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Barbell Eleiko - Powerlifting Bars With Integrated Sensors

Steve Freides

Steve Freides

Staff
Senior Certified Instructor Emeritus
Elite Certified Instructor
The video and pictures at the link below show the sensors being put into the bar and a phone app being used to see the resulting data, but not a lot of information about the sensors other than that, just pictures. The sensors are out of stock. The bar costs $1,100 and the sensors add another $1,100 so perhaps a world record cost for a barbell.

The chromed sleeves are designed to house Enode sensors, the first training bar to integrate technology into the bar sleeve.
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eleiko.com

IPF Powerlifting Training Bar | Eleiko

The Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Training Bar is made for training the powerlifting competition lifts — specifically the squat, bench press and deadlift. The 29 mm stainless steel bar grip is uncoated like a IPF Competition Bar, so the grip is exceptionally secure but corrosion resistant as it’s made...
eleiko.com eleiko.com

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I have an Enode sensor, or rather the same sensor before the rebranding. It's worked fine.

I wonder how the bar integration changes things. Does the bar take two? The price seems high to me.
 
I’ve been curious about velocity sensors for KB training for a long time. In Q&D Pavel refers to the Nexus Push band and iirc it was actually available through the SF online store at one point. That’s no longer the case and they seem to only sell it for commercial use now.

The Enode sensor looks like a good alternative (just the single sensor not the integrated bar sensor Steve mentioned). Are there any others that work for both bars and KBs? Is it worth the money for those who have them?
 
Steve Freides said:
I own a fair amount of Eleiko bars and plates, much of it bought used, and am very happy with all of it.

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I also often train with Eleiko competition grade equipment, some used in a WC and such.

I like it. Good, solid stuff. I like the combo rack, though the lack of squat safeties makes it so I rarely squat in it. The bars are nice and stiff but I'd prefer a more aggressive knurling. When it comes to the plates I actually typically don't bother and use whatever 20s with a handle are available. The preferability of competition plates might be an interesting topic all in itself.
 
Antti said:
When it comes to the plates I actually typically don't bother and use whatever 20s with a handle are available. The preferability of competition plates might be an interesting topic all in itself.
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Because the deadlift is my best lift, I try to duplicate competition setup at home, including plates. When I lifted USAPL, I got an Eleiko 29 mm powerlifting bar. Now that I mostly lift USPA, where they require a deadlift-specific bar, I train mostly on the Eleiko then switch to the DL bar for the last few weeks before a competition.

What do you think is interesting about competition plates? They make the deadlift a little harder.

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Steve Freides said:
Because the deadlift is my best lift, I try to duplicate competition setup at home, including plates. When I lifted USAPL, I got an Eleiko 29 mm powerlifting bar. Now that I mostly lift USPA, where they require a deadlift-specific bar, I train mostly on the Eleiko then switch to the DL bar for the last few weeks before a competition.

What do you think is interesting about competition plates? They make the deadlift a little harder.

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What I find interesting about the plates is how people prefer each kind of plate.

For you, as a deadlift specialist, if we agree on the term, the difference between plates is more apparent, especially in your choice of a federation. There is certainly a difference between a so called noodle bar with bumpers and a stiff like eleiko with competition steel plates.

Still, it seems some people prefer them for a squat and bench also. That's odd to me.

I get that the plates rattle and move less. I'm not sure if it's such a big deal.

I always go for a stiff bar myself, though, if given the chance.
 
Antti said:
For you, as a deadlift specialist, if we agree on the term, the difference between plates is more apparent, especially in your choice of a federation. There is certainly a difference between a so called noodle bar with bumpers and a stiff like eleiko with competition steel plates.

Still, it seems some people prefer them for a squat and bench also. That's odd to me.
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In the USPA, at a competition you typically lift on three different bars but use only one kind of plate, the thin, competition plates.

For anyone interested, the squat in the USPA is usually done with a 25 kg bar that's longer than a standard PL bar, and thicker (the regulation is up to 32 mm), and more heavily knurled. A squat-specific bar is a meet director-chosen option but most meet directors choose it because most people prefer it. The people who don't like it are, in my experience, lighter lifters. I'm a 67.5 kg male who prefers the SQ-specific bar although I don't find much of a difference. The extra length allows wider hand placement for those who need or prefer that, the extra thickness probably allows the extra length not to introduce too much bend, and I like it because it spreads out the contact area on my upper back a little.

The BP is done with a standard PL bar like the Eleiko I have - I train BP on a 29 mm Rogue Ohio Power Bar. And the deadlift is done on a noodle bar - I like that name. :) It's usually 27 mm in diameter and bends more. I have two DL bars because we keep one loaded for my wife - interesting, to me, that they're slightly different lengths. The Texas DL bar is 92.5" long, the Rogue is 2 inches shorter at 90.5 inches.

I don't imagine that the plates make much difference for SQ or BP but, if anything, the competition plates make the DL harder but might make the SQ and BP easier because the load is closer to your center and therefore might be a little less wobbly.

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Steve Freides said:
In the USPA, at a competition you typically lift on three different bars but use only one kind of plate, the thin, competition plates.

For anyone interested, the squat in the USPA is usually done with a 25 kg bar that's longer than a standard PL bar, and thicker (the regulation is up to 32 mm), and more heavily knurled. A squat-specific bar is a meet director-chosen option but most meet directors choose it because most people prefer it. The people who don't like it are, in my experience, lighter lifters. I'm a 67.5 kg male who prefers the SQ-specific bar although I don't find much of a difference. The extra length allows wider hand placement for those who need or prefer that, the extra thickness probably allows the extra length not to introduce too much bend, and I like it because it spreads out the contact area on my upper back a little.

The BP is done with a standard PL bar like the Eleiko I have - I train BP on a 29 mm Rogue Ohio Power Bar. And the deadlift is done on a noodle bar - I like that name. :) It's usually 27 mm in diameter and bends more. I have two DL bars because we keep one loaded for my wife - interesting, to me, that they're slightly different lengths. The Texas DL bar is 92.5" long, the Rogue is 2 inches shorter at 90.5 inches.

I don't imagine that the plates make much difference for SQ or BP but, if anything, the competition plates make the DL harder but might make the SQ and BP easier because the load is closer to your center and therefore might be a little less wobbly.

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I agree.

Though I have never really understood why use different bars at all. The IPF does fine with just the stiff bar, why really use anything else?
 
Antti said:
I have never really understood why use different bars at all. The IPF does fine with just the stiff bar, why really use anything else?
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I believe it's a matter of attracting and maintaining people in the sport of powerlifting. I can't say one way or the other is _better_, but the USPA's approach will attract some people who are put off by the IPF's 2-hour weigh-ins, strict only-if-we-say-so list of manufacturers approved for lifter clothing and gear, etc. I know I've heard some people who make barbells, clothing for lifters, etc., complain that their gear met all the spec's but they didn't want to pay several thousand dollars just to get on the approved gear list.

I lifted USAPL for perhaps 5 years - it was fine, but I enjoy the approach the USPA takes.

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Steve Freides said:
I believe it's a matter of attracting and maintaining people in the sport of powerlifting. I can't say one way or the other is _better_, but the USPA's approach will attract some people who are put off by the IPF's 2-hour weigh-ins, strict only-if-we-say-so list of manufacturers approved for lifter clothing and gear, etc. I know I've heard some people who make barbells, clothing for lifters, etc., complain that their gear met all the spec's but they didn't want to pay several thousand dollars just to get on the approved gear list.

I lifted USAPL for perhaps 5 years - it was fine, but I enjoy the approach the USPA takes.

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I'd love a general discussion comparing the federations.

I can see that the more people is the better.

The two hour weigh-in is a given if we want the contestants to weigh anywhere near their scale weight on the platform. With the 24 hour weigh-in the worst, or the best, ones are easily a weight class higher on the platform.

I can understand the complaint about the IPF approved list. I'm not sure it's anything else but a money grab.

Personally, I'm nothing but IPF all the way.. I'm not sure if it would be different if I lived in the US. I figure I would still want to be compared by those rules.
 
Antti said:
Personally, I'm nothing but IPF all the way.. I'm not sure if it would be different if I lived in the US. I figure I would still want to be compared by those rules.
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My numbers were comparable but I didn't like having to get down to 66 kg. USAPL is now 67.5 like everyone else so that's better. I will probably do another USAPL meet sometime, just not on my radar for the near future. 67.5 on a 2-hour weigh-in isn't that big a deal for me - a week of clean eating and I'm within 1 or 1.5 kg of where I need to be.

There are so many federations here that I can't keep track of them, and now after the recent USPA meet/state director scandal, some people are leaving the USPA and starting yet another new federation. I've done AAU, USAPL, RAW, WNPF, and USPA both tested and non-tested over 38 meets since 2004 if I counted them up correctly.

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Boris Bachmann said:
Among people w. opinions, this would likely turn into a $%*# slinging fest. (But maybe not - I haven't kept up w. PL over the past decade)
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Certainly, with unsavory people some surprising opinions could become apparent.

Where I'm from, there's two feds, either clean, IPF, or roids, whatever. So I don't really have anything in the race.

And if you snicker at the word "clean", I'm certain at least 99% of the powerlifters around here that compete in the IPF are clean. I won't comment on other national federations, but I wouldn't be surprised if the most are elsewhere in the world also.

The US seems to have a fair share of different federations. I suppose it's good people have a choice. But there are some odd things between the feds, like the deadlift bar that was a topic earlier on. Why on earth not just use the stiff bar?
 
Antti said:
Certainly, with unsavory people some surprising opinions could become apparent.
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I don't think you have to be 'unsavory' to have some strong opinions about PL federations.

I don't know where you're from, but in the U.S., over the decades, there have been probably hundreds of federations and, quite frankly, some of them elicit strong opinions for very understandable reasons and it has nothing to do w. bar stiffness.
 
Boris Bachmann said:
I don't think you have to be 'unsavory' to have some strong opinions about PL federations.

I don't know where you're from, but in the U.S., over the decades, there have been probably hundreds of federations and, quite frankly, some of them elicit strong opinions for very understandable reasons and it has nothing to do w. bar stiffness.
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Certainly, there are reasons and strong opinions, and they are welcome, even if they're different, as long as it's civil. L would also prefer it to be somewhat rational. That's what I meant by the unsavory comment. Through the years I've seen some heated and unfounded comments on the subject and I'd rather keep them away from here.

The bar stiffness or the deadlift bar is just one difference between feds that has always puzzled me.
 
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