all posts post new thread

Barbell Buying a new Barbell

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

marvelsferb7

First Post
I see a lot of barbell talk on here, and was hoping to get a little advise.

I have been lifting at home for 8+ years now, but have really started getting serious about getting strong about a year ago. I have made awesome progress and have been adding new equipment as needed, almost 100% used. My next purchase (barbell) however I want to be new and of good quality.

I am currently using a cap barbell (the kind Academy Sports sells) and have gotten to weight where it’s hard to keep a grip on dead’s even with chalk because of the light and worn knurling.

I also took it apart recently and was appalled by what was in the collar/sleeve (neither side matches as far as build, missing parts, different parts).

So my question: is rouge the best option or most popular? And from what I can tell, the bone yard appears to be the same bars, but with visual defects in the finish? What other bar manufactures are out there?

Thanks all!
 
Eleiko or Leoko would be my #1 choice. Great, stiff, IPF spec bars with aggressive knurling.

Note that different federations use different bars. Like the roid feds typically use a deadlift bar, which is thinner, longer and with more give, while the tested and largest fed uses a stiff bar, like the Eleiko and Leoko.

Personally, I don't really see the point in the deadlift bars. Goes along with multiply suits and the like in my book.
 
I think Rogue offer the best variety overall and they seem to be nicely priced, depending on what model you're after. If you're after a bar for general strength training (i.e. not Crossfit or Olympic lifting), a standard bushing bar with a 28.5mm or 29mm thickness would do the job and Rogue offer those in pretty much any colour/finish you could want.

If you're in the States, the 45lb Ohio power bar is available for under $300 and has a nice aggressive knurl. The B&R bar in bare steel looks nice as well. We're spoilt for choice in the barbell market these days so it really comes down to what you'll be using it for and how you want it to feel (as well as what's available in your location).

If you've got the budget, Eleiko bars are among the best in the world and will last a very long time (there are many powerlifting and weightlifting gyms with 30+ year old Eleiko barbells that are still going strong) but you don't need to splash out to get something really decent nowadays.

As a general rule of thumb, keep away from any barbell that has an Allen/hex bolt securing the sleeves to the bar - that's the universal mark of a cheap/low-quality barbell - and get something that has a decent manufacturer's warranty.
 
Antti said:
Eleiko or Leoko would be my #1 choice. Great, stiff, IPF spec bars with aggressive knurling.

Note that different federations use different bars. Like the roid feds typically use a deadlift bar, which is thinner, longer and with more give, while the tested and largest fed uses a stiff bar, like the Eleiko and Leoko.

Personally, I don't really see the point in the deadlift bars. Goes along with multiply suits and the like in my book.
Click to expand...
Some of the smaller, drug-free federations also use deadlift bars. I trained with one at home for several years because I competed in the WNPF (all drug-free, raw and equipped divisions) and that was their competition DL bar. One could argue that it’s just another way, like wearing a belt, of pulling more weight. I replaced mine Okie DL bar with a Rogue Ohio bar when I started competing in the USAPL because that’s what they use.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
Some of the smaller, drug-free federations also use deadlift bars. I trained with one at home for several years because I competed in the WNPF (all drug-free, raw and equipped divisions) and that was their competition DL bar. One could argue that it’s just another way, like wearing a belt, of pulling more weight. I replaced mine Okie DL bar with a Rogue Ohio bar when I started competing in the USAPL because that’s what they use.

-S-
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe some tested federations also use deadlift bars. Likely some untested ones use a stiff bar. I just made a generalisation that I think is pretty accurate.

I agree that it's another way of getting more weight on the bar, like I compared it to the multiply suits in my earlier post. Personally, I have never felt that a belt would let me lift more weight.
 
@Antti, I don't think we disagree much here. I just didn't want bendy DL bars to be associated with juiced powerlifters and the federations they lift in.

As to this:

Antti said:
Personally, I have never felt that a belt would let me lift more weight.
Click to expand...

Here I do disagree - I think you're in the overwhelming minority. I can't say from personal experience that a belt would let _me_ lift more, but you're the first person I've heard say they don't think it would left you lift more weight. Some people get more out of gear than others, but I don't think many people get absolutely nothing from their gear. My guess is that a poll taken of only people who have deadlifted competitively and train both with and without a belt would find 90% or more saying the belt lets them lift more weight.

I don't think people who haven't competed would be fair participants in this regard because - this is another discussion entirely - but if you haven't pulled at a meet and felt the adrenaline of the crowd, your supporters cheering you on, etc., then I'm not sure a person can say they've truly found their 1RM. There are exceptions, of course, and in particular many, perhaps even most, 3-lift PL'ers can pull more in the gym on a dedicated DL day than they can after they've squatted and bench pressed heavy in a meet.

-S-
 
Steve Freides said:
@Antti, I don't think we disagree much here. I just didn't want bendy DL bars to be associated with juiced powerlifters and the federations they lift in.

As to this:



Here I do disagree - I think you're in the overwhelming minority. I can't say from personal experience that a belt would let _me_ lift more, but you're the first person I've heard say they don't think it would left you lift more weight. Some people get more out of gear than others, but I don't think many people get absolutely nothing from their gear. My guess is that a poll taken of only people who have deadlifted competitively and train both with and without a belt would find 90% or more saying the belt lets them lift more weight.

I don't think people who haven't competed would be fair participants in this regard because - this is another discussion entirely - but if you haven't pulled at a meet and felt the adrenaline of the crowd, your supporters cheering you on, etc., then I'm not sure a person can say they've truly found their 1RM. There are exceptions, of course, and in particular many, perhaps even most, 3-lift PL'ers can pull more in the gym on a dedicated DL day than they can after they've squatted and bench pressed heavy in a meet.

-S-
Click to expand...


I'm not sure there's anything to disagree with since I just gave my personal experience. But yes, I as well believe I am an exception. Belts are extremely common in powerlifting competitions. But there are some other exceptions. And if I remember the biggest C&J ever was lifted without a belt and wraps or sleeves.

I don't know what it is exactly regarding the belt. I think it helps regarding volume tolerance. But singles are a different case. And with certain lifting styles and body types the belt can get in the way. I am somewhat large.
 
I have 3 barbells.

Regardless of brands, the use case questions I ask myself and others are:

-What lifts do you plan to do with it most often?
-How much duty will it have? 1 lifter at home, every other day? Or 40 hours a week with multiple users?
-Do you plan to drop it frequently from overhead?
-Do you plan to use with with steel plates or bumper plates?
-Do you use a lifting platform?
-How much whip do you want?
-How aggressive do you like your knurling?
-Do you compete? If so, how much do you want your training bar to resemble your competition bar?
-What grip do you use most of the time?


The barbell I use for floor pulls and quick lifts is an Eleiko Powerlock. The one I use for rack work (squats, rack jerks, presses) is a Rogue "EU" bar. The one I use for outdoor overhead carries is a York of some kind.
 
I bought a Rogue Ohio Bar a few years back and love it. If I was doing a lot of olympic lifts, I might look for something else, but for what I do, it's more bar than I'll probably ever need.
 
I have a barbell from titan fitness that is nicer than most barbells I’ve seen in gyms.
it isn’t Gucci, but the price and quality are perfect for what I need
 
The type of training you do should be taken in consideration when looking for a barbell. If you are an olympic weightlifter, then you will want a bar with good whip and spin. Depending how serious you are, you might want to look into a bar with bearings versus bushings. You can spend a mint on such bars from brands like Eleiko, Werksan, Uesaka...probably north of $600/700. If you are predominantly into power lifting, then something like the Texas or Ohio power bar would fit the bill, but those are still pretty expensive. I consider myself a "cross trainer" (not cross fitter though I do incorporate some cross fit-type work outs into my training). I do some power versions of the olympic lifts, power lifts with both max efforts and high rep exercises. I've used a $265 Pendlay bushing bar for the past 8 years with a high degree of satisfaction. A bar along those lines you can get from Rogue (Rogue 2.0), American Barbell, Fringe Sports Wonder Bar and another brand that I am seriously considering, Vulcan Barbell. Vulcan has the Standard bushing bar 28.5mm ($299) that is a step up from the Rogue 2.0 and a cheaper version called the One Basic for $250.
 
When my gym closed I went from a nice flexible deadlift bar and bumper plates back to my home gym with a cheap no name chinese POS bar with steel narrow plates and was dismayed to notice my deadlifts felt so much heavier. However, after dealing with that damn thing for 6 weeks or so and grinding against the non-flexible POS bar I think my deadlift will be noticeably better once I return to the "better" bar. At some point, unless you are doing fast olympic lifts I think even a crappy bar works fine for most people. My crappy bar has one end welded solid where it came apart with stripped threads and I don't even notice it doesn't spin but I don't do any olympic lifts . I think there is a lot of money spent on stuff that doesn't have to be spent. Sure it's nicer I guess but doesn't have to be to get stronger.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom