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Bar Talk

Bridge Built Clydesdale Power Bar Comprehensive Review

This is a review for the Bridge Built Clydesdale Power Bar,  a new 29 mm power bar that is designed to stand out in the crowd by being finished in an antique brass Cerakote and gold zinc. To many, the Clydesdale is a unique and beautiful bar. Positive feedback on the sleeve and bar shaft [...]

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Gymway USA Elite Olympic Weightlifting Bar Comprehensive Review

This is a review of the Elite Weightlifting Bar – an Olympic training bar that’s manufactured by one of the most established and experienced bar manufacturers that you have probably never heard of; a Taiwanese company called Gymway. Gymway has been producing mid-range and high-performance, private-label bars for many years now; longer than most of [...]

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Buddy Capps - Branch Warren Texas Body Building Bar Review

This is an extensive review of the Texas Body Building Bar; Texas Power Bar’s newest bar, and the result of a collaboration with pro bodybuilder and Texas native, Branch Warren. The Texas Body Building Bar has been a terribly fun bar for me to review. I have thoroughly enjoyed training with it for the last [...]

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Rogue Ohio Power Bar Review - E-Coat Edition

Rogue recently added yet another finish option for the 45-pound version of the Ohio Power Bar. That’s right, now in addition to bare steel, stainless steel, black zinc, and Cerakote you can pick up the OPB with Rogue’s black E-Coat finish. You know, just on the off chance you thought there was a shortage of [...]

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Rep Deep Knurl Power Bar EX Review

Comprehensive Review of the Rep Fitness Deep Knurl Power Bar EX

This is a review for the Rep Fitness Deep Knurl Power Bar EX, a high-tensile strength, fully-stainless steel, aggressively-knurled powerlifting bar. Many of you may be wondering what took me so long to get around to this review. The Rep Deep Knurl has been available for a couple of months now, and those of you [...]

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Compare Olympic barbells, power bars, CrossFit bars, Junior bars and more

Welcome to the Garage Gym’s Olympic Barbell Review and Shopping Guide. If you happen to be in the market for a quality weightlifting bar, power bar, WOD bar, or a general-purpose bar, then you’ve come to the right place. If you’re interested in learning the basics of barbell construction, then again, you’ve come to the [...]

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Fringe Sport Hybrid Bearing Bar Comprehensive Review

This is a review for the Fringe Sport 20 kg Hybrid Bar, a high-tensile strength, multi-purpose barbell that readers have suggested I review a surprising amount of times since its release. Well I finally snatched one up, and here is that review. The Hybrid Bar is a 28.5 mm, dual-marked bar intended to offer a [...]

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Buddy Capps / Texas Power Bars Texas Deadlift Bar Review

I previously reviewed the Buddy Capps Texas Deadlift Bar back June of 2019, and I gave it  a very positive review with zero hesitation. It is an amazing training implement put out by an impressive company. Texas Power Bars (Capps Welding) is a highly experienced, reputable, and knowledgeable company that’s been in the business since [...]

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Fringe Sport Lone Star Power Bar Comprehensive Review

It’s been so long since I have reviewed a Fringe Sport product. I don’t know why that is, as I really do miss reading Peter’s extremely random product descriptions and trying to decipher and extract all the pertinent details from them, but I don’t have to miss it anymore because I am back with a [...]

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Rep Fitness Stainless Steel EZ Curl Bar Review

This is an evaluation and review of the two new Stainless Steel Curl Bars by Rep Fitness. I purchased both the 30-lb, 55″, standard-length EZ curl bar, and the 35-lb, 72″, Rackable EZ Curl Bar; both in stainless steel (chrome versions are also available.) I wanted to pick up the rackable variant because rackable curl bars [...]

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Trap Bar / Hex Bar Comprehensive Shopping Guide

I get asked time and time and time again about the various trap bar options out there, so I figured that it was finally time to put something together for those of you who who happen to be in the market. Here it is! My [long overdue] hex and trap bar shopping guide. I hope [...]

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Buddy Capps Texas Deadlift Bar Review

It’s finally here! My review of the Buddy Capps Texas Deadlift Bar! This review took a little longer to finish than I had originally planned.  I tend to do so many barbell reviews that when a couple of non-barbell review opportunities came up (the Body Solid Leg Curl / Leg Extension and the Rep Fitness [...]

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Win a Chicago Bar from Body Solid

It’s almost time for the second annual Garage Gym Competition. For those of you who don’t know, the Garage Gym Competition is a virtual powerlifting meet organized by Mr. Joe Gray of Gray Matter Lifting. Last year’s Garage Gym Competition was very successful, so the list of sponsors has grown significantly, and the quantity and quality [...]

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Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar 3.0 Comprehensive Review

This is a comprehensive review of the new Bells of Steel Open Trap Bar. In this review I will be addressing all of the specifications and dimensions of this new bar, and discussing all of its major features. I will even begin my briefly tackling a few of the reasons you may want to consider [...]

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Buddy Capps Starting Strength Bar Review

This is a review of the new 20 kg Starting Strength Bar; a bar developed and manufactured by Buddy Capps of Irving, Texas.  As many of you know, Buddy Capps of Capps Welding is the creator of the infamous Texas Power Bar;  a bar still considered to be the gold standard in the power bar [...]

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