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doonam90

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Hi,

I'm new to this site and I was wondering if anyone knows about what barbell to purchase. I feel as if I should pick Rogue because that's all I know. I'm 6'4, 280 and will be leaning out to 220 within the next few months but I am continuing my strength training. I'm powerlifting now with the 5x5 Bench, Squat, Deadlifts, Overhead Rows and then will transition to volume training with 6x10 program. I haven't started olympic style lifts but would like to eventually (I am doing Hang Cleans on leg day, however). I was looking at the Ohio Bar, Rogue Bar 2.0, and the Power Bar. I'm not sure if these are what I should be looking at or if there are others.

Thanks,

Scott
 
I got 2 cheapo toy bars. When I break them (good probability), I wanted to reinvest in the Rogue's Power bar. But I don't think has the olympic marks on it. Their B&R bar has all the powerbar features you want (including center knurl) along with the olympic marks but I'm a little unsure about the natural finishing on the bar (no coating). Just worried about corrosion in the dungeon basement gym. Anyone have experience with their bare steel bars?
 
Can't really go wrong with any of those 3 choices.

If you do more fast lifts you may not want the Ohio Power Bar .

If you need center knurl you may want the OPB.

If you don't want aggressive knurl you may not want the OPB. (Never touched one but it sounds like the stainless and bare steel version can be killer).

I'd say to check out other brands but that will just make you more confused, as it did to me.

I have the echo bar and I love it. My next will be the B&R bar.

Check this out: The Best Olympic Barbell - Garage Gym Reviews
 
I haven't started olympic style lifts but would like to eventually (I am doing Hang Cleans on leg day, however).

How serious do you think you will be with the Olympic lifts? If you want to get fairly serious then you'll want a bar with good collar spin. It matters - trust me. At a minimum you'll want a bar with bushing bearings. The Ohio Power Bar would be a decent choice for all around lifting and the Olympic lifts. I know that the Texas Power Bar is highly recommended for powerlifting but don't know how well the collars spin.

You're lucky because as a tall guy you likely have big hands and you can probably hook grip even a crappy bar that has a 30 mm or larger diameter (cheap, weak steel needs to be thicker). For you, a thicker diameter will likely be more comfortable. I'm short so I need a regulation 28 mm bar or at most 29 mm. Otherwise, my thumbs slip out when I hook grip a larger diameter bar. However, I again ask how serious you want to get with your Olympic lifting. If you plan on stepping on the platform you will be lifting with a regulation 28 mm bar. If you're accustomed to using a thicker bar the smaller diameter may feel a bit weird if you haven't practiced with it.

Other issues to consider:

Knurling: If you plan on doing lots of snatch training you don't want to get a bar that can double as a cheese grater. Usaeka bars have very aggressive knurling. I bring mine to the dining room on pasta night so I can put some hard parmesan cheese on my pasta. o_O

Center knurling: If you will use the bar to squat I would recommend it have center knurling. Many Olympic bars come without the center knurl.

Markings or "rings": The rings on Olympic bars and powerlifting bars are placed differently. Some bars have both.
 
@doonam90 Hi Scott!
Welcome to the StrongFirst forum, tons of great folks and information here as you've already seen.

What bars due you currently use at your gym? What features do they have that you like/dont like? Check the end cap to see what brand and model they are.

I chose the 20kg Rogue Ohio Power Bar as it closely matches what I use in competition.
Also, if you plan on fitting out your home gym, Rogue has good deals on combos and shipping. Dicks Sporting Goods also has real good deals if the quality is acceptable.

Rogue 20KG Ohio Power Bar

Carl in Dover
 
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I have been considering Texas Power Bar. I can get it locally. Bit pricey though. Is it worth it? People seem to really like it.

The 2018 IPF Classic Worlds is here, Calgary, in June. I hope I will find a good powerlifting bar there. Rogue is a sponsor also so hopefully I can check out some of their equipment. Rogue equipment and shipping is so much more expensive in Canada
 
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Thank you all for the input thus far! I am continuing the research process this week. The bar I am currently using is some old bar that I got for free. Haven't measured it but I am pretty sure its just a CAP barbell. I am thinking about a powerlifting and an olympic bar now instead of an all-in-one, but that could change today. Thanks again and I hope to hear more!

As a side question, what is the difference b/w the 20kg Ohio Power Bar and the 45 lb Ohio Power bar, besides the weight? Is there a benefit to having the 20kg over the 45lb-er?
 
I'm just through a few conversations in different places about bars and plates used in IPF/USAPL competitions and those recommended for use in training for IPF/USAPL meets. I was talking on FB with @Dr. Michael Hartle, head of our barbell program at StrongFirst, and @Rif, master SFG and former US team powerlifting coach. I also started a thread on the New Jersey chapter FB page of the USAPL, and an email dialogue with a Rogue representative. Here's what I learned:


Bar

Rogue makes an IPF-certified bar, the Ohio Power Bar, link here

Rogue 20KG Ohio Power Bar

The Rogue representative told me they use the more expensive of the two bars, the one in stainless steel, in the competitions they themselves sponsor, so that's what I just ordered for myself. I think we can say with some certainty, however, that if you aren't interested in competing, and for most people, even if you _are_, you can get by with the least expensive version of their Ohio Power Bar, which is 45 lbs.

The bare steel, 45 lb. bar costs $250; the stainless, 20 kg bar costs $450, and there are more expensive versions of the 45 lb. bar and a less expensive version of the 20 kg bar, so I believe you have 5 choices in all.

In the meantime, for yesterday's deadlifts, I used an old Texas Power Bar I have here, which is similar to the Ohio Power Bar and quite different from the Okie DL bar I've been using. The Texas Power Bar is thicker, and it bends less. Note that my Okie DL bar bends with my training weights of ~300 lbs, but the stiffer bars, I was told to me, won't bend until about twice that much weight is on them.


Plates

Apparently 100 lb. and 50 kg. plates used to be used in various federations and still are by some. Because these bigger plates keep the weight closer to the collars, lifts done with heavier plates, all other things being equal, will provide _less_ benefit to the lifter. Therefore it's a recommended option to use thinner plates when possible if you're interested in duplicating meet conditions.

USAPL/IPF has been using thin 25 kg plates of late instead of 50's. One assumes this is because they're easier to manage while still being thin enough not to confer an advantage to the lifter.


Other

I find earlier mentions on our forum of the Ohio Bar not having center knurling - all five versions shown on their web site now seem to have center knurling.


Conclusion

If all this doesn't make sense to you, consider what happens when you deadlift and the bar bends: you are effectively performing a deadlift as if the weights were raised off the floor - it's easier for most people. When the bar bends, you've pulled an inch or two but most of the plates are still on the ground. Therefore, anything that lets the bar bend and/or puts the plates further away from the center makes a deadlift _easier_ for a lifter, and anything that makes the bar stiffer and/or keeps the plates closer to the center makes a deadlift _harder_ for a lifter.

Bar diameter is easier to understand - the thicker the bar, the more challenging it is for the lifter's grip.

People seem to feel that training with a bar that mimics the competition's relative stiff and thick bar is more important than using the competition's thinner plates, so I elected to stick with my current assortment of plates but get the IPF-approved bar.

For my part, I will continue to ask meet directors what DL bar they'll be using, and do the last part of my pre-meet training with whatever bar I have that mostly closely mimics what I'll use in competition. The Okie DL bar is legal, and used, in the WNPF, the APF, and the AAU, based to my personal experience, and is not approved in the USAPL/IPF.

-S-
 
The bare steel, 45 lb. bar costs $250; the stainless, 20 kg bar costs $450, and there are more expensive versions of the 45 lb. bar and a less expensive version of the 20 kg bar, so I believe you have 5 choices in all.

Stainless seems to be the latest hot thing as some folks geek out on the feel of stainless compared to the feel of zinc, oxide or cerakote. However, stainless comes at a price premium just about everything else. Bare steel has the same 'feel' as stainless but can rust, obviously.

I completely understand owning the bar you are going to compete with. Eliminate any variables between training and competing. That aside, I wouldn't pay extra for stainless steel.
 
Well, talking about the barbells...

- Eleiko - the one and only- https://www.eleiko.com/en/home

- Werksan - a good choice as well- Werksan Barbells | IWF Certified Barbells and Bumper plates

- Uesaka - quality from Japan - Uesaka Barbell Company provides Olympic quality weight room and performance training equipment. Bumper Plates, bars, platforms, facility equipment, custom turf.

Those are the real ones. Once you get the feeling of the free spinning bearings, smooth elasticity of the bar and the perfect knurling, you won't accept anything else. That's love at first sight. :)

Price of course is higher, approx $800-1000 but it's worth every cent. And the positive is you only need to buy it once in your lifetime, in personal use those bars last "forever". The sad fact is for a $200-300 you'll get a pair of good collars but not the bar.

PS: normally there is nice bundles for a complete set around $2000
 
Rogue 20kg. Ohio Power Bar
USAPL/IPF approved

Center knurling confirmed
 

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Hi All,

I have went with the Stainless Steel Ohio Power Bar, 20 KG. I will be researching the Olympic WL bars as a second bar. Thanks for all of the input, it is truly appreciated.
 
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