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All the imported bars from China have a very low tensile strength and lower yield strength. Their bars can be bent by doing an explosive deep knee bend with 300 pounds and reversing direction fast.
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Bars rarely bend from dropping when the plates hit first. It almost always happens when the bar hits first, such as on a power rack. This makes me wonder why, with all the great designers around, none of the gym equipment manufacturers can design and manufacture a shock absorbing power rack, or a power rack designed so that if a loaded bar drops, the plates hit first.
Back in 1987, a strength equipment designer by the name of Jim Sutherland conducted what he termed a "serious test" on 11 Olympic bars to determine the best bar to sell to serious power rack trainers. Jim was the head of research and development for Universal Gym Equipment, the major strength equipment manufacturers at that time. He tested Uddeholm, Eleiko, York, Ivanko, Superior, Hastings, Texas Power Bar, Malone, and Billard. His test consisted of dropping weight-loaded Olympic bars from a three-foot height onto 1-1/4" diameter heat-treated power rack safety bars. He started with 350 pounds and incr eased the weight until the bar developed a permanent bend. Seven bars developed bends ranging from 1/2" to 3" in the 350 – 700 pound range. Eleiko and Udeholm made it to 700 pounds before bending. Two bars made it to 1100 pounds without developing bends: the Ivanko OBX-20KG and the Hastings Manganese Alloy bar. The Ivanko bar at that time was made of 185,000 PSI steel.
http://ivankobarbell.com/press/how_t...c_bar_2012.pdf