Might be a hot take but the Eleiko Power Bar does not have good tolerances. Several import bars available for less and in stainless (Hansu, TSS) that have better tolerances, better knurl, and still have those thin IPF comp collars. Rogue has also refreshed the 45lbs OPBs to have lower profile grooved sleeves and better tolerances on the sleeves themselves like the Ohio Bar 2.0S (the 20kg versions and aggros have not yet been updated). Best built bar I own is the American Barbell Chewy bar, which is stainless steel, tig welded sleeves, grippy knurling, and around $600.
I need to bring the Chewy Bar in. I haven't used it yet, but I've heard so many good things about it and I've always wanted a more aggressive AB Bar. - Coop
@@GarageGymReviews There are two "flavors" out now. Retail is usually a 20TPI volcano but they sometimes have a 25TPI mountain. I know you love your Kabuki bar so you might want to go with the 25 if you can find one as the goal was to create a Kabuki knurl but on a bar with better finishes/tolerances.
Never used or owned an Eleiko but I could agree with the rest of those you mentioned. The Rogue, Rep and Kabuki were at Home Gym Con and I have own the AB 25 TPI Volcano and the 20 TPI Mountain. Yeah Also own both living.Fit barbells they are very close to the Rep Colorado bar at a better price
Chewy bar is great. REP's new bar lineup is amazing too - I'd go American Barbell or REP now. Not a fan or Rogue's bars. They rattle a lot and don't have the best tolerances and I think nearly all of them have grooved sleeves which make a lot of noise when you slide plates on/off. Mostly marketing and their nonsense F scale.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but IPF and IWF require specific dimensions of the sleeves and plate holes being 50 and 51mm. You prepare for the Olympics on the 20 years old Eleiko set and you win the Olympics on the new Eleiko set. The old and new needs to feel similar not to throw competitors off balance. Hence the slack like in the old days. You pull the slack, you hear the clang - that's the sound of victory right there.
I've been running the American Barbell stainless bar (humid basement) for years and it's been incredible. Love that thing and it still looks basically new. Pheromonal company, phenomenal bars.
I have used many of the higher end bars. Gungnir is the only must have. Nothing is as convenient or as thought through as that bar! Hands down my favorite!
I’m a fan of American Barbell. I struggle to describe the knurling other than to say it feels like sandpaper. I use the AB Comp. Spec SS bar and the knurling is not aggressive, but it sticks like it is. Additionally, the sound, or lack of, is a testament to the tolerances of this bar. However, this bar is not cheap, but it is my go-to bar. I also like Vulcan Strength, but the knurling on this is more traditional and the average person would consider this too aggressive/sharp. I used this bar until I got my AB bar.
I vote for the AB Chewy bar...I've owned both the retail version, which is a 20 tpi volcano knurl, and a 20 tpi mtn knurl version. Amazing quality that sets them apart from other bars I have owned or used.
I have had my Eleiko XF bar for 3 years and I love it. Got it for a really good deal, so I can't speak on value for everyone. But it is a great barbell, I use it for everything except back squats and deadlifts. Coop touched on it very briefly about the knurling, but I think it has just the right amount of aggressive knurling. I would give the knurling 6 out of 10 on aggressiveness. But it is an absolute 10/10 for my hands. I've had no problem with 315lb clean and jerks and 365lb bench presses. It is an all-around great bar
For me and my training I’ll probably do the American barbell Chewy bar as a power bar rogue Ohio stainless general purpose bar and either eleiko or eusaka olympic bar
18:43 Coop, brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin) are not the same material. Bronze has a low coefficient of friction against other metals, which is preferred for bushings.
American Barbell. All their bars seem really good to me. And the knurling gets a bad rap, IMO. Yeah, it won't tear your hands up. But its plenty grippy. And they know how to do chrome right. Holds up very well.
they know how to "do chrome right" because they don't do it in the United States. US has laws with forbid the proper barbell chroming techniques. So they chrome them in Mexico, or something, to skirt these laws and do it correctly.
Own a Rogue OPB and OB and they’ve been great. Needed a second generalist bar and a second power bar and ultimately decided to pick up the REP Colorado and Double Black Diamond. In both categories I prefer the REPs, but they have the benefit of being nearly 10 years newer. I don’t know what changes Rogue has made in the interim, but generally the REP bars have knurling more to my tastes, had better tolerances.
My pick is the 30 year old CAP barbell in my home gym. Never cleaned and has not corroded. Gest the job done and no worries on damaging an expensive bar.
Power Bar - AB Chewy (if you like it knurly) or AB Mammoth if you don’t (if you can still find one) GP, Rogue Ohio OR AB Cali, personal preference. Ohio for a dead smack in the middle “jack of all trades” bar. AB Cali IF you don’t mind a 28mm shaft. Honestly, AB Cali is more of a “crossfit bar”. Meaning, Rogue Ohio was meant as a CF bar, but their logic was “jack of all trades” and what they ended up with was a great “GP” or “Bodybuilding” bar. Ohio is a great rec for a home gym guy owning just one bar only. AB Cali leans just a bit towards a hint of their Oly Trainer (still a bushing bar but tuned for a smoother spin), if you’re doing actual Crossfit workouts, its still going to treat you pretty well for S/B/D but that hint of Oly Trainer is going to show up big for high rep oly or barbell cycling workouts. Another way to say it, my personal rec was usually: If you want ONE bar, grab an Ohio, but if you don’t mind owning 2 bars, skip Ohio, grab a true Power Bar & and AB Cali as a goid Batman/Robin combo. My personal stable, for ref: AB Mammoth, Chewy Rogue Ohio, AB Cali Texas Deadlift (And then a bunch of specialty stuff)
I bought the Reps Alpine bar Stainless steel and have been absolutely loving it for my training. At first the knurling seemed aggressive but after a couple months my hands have adapted. I also wish the center knurling was removed(great at times but has rubbed me wrong also). Coming from a Rogue Ohio bar I can say bar whip on the Rep Alpine has been really noticeable and so has the spin with the hybrid bearings. I take great care of my bars and can see this one lasting with me through life. Great addition to my arsenal
I have a Rogue Ohio power bar and a Rogue deadlift bar. Outside of specialty bars, I don't envision myself buying another barbell again. I mean, I probably will because I have a garage gym sickness but I wont NEED one.
I do Olympic lifting, I decided to get a rogue pyrros for the slower spin. The spin is so smooth it easily could be my last bar. (I’m going to get a uesaka eventually but that’s besides the point)
My go-to is the Rogue 45lb Ohio Power Bar, bare steel. Best bar for $275. Pretty aggressive knurl but just use chalk and your hands will toughen up to it. It’s a tank of a bar! Also have a 15kg Rogue B&R bar for wife and kids. I just got a Rogue Boneyard 28mm training bar for $150 and it’s awesome for power cleans. I like bare steel, no coating to chip/fail, just scrub it off with a slightly oily rag every few weeks and it will slowly patina and darken.
My home gym bar as well. I travel a lot for work and get to see a lot of different bars in the gyms of whatever local gym I use. Close tolerances/tight fit of the mechanicals doesn’t always mean reliable, rugged and long lasting. Admittedly, I have to keep a humidifier going 24/7 in my basement during the summer months; the water table is pretty high where my house is, rust is a concern. I like the 45 pounder because my OCD kicks in when I try to pretend that 20kg is 45 pounds.
I have a Uesaka competition bar, an Eleiko competition bar and 2 Pendlay bearing bars. The Uesaka is my preferred bar for training. I like the Pendlay bars over the Eleiko.
Why include American Barbell in two categories but leave out their Chewy bar for the power bar segment? That's their best bar and the best of that category.
I have the elitefts power bar and have had it for 8 years. Purchase price was $299, and it is hard chrome finish and it has almost zero corrosion with very little maintenance. I don't think you have ever reviewed that bar. Given the great company elitefts is with all they offer for free as far as knowledge I like supporting them.
I'm curious about their gear too, not often reviewed or talked about... perhaps it's just rebranded from elsewhere? I think they make a lot of their own equipment like racks and machines, but I'd bet they outsource bars.
I have used a bunch of different bars but the ones i own that i really love are as follows: General Training Bar - LuXiaoJun Bar (unfortunately not available anymore) Power Bar - Rogue Ohio Power Bar - Im not a power lifter but i got this bar and i really like it and then for Olympic Weightlifting which is what i do more often is the Eleiko Training bar( I have 4 of them)
Nice roundup. One question: Has anyone actually done the math on Rogue's F-scale? It's based on the # of drops from overhead of a barbell with 25# plates. It's like, an insane amount of drops that no gym on earth is actually doing. It's like measuring the difference between how long before your fork stops working to stab food versus another, but then presupposing you're eating 30 meals a day. There's no meaningful difference that will matter before your bar is due for replacement anyway because of knurl wearing down, coating looking bad, etc...
No, and I think it's a little disingenuous for Coop to straight up say their barbells are more durable given that Rogue is the only one who uses it and won't tell anyone how it works.
No mention of the American barbell Chewy bar? That seems to be conscious best overall powerbar by most home gym enthusiasts. Surely Coop has one? I wonder if he just doesn’t like it.
Have the ohio bar and love it. Bought a cheap walmart bar as a beater bar and to superset. Absolutely hated it and got the ohio power bar instead. Wow absolutely my favorite bar. Definitely recommend not skipping out on a nice barbell.
As someone who's currently stuck with a cheap old rusty bar, what makes the Ohio bar so much better in your opinion? I know that objectively it's just a better bar, I'm just curious what specifically made the cheap bar so much worse for you
@KeterMalkuth the bar was probably like 30mm or more which felt way too big especially for deadlifting. The knurling was absolutely terrible. It's hard to describe because i didn't think I was a knurling snob but the ohio power bar has the absolute best knurling imo
If you're looking for a good power bar I would recomend the American barbell Chewy bar. It's my nicest bar. My favorite bar is still the Rogue Ohio bar. My least favorite bar is the Kabuki Power bar. Best budget PB I would say is the Texas 29 or 28.5 PB
Review the ZKC weightlifting IWF bar. For the snatch and clean and jerk it is amazing. Same thing for high bar squats cause it gets a solid bounce. There's some things I don't like about it, but you're the expert, so I'd like to know your thoughts about it.
Reps warranty and customer service is far beyond Rogue. I sold all my rogue equipment when the sleeves started coming apart after less than a year and they wouldn't send a replacement to my current address. Rep on the other hand has not only stood behind their products but even gave me a free pulley when I dinged mine up accidentally during install of the ares even though it was clearly my fault. Their logic: "happens to the best of us." I'll be a Rep fanboy for life
Now that Rep’s Black Diamond bar has been out for a while, any plans on doing a review of it? So far there are only reviews for the Double Black Diamond but not the single Black Diamond.
Have you used an Ivanko stainless power bar. You can't get a better tolerance on the sleeves. It's perfect and makes Rogue's, Rep's feel cheap. Once you feel the rotation on the sleeve, you know.
He talked about American Barbell being bad at marketing, yet we've got Ivanko which is used in powerlift meets the world over and it seems like no one in the garage gym world gives them a second look. I've got an old OB-20KG from them, and even older B-86 (their standard plate barbell) and their plates. Now their knurl pattern is definitely a little weird and I don't use it for DL's because it would destroy my shins, but after getting used to their patterning I think it is easier to make sure your hands are always in the same spot. The bar itself is going to outlive me and most likely will never need any work. I'd love to see Ivanko equipment review more by any equipment reviewer. They're one of the older brands and have been doing this for longer than most every other company noted here. They're being slept on imho.
Your confidence in Rogue's F Rating Scale and their RWH is a little weird. The only way it would be valid is if a 3rd party tested barbells from all manufacturers and published a report. Rogue doesn't give any details on what their RWH technique is and it seems pretty unlikely that they're doing some extra special thing that no other high end barbell manufacturer has figured out.
I don't really understand the reasoning behind "Chrome makes it less durable". I worked in a machine shop for years and any item that would receive a lot of wear and tear either got Chrome or Titanium Nitride (TiN) coatings. Plus if you look at Mil Spec bolt carrier groups and barrels for M16s, they are chromed on the inside to improve durability. Maybe something to do with sliding friction vs decreasing the diameter of a barbell shaft to compensate for the thickness of the coating?
I don't know the explanation; However, with regards to AR15's, to the best of my knowledge chrome lining isn't traditionally used on areas where repeat impacts are a concern. The bore, chamber, and bolt carrier interior are more so at risk of corrosion, heat exposure, and friction, not so much impacts. The biggest "Impact" would be the bolt seating against the barrel extension, two parts that are generally not going to be chromed. Now, that being said, I had the exact same question as you and I still haven't actually heard any explanations. I messaged rogue about a related point asking about corrosion resistance, as I have no indoor space for my equipment. They said stainless would be best to mitigate rust. Personally, I don't understand why, given decent chroming should be effectively impervious to corrosion, so why isn't that the best choice?
Viewers, get a snack, get comfortable, and I’d suggest a notebook and pen, because this breakdown has a TON of good information. Solid work, brother. 💪
I have multiple rep Colorado bars and I have to say the QC is really bad on the cerakote and the shipping is pretty awful in terms of how they pack the bar. Outside of aesthetic issues, it's a great bar.
A couple of additions for the power bar category. Hansu power bar is becoming one of the most popular IPF approved power bars. TSS power bar is coming on strong as well. Personally the 29mm Texas is my go to, since I haven’t ponied up the money for the chewy yet
It would be great if you reviewed Ironbull’s Stainless Power Bar. In Canada, it’s only $400, for a stainless. They deliver in the US as well. Might be the best value stainless bar out there.
The Rogue Ohio Power Bar in 20kg format is an appalling top pick. It, by definition, is designed to do 3 things well… squat, deadlift and bench press. 2 of the 3 requires a rack and it fails miserably in Rogue’s very own 49 inch rack! I challenge anyone to provide a link of them doing a hard set of 5 in a 49 inch rack with a OPB without clattering the plates into the uprights. And please… no work around…WTF is that?!…Workaround for the thing it’s designed to do! 💩. Worrying about tolerances and other marginal stuff when it can’t even do what it’s designed to do if you have a 49 inch rack, exemplifies majoring in the minors.
For general training, tell me why the stainless steel Rogue Chan Bar with Cerakote isn't a good option. It even has a passive center knurl that works well with the proper shirt. Only downside I've had is for a close grip work where knurling lacks, however if I'm doing close grip whatever, I generally don't need full knurling and what I can grab with half my hand is satisfactory. This bar is not for anyone that would consider themselves a powerlifter, but I do like it for general training.
The powerlifting gym I usually train at have a full compliment of Eleiko bars, but I tend to look for their one Rogue bar (I think it's an Ohio), especially for deadlifting and bench press, because the knurling feels just a tad more aggressive than Eleiko. For my home gym I bought a Recoil Cerakote bar. So far it feels really similar to Rogue with the aggressive knurling. For squats I'm fine with what ever as long as it doesn't rattle like it's about to fall apart.
My rogue Pyrros bar is great and awful at the same time. I have the stainless steel version and surprisingly, it still has oxidation issues. There also is something subside the sleeve on one side that slides if you tip the barbell left and right. The knurling is great if you’re using thumb tape, but if not you get a lot of hand tears and I intentionally avoid triples because that’s when I tend to tear my hands on snatch. The spin is great. Overall I like it at the price point but the Eleiko is better if you have tbe cash. Usaka bars are not great like people say. The sleeve rotation is too slow compared to rogue Eleiko werksan, and ZKC, and I’ve messed up my shoulder snatching on them almost every time I’ve had to use one.
@Davis.smith.weightlifting .. I have the Pyrros bar too. Great bar, no oxidation issues, sleeves are nice and snug, and knurling is good for an Oly bar -- bought it in 2018, so not long. I'm gonna buy one of those Texas 29mm PB next, 100% raw steel -- always liked using raw steel bars when I used to train in a gym, vice my home gym.
Stories like the Uesaka bar do make me want to buy it more as well. It's interesting. That said my budget sends me to Rep, but like you said, also decent bars and it is a good time to have a lot of excellent choices.
Same here. It's both a great performing and really good looking bar. I also have an all black zinc Ohio bar and the Rogue curl bar. The zinc and cerakote each have a slightly different feel due to the different coatings and how they interact with the knurling. I like to switch off for variety. Everything I have bought from Rogue has been top quality, and I always buy American made when I can. When I lift in a public gym, the first thing I notice is how "slippery" the bars usually are and how off the feel is compared to my home stuff.
I have a huge complaint about Uesaka. For something that is supposed to be a premium product, the website doesn't show it. They just don't put nearly enough information up. Example, how much do any of their bars weight? What is the length? What is the grip size? For a $700 curl bar, I should know all of this. Without having to go to their Japanese website, which in typical Japanes website fashion is cluttered.
Surprised you didn't recommend the Rogue Training Bar for Olympic Weightlifting, especially on a budget. I have it, in stainless. Same shaft as the Oly bearing bar but it has composite bushing sleeve. Those bearing sleeves on the Oly bar are better but you don't notice the composite bushing just in every day life with the Training bar. And I got it for under $400. American Barbell training bar is very nice too with a slightly more passive knurl
I’ve got small hands, leads to grip being an issue on most lifts. That’s why I like my 28.5 TPB. I’ve debated upgrading to a 29 for a power bar, but I’m just not sure it’s worth it when my hands are small.
Thank you for the in depth review Coop! Curious what your thoughts are on the Rogue Hybrid Power bar? Can we perhaps get a dedicated review? How is it different from the Rogue Ohio Power bar in stainless with matte black sleeves?
Opinions on Wright Equipment Next Gen Bushing bars? In that $300 range, American Made, 0.002 tolerance, 201,000 tensile strength, seems like a competitor.
Still nobody mentions the REP Delta Basic Bar. I haven't been able to find any real reviews on this thing anywhere, but it seems like an absolute steal for the price.
Hey thanks for this review. Which budget barbell would you recommend living fit vs bells of steel barenaked or any other bar within the same price range. Thanks
No Deadlift Bar category?!! 🤷 I have a Texas Deadlift Bar and a no name 20+ year old budget bar that is good enough, so im set on bars, but I watched this whole video and loved every second 👌
How does the knurling compare between the Cerakote Colorado vs California? I'm so split between the two. I deeply care about the knurling so I keep leaning Colorado, then I keep thinking the 28mm California might make up for it.
Great video and super informative. I suggest maybe making a video for women's bars - olympic and GP (BoS have an interesting import). I am still bummed that you show no love for Vulcan bars - their PL, WL and GP bars are great. In Europe I would def add Leoko for PL and WL(same steel as the Swedes), Werksan for WL- if you can get one used .. they closed their shop prior to covid nonsense, Hatlex for GP and Palini for PL and WL. The ZKC bar and the DHS from China are both IWF cert bars and deserve a mention. Also - don't think I didn't notice you deadlifting on a Klokov bar whilst talking about the Rogue OHP.
This raises the issue of whether most home gym owners really need an expensive Olympic Barbell, since most home gym owners aren't going to bench more than 300 lbs. World-renowned sport biomechanist Vladmir M. Zatsiorsky asserts that there are three types of strength training: (1) the Maximal Effort Method, or lifting as much as you possibly can; (2) the Repeated Effort Method, or lifting a nonmaximal weight to failure; and (3) the Dynamic Effort Method, or lifting a nonmaximal weight as fast as you possibly can. For most home gym owners, the barbell that came with their Olympic weight plates will suffice for all three strength training methods, and especially for the Repeated Effort and Dynamic Effort Methods.
I took three years off lifting while in the Army and bought myself a power rack, a couple basic sets of plates with cheap bars, and a bench before a military-reimbursed/paid move. When I got where I was going, I bent each of the bars the first time I went to use them. One can definitely go too cheap on a bar - like the ones I bent with under 300 pounds on 'em.
I think to do a really balanced barbell review one should get the opinions of users on the extreme ends of the lifting spectrum. Those people will have specific needs and preferences for a barbell not usually noticed by the average user. Would love to have Coop get the opinions of those extreme end users, a strong person competitor and a very inexperienced lifter.
Might be a hot take but the Eleiko Power Bar does not have good tolerances. Several import bars available for less and in stainless (Hansu, TSS) that have better tolerances, better knurl, and still have those thin IPF comp collars. Rogue has also refreshed the 45lbs OPBs to have lower profile grooved sleeves and better tolerances on the sleeves themselves like the Ohio Bar 2.0S (the 20kg versions and aggros have not yet been updated). Best built bar I own is the American Barbell Chewy bar, which is stainless steel, tig welded sleeves, grippy knurling, and around $600.
I need to bring the Chewy Bar in. I haven't used it yet, but I've heard so many good things about it and I've always wanted a more aggressive AB Bar. - Coop
@@GarageGymReviews There are two "flavors" out now. Retail is usually a 20TPI volcano but they sometimes have a 25TPI mountain. I know you love your Kabuki bar so you might want to go with the 25 if you can find one as the goal was to create a Kabuki knurl but on a bar with better finishes/tolerances.
Never used or owned an Eleiko but I could agree with the rest of those you mentioned. The Rogue, Rep and Kabuki were at Home Gym Con and I have own the AB 25 TPI Volcano and the 20 TPI Mountain.
Yeah Also own both living.Fit barbells they are very close to the Rep Colorado bar at a better price
Chewy bar is great. REP's new bar lineup is amazing too - I'd go American Barbell or REP now. Not a fan or Rogue's bars. They rattle a lot and don't have the best tolerances and I think nearly all of them have grooved sleeves which make a lot of noise when you slide plates on/off. Mostly marketing and their nonsense F scale.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but IPF and IWF require specific dimensions of the sleeves and plate holes being 50 and 51mm. You prepare for the Olympics on the 20 years old Eleiko set and you win the Olympics on the new Eleiko set. The old and new needs to feel similar not to throw competitors off balance. Hence the slack like in the old days. You pull the slack, you hear the clang - that's the sound of victory right there.
I've been running the American Barbell stainless bar (humid basement) for years and it's been incredible. Love that thing and it still looks basically new. Pheromonal company, phenomenal bars.
I have used many of the higher end bars. Gungnir is the only must have. Nothing is as convenient or as thought through as that bar! Hands down my favorite!
I’m a fan of American Barbell. I struggle to describe the knurling other than to say it feels like sandpaper. I use the AB Comp. Spec SS bar and the knurling is not aggressive, but it sticks like it is. Additionally, the sound, or lack of, is a testament to the tolerances of this bar. However, this bar is not cheap, but it is my go-to bar.
I also like Vulcan Strength, but the knurling on this is more traditional and the average person would consider this too aggressive/sharp. I used this bar until I got my AB bar.
Picked up the AB California bar when equipment was hard to find. I love it. Definitely an underrated bar/brand.
Love my American Barbell Stainless Gym Bar. Find myself using that more than my other bars!
I vote for the AB Chewy bar...I've owned both the retail version, which is a 20 tpi volcano knurl, and a 20 tpi mtn knurl version. Amazing quality that sets them apart from other bars I have owned or used.
I have had my Eleiko XF bar for 3 years and I love it. Got it for a really good deal, so I can't speak on value for everyone. But it is a great barbell, I use it for everything except back squats and deadlifts.
Coop touched on it very briefly about the knurling, but I think it has just the right amount of aggressive knurling. I would give the knurling 6 out of 10 on aggressiveness. But it is an absolute 10/10 for my hands. I've had no problem with 315lb clean and jerks and 365lb bench presses. It is an all-around great bar
American Barbell Chewy is my primary
For me and my training I’ll probably do the American barbell Chewy bar as a power bar rogue Ohio stainless general purpose bar and either eleiko or eusaka olympic bar
AB bars are the house choice. Chewy, Griz, and both type CA bars. Absolutely solid.
18:43 Coop, brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin) are not the same material. Bronze has a low coefficient of friction against other metals, which is preferred for bushings.
American Barbell. All their bars seem really good to me. And the knurling gets a bad rap, IMO. Yeah, it won't tear your hands up. But its plenty grippy. And they know how to do chrome right. Holds up very well.
they know how to "do chrome right" because they don't do it in the United States. US has laws with forbid the proper barbell chroming techniques. So they chrome them in Mexico, or something, to skirt these laws and do it correctly.
American Barbell Chewy bar!
Gungnir ❤
Own a Rogue OPB and OB and they’ve been great. Needed a second generalist bar and a second power bar and ultimately decided to pick up the REP Colorado and Double Black Diamond. In both categories I prefer the REPs, but they have the benefit of being nearly 10 years newer. I don’t know what changes Rogue has made in the interim, but generally the REP bars have knurling more to my tastes, had better tolerances.
This is how must reviews read who have tried both.
My pick is the 30 year old CAP barbell in my home gym. Never cleaned and has not corroded. Gest the job done and no worries on damaging an expensive bar.
Power Bar - AB Chewy (if you like it knurly) or AB Mammoth if you don’t (if you can still find one)
GP, Rogue Ohio OR AB Cali, personal preference.
Ohio for a dead smack in the middle “jack of all trades” bar.
AB Cali IF you don’t mind a 28mm shaft. Honestly, AB Cali is more of a “crossfit bar”.
Meaning, Rogue Ohio was meant as a CF bar, but their logic was “jack of all trades” and what they ended up with was a great “GP” or “Bodybuilding” bar. Ohio is a great rec for a home gym guy owning just one bar only.
AB Cali leans just a bit towards a hint of their Oly Trainer (still a bushing bar but tuned for a smoother spin), if you’re doing actual Crossfit workouts, its still going to treat you pretty well for S/B/D but that hint of Oly Trainer is going to show up big for high rep oly or barbell cycling workouts.
Another way to say it, my personal rec was usually:
If you want ONE bar, grab an Ohio, but if you don’t mind owning 2 bars, skip Ohio, grab a true Power Bar & and AB Cali as a goid Batman/Robin combo.
My personal stable, for ref:
AB Mammoth, Chewy
Rogue Ohio, AB Cali
Texas Deadlift
(And then a bunch of specialty stuff)
I bought the Reps Alpine bar Stainless steel and have been absolutely loving it for my training. At first the knurling seemed aggressive but after a couple months my hands have adapted. I also wish the center knurling was removed(great at times but has rubbed me wrong also). Coming from a Rogue Ohio bar I can say bar whip on the Rep Alpine has been really noticeable and so has the spin with the hybrid bearings. I take great care of my bars and can see this one lasting with me through life. Great addition to my arsenal
I have a Rogue Ohio power bar and a Rogue deadlift bar. Outside of specialty bars, I don't envision myself buying another barbell again.
I mean, I probably will because I have a garage gym sickness but I wont NEED one.
I do Olympic lifting, I decided to get a rogue pyrros for the slower spin. The spin is so smooth it easily could be my last bar. (I’m going to get a uesaka eventually but that’s besides the point)
My go-to is the Rogue 45lb Ohio Power Bar, bare steel. Best bar for $275. Pretty aggressive knurl but just use chalk and your hands will toughen up to it. It’s a tank of a bar! Also have a 15kg Rogue B&R bar for wife and kids. I just got a Rogue Boneyard 28mm training bar for $150 and it’s awesome for power cleans. I like bare steel, no coating to chip/fail, just scrub it off with a slightly oily rag every few weeks and it will slowly patina and darken.
My home gym bar as well. I travel a lot for work and get to see a lot of different bars in the gyms of whatever local gym I use. Close tolerances/tight fit of the mechanicals doesn’t always mean reliable, rugged and long lasting. Admittedly, I have to keep a humidifier going 24/7 in my basement during the summer months; the water table is pretty high where my house is, rust is a concern. I like the 45 pounder because my OCD kicks in when I try to pretend that 20kg is 45 pounds.
Let's get a full review of Uesaka's bars. There seems to be so little about this bar that is either recent or detailed.
Yes pleeease!
I have a Uesaka competition bar, an Eleiko competition bar and 2 Pendlay bearing bars. The Uesaka is my preferred bar for training. I like the Pendlay bars over the Eleiko.
Why include American Barbell in two categories but leave out their Chewy bar for the power bar segment? That's their best bar and the best of that category.
I love my Chewy
I think the chewy is the best power bar I have ever owned.
25:32 you must’ve missed this part of the video so I’ve timestamped it.
@@jimmiereese4904 I didn’t, but thanks
Agreed. The AB Chewy is the best barbell I’ve ever used.
Love my Colorado Barbell, best barbell I’ve ever used.
Fringe sport Hybrid Bar rules the general purpose arena, and looks siiiiick
I have the elitefts power bar and have had it for 8 years. Purchase price was $299, and it is hard chrome finish and it has almost zero corrosion with very little maintenance. I don't think you have ever reviewed that bar. Given the great company elitefts is with all they offer for free as far as knowledge I like supporting them.
I'm curious about their gear too, not often reviewed or talked about... perhaps it's just rebranded from elsewhere? I think they make a lot of their own equipment like racks and machines, but I'd bet they outsource bars.
Rogue hybrid power bar is my daily driver. Awesome knurl
Just got a Colorado bar and that thing is noice! For the average person it’s top notch, no complaints
Can’t wait to watch the AB chewy review which I’m sure is now fast tracked. If that video causes the chewy to blow up we can just call it the ABC
For budget, ironmaster has a good offering. It's what I use, but admittedly, it's the only bar I've ever used.
I have used a bunch of different bars but the ones i own that i really love are as follows: General Training Bar - LuXiaoJun Bar (unfortunately not available anymore) Power Bar - Rogue Ohio Power Bar - Im not a power lifter but i got this bar and i really like it and then for Olympic Weightlifting which is what i do more often is the Eleiko Training bar( I have 4 of them)
One bar that should be in this list is the Rippeto Starting Strength Bar. I love the bare steel and the knurl
Nice roundup. One question: Has anyone actually done the math on Rogue's F-scale? It's based on the # of drops from overhead of a barbell with 25# plates. It's like, an insane amount of drops that no gym on earth is actually doing. It's like measuring the difference between how long before your fork stops working to stab food versus another, but then presupposing you're eating 30 meals a day. There's no meaningful difference that will matter before your bar is due for replacement anyway because of knurl wearing down, coating looking bad, etc...
No, and I think it's a little disingenuous for Coop to straight up say their barbells are more durable given that Rogue is the only one who uses it and won't tell anyone how it works.
@@meanpie13While I’m a Rogue fan, have to admit their F scale only applies to Rogue gear.
You missed the best one.. the AB Chewy!!
No mention of the American barbell Chewy bar? That seems to be conscious best overall powerbar by most home gym enthusiasts.
Surely Coop has one? I wonder if he just doesn’t like it.
American Barbell doesn't pay him to shill and won't send him a bar for free. He'll have to buy it on his own which is why he hasn't tried it.
Throwdown - olympic bearings barbell, tried it at a local gym and its great. U.S. made I believe. Passive knurling... Worth reviewing...
Have the ohio bar and love it. Bought a cheap walmart bar as a beater bar and to superset. Absolutely hated it and got the ohio power bar instead. Wow absolutely my favorite bar. Definitely recommend not skipping out on a nice barbell.
As someone who's currently stuck with a cheap old rusty bar, what makes the Ohio bar so much better in your opinion? I know that objectively it's just a better bar, I'm just curious what specifically made the cheap bar so much worse for you
@KeterMalkuth the bar was probably like 30mm or more which felt way too big especially for deadlifting. The knurling was absolutely terrible. It's hard to describe because i didn't think I was a knurling snob but the ohio power bar has the absolute best knurling imo
Anyone like the Strength Co. bars? They are made in the USA.
If you're looking for a good power bar I would recomend the American barbell Chewy bar. It's my nicest bar. My favorite bar is still the Rogue Ohio bar. My least favorite bar is the Kabuki Power bar. Best budget PB I would say is the Texas 29 or 28.5 PB
@@dirtdog5045 Sweet, thanks!
Review the ZKC weightlifting IWF bar. For the snatch and clean and jerk it is amazing. Same thing for high bar squats cause it gets a solid bounce. There's some things I don't like about it, but you're the expert, so I'd like to know your thoughts about it.
Reps warranty and customer service is far beyond Rogue. I sold all my rogue equipment when the sleeves started coming apart after less than a year and they wouldn't send a replacement to my current address. Rep on the other hand has not only stood behind their products but even gave me a free pulley when I dinged mine up accidentally during install of the ares even though it was clearly my fault. Their logic: "happens to the best of us." I'll be a Rep fanboy for life
Now that Rep’s Black Diamond bar has been out for a while, any plans on doing a review of it? So far there are only reviews for the Double Black Diamond but not the single Black Diamond.
Have you used an Ivanko stainless power bar. You can't get a better tolerance on the sleeves. It's perfect and makes Rogue's, Rep's feel cheap. Once you feel the rotation on the sleeve, you know.
I bought that bar years ago when it was basically the only stainless bar on the market. It really is excellent.
He talked about American Barbell being bad at marketing, yet we've got Ivanko which is used in powerlift meets the world over and it seems like no one in the garage gym world gives them a second look.
I've got an old OB-20KG from them, and even older B-86 (their standard plate barbell) and their plates. Now their knurl pattern is definitely a little weird and I don't use it for DL's because it would destroy my shins, but after getting used to their patterning I think it is easier to make sure your hands are always in the same spot. The bar itself is going to outlive me and most likely will never need any work.
I'd love to see Ivanko equipment review more by any equipment reviewer. They're one of the older brands and have been doing this for longer than most every other company noted here. They're being slept on imho.
Your confidence in Rogue's F Rating Scale and their RWH is a little weird. The only way it would be valid is if a 3rd party tested barbells from all manufacturers and published a report. Rogue doesn't give any details on what their RWH technique is and it seems pretty unlikely that they're doing some extra special thing that no other high end barbell manufacturer has figured out.
I don't really understand the reasoning behind "Chrome makes it less durable". I worked in a machine shop for years and any item that would receive a lot of wear and tear either got Chrome or Titanium Nitride (TiN) coatings. Plus if you look at Mil Spec bolt carrier groups and barrels for M16s, they are chromed on the inside to improve durability. Maybe something to do with sliding friction vs decreasing the diameter of a barbell shaft to compensate for the thickness of the coating?
Just marketing to push other finishes. Hard chrome is very durable. It's the cheap chrome that wears away easily.
I don't know the explanation; However, with regards to AR15's, to the best of my knowledge chrome lining isn't traditionally used on areas where repeat impacts are a concern. The bore, chamber, and bolt carrier interior are more so at risk of corrosion, heat exposure, and friction, not so much impacts. The biggest "Impact" would be the bolt seating against the barrel extension, two parts that are generally not going to be chromed.
Now, that being said, I had the exact same question as you and I still haven't actually heard any explanations. I messaged rogue about a related point asking about corrosion resistance, as I have no indoor space for my equipment. They said stainless would be best to mitigate rust. Personally, I don't understand why, given decent chroming should be effectively impervious to corrosion, so why isn't that the best choice?
Viewers, get a snack, get comfortable, and I’d suggest a notebook and pen, because this breakdown has a TON of good information. Solid work, brother. 💪
Texas Power Bar all day every day. Anything they make is the way to go
I have multiple rep Colorado bars and I have to say the QC is really bad on the cerakote and the shipping is pretty awful in terms of how they pack the bar. Outside of aesthetic issues, it's a great bar.
Great video - thanks!
It'd be cool to see a deep dive on the super low budget brands, like Cap, for what's worth it for beginner lifters.
Hi Coop! I work for a certain company, up in the north. I got one thing to say, get ready!
Fellow Canadian... very curious. Does your company name ring a "bell"? a steel bell?
@@pokeyouindaeye wrong continent ;)
@@fredrik1750 North of Coop = Canada
+1 for Oregon Power Bar review!
Sadly, it’s been discontinued
@@fwiffo42 seriously? Where did you see that?
@@joevandevusse3004 on their new Kabuki Power site and Instagram :(
18:34 the rarely talked about “Rogue” Black Diamond bar
The Atx XTP power bar is great. They have a similar bare steel bar like Eleiko
A couple of additions for the power bar category. Hansu power bar is becoming one of the most popular IPF approved power bars. TSS power bar is coming on strong as well. Personally the 29mm Texas is my go to, since I haven’t ponied up the money for the chewy yet
It would be great if you reviewed Ironbull’s Stainless Power Bar. In Canada, it’s only $400, for a stainless. They deliver in the US as well. Might be the best value stainless bar out there.
I like different bars for different lifts. I have a York 32mm Power Bar, a Rogue Ohio Bar, a Rogue 32 mm Squat Bar, and a Texas Deadlift bar.
The Rogue Ohio Power Bar in 20kg format is an appalling top pick. It, by definition, is designed to do 3 things well… squat, deadlift and bench press. 2 of the 3 requires a rack and it fails miserably in Rogue’s very own 49 inch rack! I challenge anyone to provide a link of them doing a hard set of 5 in a 49 inch rack with a OPB without clattering the plates into the uprights. And please… no work around…WTF is that?!…Workaround for the thing it’s designed to do! 💩. Worrying about tolerances and other marginal stuff when it can’t even do what it’s designed to do if you have a 49 inch rack, exemplifies majoring in the minors.
I bought a bar for my basement gym 11 years ago. I don't even know the brand and didn't know I want a new bar before this video haha
Wish someone like you discussing British companies on the Olympic barbells
Who's making barbells over the pond that we're missing? Always looking for more bars. - Coop
@@GarageGymReviews Mirafit, Strength Shop
@@GarageGymReviews Mirafit is a well regarded UK company. They now have some products available in the US I think as well. Strength shop is another
@@GarageGymReviews Mirafit, Strength Shop, Bulldog Gear. Mirafit deserve a big up, their stuff is very reasonably priced and really good quality.
For general training, tell me why the stainless steel Rogue Chan Bar with Cerakote isn't a good option. It even has a passive center knurl that works well with the proper shirt. Only downside I've had is for a close grip work where knurling lacks, however if I'm doing close grip whatever, I generally don't need full knurling and what I can grab with half my hand is satisfactory.
This bar is not for anyone that would consider themselves a powerlifter, but I do like it for general training.
Can you review some Oak Club products for us guys in 🇨🇦 that want a more premium option.
The powerlifting gym I usually train at have a full compliment of Eleiko bars, but I tend to look for their one Rogue bar (I think it's an Ohio), especially for deadlifting and bench press, because the knurling feels just a tad more aggressive than Eleiko. For my home gym I bought a Recoil Cerakote bar. So far it feels really similar to Rogue with the aggressive knurling. For squats I'm fine with what ever as long as it doesn't rattle like it's about to fall apart.
My rogue Pyrros bar is great and awful at the same time. I have the stainless steel version and surprisingly, it still has oxidation issues. There also is something subside the sleeve on one side that slides if you tip the barbell left and right. The knurling is great if you’re using thumb tape, but if not you get a lot of hand tears and I intentionally avoid triples because that’s when I tend to tear my hands on snatch. The spin is great. Overall I like it at the price point but the Eleiko is better if you have tbe cash. Usaka bars are not great like people say. The sleeve rotation is too slow compared to rogue Eleiko werksan, and ZKC, and I’ve messed up my shoulder snatching on them almost every time I’ve had to use one.
@Davis.smith.weightlifting .. I have the Pyrros bar too. Great bar, no oxidation issues, sleeves are nice and snug, and knurling is good for an Oly bar -- bought it in 2018, so not long. I'm gonna buy one of those Texas 29mm PB next, 100% raw steel -- always liked using raw steel bars when I used to train in a gym, vice my home gym.
I have the rogue ohio bar (stainless steel handle). It's solid for an average joe like me. I love it.
Single most important thing for me when buying anything gym related is. Customer service/warranty after you bought products
Stories like the Uesaka bar do make me want to buy it more as well. It's interesting. That said my budget sends me to Rep, but like you said, also decent bars and it is a good time to have a lot of excellent choices.
If we're going off of looks, gotta say I love the Fringe Midas
I love my Rogue stainless steel barbell.
Me too.
Uesaka men’s comp is a work of art. My prized possession haha
Just ordered Colorado bar through links above. Thanks for the great content Coop !!!
For Texas Power Bars, I noticed online that the tensile strength has gone up.
Synergee Rhino bar. 💪🏻
Nice overview. I’d love to see a video comparing a lot of different deadlift bars: Rogue, Leoko, Kabuki, Texas and more.
I have a Rogue Ohio bar in red cerakote and I absolutely love it.
Same here. It's both a great performing and really good looking bar. I also have an all black zinc Ohio bar and the Rogue curl bar. The zinc and cerakote each have a slightly different feel due to the different coatings and how they interact with the knurling. I like to switch off for variety. Everything I have bought from Rogue has been top quality, and I always buy American made when I can. When I lift in a public gym, the first thing I notice is how "slippery" the bars usually are and how off the feel is compared to my home stuff.
I have a huge complaint about Uesaka. For something that is supposed to be a premium product, the website doesn't show it. They just don't put nearly enough information up. Example, how much do any of their bars weight? What is the length? What is the grip size? For a $700 curl bar, I should know all of this. Without having to go to their Japanese website, which in typical Japanes website fashion is cluttered.
Surprised you didn't recommend the Rogue Training Bar for Olympic Weightlifting, especially on a budget. I have it, in stainless. Same shaft as the Oly bearing bar but it has composite bushing sleeve. Those bearing sleeves on the Oly bar are better but you don't notice the composite bushing just in every day life with the Training bar. And I got it for under $400. American Barbell training bar is very nice too with a slightly more passive knurl
I’ve got small hands, leads to grip being an issue on most lifts. That’s why I like my 28.5 TPB. I’ve debated upgrading to a 29 for a power bar, but I’m just not sure it’s worth it when my hands are small.
Thank you for the in depth review Coop!
Curious what your thoughts are on the Rogue Hybrid Power bar? Can we perhaps get a dedicated review?
How is it different from the Rogue Ohio Power bar in stainless with matte black sleeves?
Opinions on Wright Equipment Next Gen Bushing bars? In that $300 range, American Made, 0.002 tolerance, 201,000 tensile strength, seems like a competitor.
Please a full review (I'll take a written one) for the rep alpine bar!
That was a good fair review. Really enjoyed the wide range of $$$.
Still nobody mentions the REP Delta Basic Bar. I haven't been able to find any real reviews on this thing anywhere, but it seems like an absolute steal for the price.
It’s been a while but I think gluck’s gym mentionned it a couple of times in some of his videos if that can help you
@@sambergeron967 Yeah, that's the only place I've been able to find anything at all about it.
It's worth comparing Eleiko Comp bar IWF with Pyrros Rogue in a video
Would love a series or a video on the three best of some item. Like if you could only get 1-3 barbells or other pieces of equipment, whats the best.
My favorite barbell is a cheap Olympic barbell that won’t rust, preferably a set with bumpers and at least 120kg total
How about the Pyrros bar? It is on my list because the center knurl.
At it's price you might as well get a gungnir
Hey thanks for this review. Which budget barbell would you recommend living fit vs bells of steel barenaked or any other bar within the same price range. Thanks
I would like to see some weightlifters review different weightlifting barbells and which ones they choose to train with
I love The Stump, I own. I am hoping we can one day see a Stump, with the Aggro2X treatment.
No Deadlift Bar category?!! 🤷 I have a Texas Deadlift Bar and a no name 20+ year old budget bar that is good enough, so im set on bars, but I watched this whole video and loved every second 👌
Please, Please, Please Review (The Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension Machine V2)
What's would be the price of Weightlifting bar (women) - 15Kg Competition | Eleiko
Eleiko sport Olympic weightlifting barbell and the Rogue Olympic weightlifting training barbell
I'd love a deep dive on shorty rackable bars. Rogue c-70s and similar.
How does the knurling compare between the Cerakote Colorado vs California? I'm so split between the two. I deeply care about the knurling so I keep leaning Colorado, then I keep thinking the 28mm California might make up for it.
Great video and super informative. I suggest maybe making a video for women's bars - olympic and GP (BoS have an interesting import). I am still bummed that you show no love for Vulcan bars - their PL, WL and GP bars are great. In Europe I would def add Leoko for PL and WL(same steel as the Swedes), Werksan for WL- if you can get one used .. they closed their shop prior to covid nonsense, Hatlex for GP and Palini for PL and WL. The ZKC bar and the DHS from China are both IWF cert bars and deserve a mention. Also - don't think I didn't notice you deadlifting on a Klokov bar whilst talking about the Rogue OHP.
This raises the issue of whether most home gym owners really need an expensive Olympic Barbell, since most home gym owners aren't going to bench more than 300 lbs.
World-renowned sport biomechanist Vladmir M. Zatsiorsky asserts that there are three types of strength training: (1) the Maximal Effort Method, or lifting as much as you possibly can; (2) the Repeated Effort Method, or lifting a nonmaximal weight to failure; and (3) the Dynamic Effort Method, or lifting a nonmaximal weight as fast as you possibly can. For most home gym owners, the barbell that came with their Olympic weight plates will suffice for all three strength training methods, and especially for the Repeated Effort and Dynamic Effort Methods.
I took three years off lifting while in the Army and bought myself a power rack, a couple basic sets of plates with cheap bars, and a bench before a military-reimbursed/paid move.
When I got where I was going, I bent each of the bars the first time I went to use them.
One can definitely go too cheap on a bar - like the ones I bent with under 300 pounds on 'em.
Think you have forgodtbefindende this barbell BUGET Barbell😅❤❤❤❤
I had and have multiple barbells. It's really is a toss up. But for me value and feel is Texas power bar for me.
I think to do a really balanced barbell review one should get the opinions of users on the extreme ends of the lifting spectrum. Those people will have specific needs and preferences for a barbell not usually noticed by the average user. Would love to have Coop get the opinions of those extreme end users, a strong person competitor and a very inexperienced lifter.