This is a review for the most up-to-date version of the 20kg men’s Wonder Bar V2 by Fringe Sport, a bar that has been heavily refined over the years while still maintaining it’s sub $200 price point; a price that even includes the shipping, mind you. Like all other products that they sell, Fringe Sport is [...]
Bar Talk

This article is a work in progress. Normally I wouldn’t publish an incomplete article, but its completion is dependent on my readers knowing of its existence and contributing to it. I have been writing articles and equipment reviews for this site for well over five years now, and in that time I’ve been asked hundreds [...]

The Rep Fitness PowerSpeed Bar is a power bar much like any other mid-range power bar. It has a very strong and rigid 29 mm shaft with a fairly aggressive knurl, a center knurl, and bronze bushings. What makes the PowerSpeed Bar different is the total absence of knurling on the outermost section of the shaft; [...]

In this article; this bar review of sorts; I will be talking about American Barbell’s three major power bars – the Mammoth, the Elite, and the Grizzly. I’ll go over all of the specifications for each bar, discuss the pros and cons of each, and talk about comparable competitor’s bars. I’m also going to go [...]

I’ve been getting a good number of questions about American Barbell lately; namely about their Urethane Bumper Plates and an issue regarding rust on American Barbell bar sleeves. I wanted to tackle these two questions as well as just make you aware of an opportunity to get a blemished AB bar for a bit less [...]

The new Matt Chan Bar is here; an updated yet still true-to-form version of what is typically considered to be Rogue’s most unique and versatile multi-purpose bar, and incidentally the bar that has always been one of my personal favorites over the years. The new Chan Bar is stronger, it’s more resilient, and it’s flashier, [...]

This is a review of the Iron Company 5150 Olympic Weightlifting Bar; a new 20 kg, 28 mm, multi-purpose bar that has many premium features, a fair price, and specifications that rival some of today’s most popular mid-range Olympic and WOD bars. On paper this bar is definitely promising; offering us versatility, durability, and a [...]

This is the long-awaited review for Vulcan Strength’s new Stainless Steel Absolute Power Bar; the ridiculously strong, pleasantly aggressive, oxidation resistant beast that is literally 100% stainless steel – so long as you don’t count the end caps. One only has to look at the images of this bar to see that it’s a beautiful [...]

This is a comprehensive review for the Strength Shop Bastard Power Bar, a mid-range bar that can be purchased both in the USA and in most of Europe from one of Strength Shop’s many domains. The Bastard Power Bar retails for US$275 but it can be found on sale fairly regularly (at least that is [...]

Rogue has introduced five new Cerakote Athlete Bars; one Ohio Power Bar, two Ohio Bars, and two Bella Bars. They feature colorways specific to the very athlete they represent, and they include some artwork as well. Despite there being only one Ohio Power Bar (the ‘Thor’ Edition), there are two versions; a 20 kg and [...]

It was recommended to me that I keep a running list of all my barbell reviews, and even go so far as to perhaps comment on which bars were kept in the gym and which weren’t. Well I thought that was a fantastic idea, so here is a list of all the barbell reviews found [...]

Is there truly a benefit to having a stainless steel barbell over a bare steel bar? Is stainless steel really rust-proof or does it just take longer to rust? Why am I paying all this extra cash for stainless if I still have to “maintain” my stainless steel bar? If you’ve asked yourself any or [...]

I absolutely love the Ohio Powerlifting line; both the Ohio Power Bars and the Ohio Deadlift Bar. I have both of these beasts in raw, unfinished steel, and both of them are on my ‘never sell these bars’ list. The natural feeling of the raw steel combined with the deep, aggressive knurl makes for two incredible training [...]

This is a full review of the Elite Power Bar by American Barbell. This bar is one of only two semi-affordable, IPF-spec, stainless steel power bars currently on the market. In this review I will not only cover the specifications and features of the Elite, I will also compare it to that other semi-affordable, IPF-spec, [...]

This is an in-depth review of the new Eleiko NxG Performance Weightlifting Bar. This bar is offered as premium, less expensive alternative to the Eleiko IWF Training and Competition weightlifting bars for the sole purpose of training the Olympic lifts. The Performance WL Bar is functionally no different than its more expensive big brothers. It [...]