Rogue Ohio Bar 2.0S just dropped, and Garage Gym Reviews is here to give you the scoop on what makes this bar so special. The newest member of the Ohio Bar variants, the 2.0S is being advertised for two new innovations: a sound-dampening sleeve structure, and a coating said to be even more corrosion-resistant than cerakote, but without the drawbacks.

It’s not often that Eleiko releases an all-new bar. So when they sent me the Hybrid Bar to test, I was ready to give it the respect and attention a brand like Eleiko commands. To add to the excitement, this bar was made with a never-before-seen coating that immediately sets it apart from so many otherOlympic barbell competitors.After using it, I can confidently say the Eleiko Hybrid bar has:An excellent knurl for multi-purpose useA fine balance between spin and sleeve stabilityA sturdy construction that lives up to Eleiko’s name.Along with all of the positives, there are a few things I’m not too keen on with this bar. Eleiko bars are among the most expensive in the world and to me, some features on the Hybrid don't align with that.Why You Should Trust UsBarbells are my thing. I’ve spent years researching more than 100 barbells and have personally used more than 80 different bars of all kinds including deadlift bars,trap bars and specialty bars.On top of that, we have a diverse team at Garage Gym Reviews responsible for testing and evaluating bars using our multi-step protocol. We make it a point to consider the bars’ intended use and how the perspective on that changes from person to person.It’s pretty safe to say we know our barbells.

There are a ton of barbells out there in the fitness world. (I should know: I’ve tested nearly 100 of them.) Having trouble choosing one for yourhome gym? Have no fear, Coop from Garage Gym Reviews is here! I’m adding to my collection of barbell reviews with this Fringe Sport Bomba Barbell Review, diving into all of the pros and cons of this blacked-out needle bearing bar.

Lifting weights used to be largely a male-dominated activity. That’s no longer true. Fitness platforms like CrossFit have introduced hundreds of thousands of women, teenagers and even kids to the barbell, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The more people we have committed to health and fitness, the better.But, we need to get the right equipment into the right hands. Literally. So when looking at the Rogue Bella Bar 2.0, which has a smaller grip than the barbells I use, I needed to turn to the very people who use it.That’s why I partnered up with Garage Gym Reviews senior editor and CrossFit gym owner Kate Meier for this Rogue Bella Bar review. Another staff writer here, Amanda Capritto, is a certified personal trainer and CrossFit L1 trainer. She also tested the Bella.The Bella Bar 2.0 is undoubtedly one of the most popular 15kg barbells on the market. You can find it in many CrossFit gyms and garage gyms alike. It’s built for people with smaller hands, which is why it’s often marketed as a women’s bar. Kate and Amanda are here to vouch for why this bar just might be a great addition to your home gym equipment.My Favorite Things: Versatile enough for weightlifting, powerlifting, CrossFit and general purpose workDual knurl marks15kg and 25mm grip ideal for small hands190,000 PSI tensile strengthCoating options for more durabilityMade in the USAMy Callouts: Black zinc coating fadesKnurling may be passive for someNo center knurlPrice starts around $225

Barbells and dumbbells are most often seen in home gyms, but Mutt Bars are similar in that they’re weighted exercise, but combine the functionality of a multi-grip specialty bar with fixed weight. Although I don’t think they’re a perfect replacement for incrementally loadable Olympic bars, they are a ton of fun and offer a unique way to do presses, curls, rows and other movements.

The Matt Chan Bar from Rogue Fitnessis the most unique barbell the company currently makes. It’s stainless steel, yet coated in Cerakote. It’s great for CrossFit, yet works well for powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting. It’s beautiful and mean looking all at the same time. I am a huge fan of the Matt Chan Bar and feel it’s one of the most underrated barbell currently on the market.

The Rogue Echo Bar 2.0is the lowest-priced barbell that Rogue Fitness sells. Despite its low price the Echo Bar is still made in the USA, uses high tensile strength steel, has a fantastic medium knurl, with bronze bushings in the sleeves. Its only real downside versus other Rogue barbells is its minimal 1-year warranty instead of a lifetime warranty. We recommend it if you don’t plan to ever need the bar warrantied.

The Bandbell Bamboo Earthquake Baris a specialty barbell designed to work the stabilizers through a term they’ve coined “Oscillating Kinetic Energy,” also known as OKE. Although there is some gimmicky marketing, this is one of the most humbling bars we’ve ever used (specifically on the bench press) and has held up to a lot of use over the 5 years we’ve had it. We do recommend it, albeit after other specialty bars like a trap bar and safety squat bar.

The Gungnir Allrounderis an Olympic barbell that plays to its Norwegian creator's innovative prowess. Featuring built-in titanium clips known as "Slidelocks", this barbell runs the gambit of evolutionary gym-tech. Coming in at 216,000 PSI tensile strength built into the hard chrome-coated shaft with precise knurling, the Allrounder bar is innovative and of high-quality–albeit at a high price tag that will be hard to swallow for most people.

The Kabuki Strength Transformer Bar V4 is the most versatile safety squat bar currently available. After using the previous versions and finding a lot of shortcomings, Chris Duffin and the Kabuki Team have taken the criticism and made a bar that is not only incredibly versatile, but equally easy to use. If you want the best safety squat bar currently made and don't mind paying for it, this is it. No question.

The Marrs-Bar is a safety squat bar with a unique camber and harness system that makes it feel different from any other specialty barbell I've ever used. The Marrs-Bar is a very expensive bar, but after using it for back squats, front squats, good mornings, lunges, and other exercise movements, I will say that it's replaced the SSB in my training. I do think it's a bit too expensive to recommend for most people, but, based solely on how it feels and performs, I think it's a fantastic bar.

Rogue Fitness is known for making some of the best barbells in the world. However, not every bar is the best for you training, which is why I want to detail the best Rogue barbells. Rogue use US-sourced steel, make them in Columbus, Ohio, and have a dedication to great specs, customer service, and lifetime warranties. I have now used every barbell they make and wanted to provide an honest assessment and review on each one.

The Synergee Games Cerakote Bar is very much a more budget-friendly Rogue Cerakote Ohio Bar. It's not made in the USA and uses some different components like a thinner shaft and bearings instead of bushings, but for the price point, this is a great alternative for those wanting a cool looking CrossFit Barbell.

The Kabuki Strength Kadillac Bar is the best multi-grip bar we've reviewed. It features high attention to detail on areas that matter, a camber angle borrowed from the ever-popular Duffalo Bar, and a fit and finish that is top-notch. If you want the best and can stomach the price tag, we recommend the Kadillac.

The Rep Deep Knurl Power Bar EX is the best barbell Rep Fitness has released to date. It's fully stainless, from end cap to end cap, has an incredible knurl similar to more expensive bars, and hits the details in every area. If you want a top-shelf barbell at a pretty fair price, then we don't hesitate in recommending the Power Bar EX.

The Kabuki Strength Trap Bar is the latest specialty bar from powerlifter and engineering mastermind, Chris Duffin. It combines an open-end design with a built-in deadlift jack, swappable handles, and amazing attention to detail. This is the most versatile trap bar we've used and we recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind spending extra for the quality.

The Longhorn Buffalo Bar from FringeSporttakes many of the features that have made the Kabuki Strength Duffalo Bar popular and packaged them in a more budget-friendly version. After testing the bar and comparing it to both the Duffalo Bar and some of the older, cheaper buffalo bars, we can confidently recommend the Longhorn. We specifically recommend it to anyone that has been eyeing the Duffalo Bar, but doesn't mind fewer features in favor of a more budget-friendly price.

If the Rogue Ohio Power Bar and Texas Power Bar had a baby, it would be the FringeSport Lone Star Power Bar. Featuring a high-quality knurl, high tensile strength, lifetime warranty, and being made in the USA of US-sourced steel, the FringeSport Lone Star Bar is a beast.

The Rogue Ohio Deadlift Baris the best value deadlift bar currently available. Not only is it one of the cheapest true deadlift bars on the market, but it's also one of the best. Combining great attention to detail, a consistent and aggressive knurl, and a slinky 27MM shaft, the Rogue Ohio Deadlift Bar is the deadlift bar we most often recommend to those wanting to add a dedicated barbell for deadlifting to their gym.

The Eleiko Öppen Deadlift Baris a trap bar that utilizes an open-ended concept, barbell handles, and a built-in jack to create the best trap bar we have tested. Although expensive, the Öppen Deadlift Bar is an extremely useful and innovative specialty bar that we recommend to anyone with a desire for the best and doesn't mind paying for it.

The Rogue B&R Bar 2.0is one of the most well-liked barbells on the market. The B&R Bar 2.0 is a collaboration between Mike Burgener of CrossFit Weightlifting and Mark Rippetoe of Starting Strength with Rogue Fitness in an effort to create a barbell that could perform well for both powerlifting and weightlifting. We recommend the Rogue B&R Bar 2.0 to anyone who focuses on the squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, and does the occasional power clean and power snatch. This truly is one of the best value barbells on the market despite the Ohio Power Bar being an even better value.

The Bells of Steel Trap Bar 2.0is one of many trap bars on the market, however, it is one of the only with rotating Olympic sleeves and happens to be at a pretty good price point. After using the bar over the course of three months for trap bar deadlifts, shrugs, and carries we can recommend the Bells of Steel Trap Bar 2.0 to anyone wanting a budget-priced trap bar that is superior to all at its price point (and some above.)

Durable, versatile, reliable: As our Rogue Ohio Bar review shows, this is a barbell for just about anyone.

The American Barbell Training Bar is one of the best general training barbells currently on the market. It has great knurling and a high tensile strength at a good price. We highly recommend this bar.

OSO Barbell Collars, now manufactured by Rogue Fitness, are by and large the best barbell collars being made. The hold tight, are extremely durable, and look as good as they perform. We highly recommend any OSO Barbell Collar.

The Rep Fitness Gladiator Bar is a bearing Olympic barbell that performs well and is priced even better. If you're looking for a bar specifically for Olympic Weightlifting and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, this is a great option.

The Vulcan Standard Olympic Bushing Barbell is a great value barbell that is made for those who want a bar that can accomplish a lot.

Crain's Okie Deadlift Bar is one of the most legendary barbells ever made. Unfortunately, despite new methods and manufacturing abilities, the Okie Deadlift Bar is still made the exact same way as it was in the 70's. It's a beautiful piece of nostalgia, but it's certainly been passed by the myriad of Deadlift Bar options available today.

The Mammoth Power Bar from American Barbell is one of the best power bars currently on the market. With a Stainless Steel shaft and Cerakote sprayed over the top, this bar will resist corrosion longer than every bar you own. We highly recommend it.

The Kabuki Strength New Generation Power Baris the best power bar we've tested to date. Everything from the knurling to the tensile strength of the steel is superior to other power bars we've reviewed including our previous favorite, the Rogue Ohio Power Bar. If you're looking for the best bar for powerlifting specific training and are willing to spend money to get it, this is the bar we recommend.

TheTexas All American Barthe first general-purpose barbell produced by Buddy Capps, the company behind the legendary Texas Power Bar. Utilizing a similar construction and material list as the Texas Power Bar, the All American Barbell features a more passive knurl to allow things like barbell cycling. Although the Texas All American Bar isn't the best bar we've reviewed, the price, features, and quality make it a bar that we can easily recommend.

The Kabuki Strength Duffalo Baris a new take on an old specialty bar, the Buffalo Bar. After using the Duffalo Bar over two years and hundreds of workouts, we believe the Duffalo Bar is one of the best specialty bars currently available.

After putting the T-Grip Bar by American Barbell through nearly every exercise you can think of including pressing, pulling, curls and more over the course of two months, we believe that the T-Grip Bar is one of the best multi-grip bars available. That said, this is definitely a bar in which you get what you pay for, and the cost may very well be prohibitive for many looking to purchase a multi-grip specialty bar.

The Yoak is one of the most fun, and also versatile pieces of training equipment I have ever used. After doing every movement they've recommended on their website, along with many others, I can confidently say that if you're looking to add chaos training to your regimen, as well as increased strength in otherwise unstable positions, The Yoak is a great tool to use; albeit at a high price.

Although the X-Mark Chisel EZ-Curl Bar isn't the absolute best curl bar available, it is one of the best under $100, which is really as much as you should spend on a piece of equipment that will get little use. The sleeve spin, combined with overall construction quality allow me to recommend the Chisel, although not necessarily over their other offerings.

After putting the Klokov 20 KG Weightlifting Bar by Klokov Equipment through a combined 23 workouts including clean and jerks, snatches, squats, and deadlifts, we believe that the Klokov Bar is an economically priced version of the Eleiko Training Bar and can compete with the Rogue Euro Olympic WL Bar. The Klokov Bar features many of the same characteristics of IWF Certified weightlifting bars at a slightly reduced cost.

The Rogue Cerakote Barbellsmay look cool, but the corrosion resistance provided by the Cerakote coating is actually a very effective innovation in barbells. Although Rogue isn't the first to add Cerakote to barbells, they are doing it at a better value than just about everyone else.

Is the beloved Ohio Power Bar the best powerlifting bar available? Find out in our Rogue Ohio Power Bar review.

The Hybrid Barbell is Fringe Sport'sanswer to the ever popular Rogue Fitness Chan Bar. Featuring some unique specs at a great price, the FringeSport Hybrid Barbell is an excellent value for those wanting a jack of all trades barbell.

My Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar Review details why this durable bar needs upgrades to be considered one of the best.

The American Barbell Gold Standard Bar is a great option for anyone looking to purchase a versatile barbell. The Gold Standard Bar has a flashy gold finish, yet durable zinc coat, as well as being produced in the United States, and meets IWF standards. This barbell should not go overlooked when looking to purchase a barbell for any home or commercial gym.

The Tsunami Barbellis one of the most unique barbells currently being manufactured. Rather than being rigid like most bars, the Tsunami Bar is manufactured with the intention to be as whippy as possible. Based upon our testing as well as published studies, we believe the Tsunami Bar does what it claims: increase force production.

The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Baris 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.

The Vulcan Absolute Powerlifting Bar V2.0 is one of the strongest barbells currently being made. It's comparable to the best on the market including the Rogue Ohio Power Bar and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a Powerlifting-specific barbell.

The American Barbell Stainless Bearing Bar is one of the best Olympic barbells on the market today. With an innovative needle bearing design, stainless steel shaft, and great price point, this is one of the best barbells currently being made in the US.

The Believe Gear Liberty Barbell is a 20KG Cerakote Barbell painted to look like the American Flag. Although it's one of the coolest looking barbells we've seen, it's also a great performer that with 190K Tensile Strength Steel, Bronze Bushings, and 100% of the profits being donated to the Old Glory Project.