Yeah it痴 me again. Looks like I知 going to be waiting awhile for a new bar. The two I知 thinking of getting is either
The Rouge power bar
Or
The Texas All American bar, by Texas Power bars.
Which would be your pick?
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Yeah it痴 me again. Looks like I知 going to be waiting awhile for a new bar. The two I知 thinking of getting is either
The Rouge power bar
Or
The Texas All American bar, by Texas Power bars.
Which would be your pick?
It’s such a subjective thing. Thickness, knurl, whip, collar thickness, material, maintenance. Most of all, how quickly do you want it ? I ended up with an ATX bar primarily because I don’t want to wait months, not because I particularly wanted an ATX bar. As it turns out, it’s difficult to get racks, plates, or benches, so getting a bar is only part of the problem.
I agree with Nokian that it's a subjective decision as long as you aren't in a rush to get one. Depending on which version of the OPB you are interested in, you may be able to get one quickly. If you want a Texas All American Bar, the company lists a production time of 8 weeks and some reviews state that there are significant delays.
I have an E-Coat OPB which works perfectly for me. It could be my imagination, but I believe that coating moderates the knurling just enough that it provides a secure grip without tearing up my hands. I just finished a 5x5 bench and 5x3 press workout and my hands are fine. I also have a Rogue deadlift bar that I believe has a similar knurl but the zinc coating seems to have a smaller effect which I prefer on a deadlift bar.
Yeah the OPB I知 looking at is the Ecoat one. I saw some of the reviews for the TPB and they seem to of waited over 15 weeks for one. Right now I知 just using my cap barbell. I知 really looking for one with center knurling.
Are you going to be doing cleans or Olympic lifts ? Aggressive knurling can be problematic for those lifts and you don’t need the heavy knurl on pressing movements, particularly the press which makes cheese grater knurling hazardous to the face. I think this is why Mark created the B&R bar. I did look at the American Barbell power lifting bar as an alternate due to the B&R delivery time, as it has a more moderate knurl and a good reputation for build quality. Just something to consider.
Although it's tough to design a single barbell that is suited to both powerlifting and Olympic lifts, I agree the the B&R bar balanced the two well. My ideal squat bar would have fairly aggressive knurling where I grip the bar and moderate knurling in the center. For everything else, I don't want center knurling. Since the B&R bar wasn't available when I was looking for equipment, I considered the Ohio bar which has a moderately flexible, standard grip knurling, and no center knurling before deciding on the E-Coat OPB.
Great suggestion. Chalk on one's back when squatting also works. Although any of the bars we are discussing are better than what I had been using, I went with an OPB and a boneyard deadlift bar. If a stainless Ohio bar had been available when I started building a home gym a few months ago, I might have chosen differently.
I said that about the SS Bar from Capps Welding.