Training with a cheap barbell

[exter]

Hi,
I usually train in a powerlifting/olympic lifting gym where the barbells are really good.
I have to train sometimes at another gym (in another country) where the barbells are clearly shitty.
I found that I deadlift 20kg less because the bar doesn't even bend past the 200kg mark, and bench press 15kg less, I don't even know why (if anyone knows I'd be glad to learn). The squat however is unaffected.
I'm worried if I can make good gains training with this shitty bar.
Any ideas are welcome.

[A Schenck]

Cheap bars are often thick and can have really bad (shallow, passive) knurling. If you are concerned with the drop in weight with this bar consider using straps for your deadlift. Use chalk for you deadlift and bench.

Also keep in mind that consistency in training over the long term is more important than a few kg on the bar lost during an occasional workout while traveling.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Also keep in mind that consistency in training over the long term is more important than a few kg on the bar lost during an occasional workout while traveling.

A novel idea there. Consider those traveling workouts "light" days.

[k_kws]

There's a place close by my parents' house that I train at when I'm visiting for holidays. It has two racks, and two bent cheap 20kg bars. And for that reason it's still better than the other 3 commercial gyms close by.
The first time I went in there, presses and bench were so goddamn hard. It takes up a lot of your strength when pressing a bar that wants to roll. I lifted considerably less than what I had planned.
But once I started getting under the arc of the bar, I was actually able to get my volume presses in, without taking weight off.
Normal grip bench press didn't work well at all, but close grip worked fine.
Squats went just fine.
Deadlifts were slightly annoying.
So in all, lifting with these cheap bent bars is a pain in the ass and I have to adjust the bar before unracking anything. But my training didn't slow down.
It might also be worth noting that these bars were bent in the center. If the bend was off-center I don't think there's anything I could have done.