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 high level of performance for both the Olympic lifts and the big-3 power lifts. The idea behind multi-purpose bars such as the Hybrid is that you can take them from the Olympic platform to the power rack without needing to change equipment. You can snatch, clean & jerk, squat, bench, and deadlift with the same bar, and all without feeling like you’re sacrificing performance.
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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 the 1980’s, and the Texas Deadlift Bar is a high-performance deadlift bar that has phenomenal knurling; classy dual-roll pinned sleeves with recessed end caps; premium, oil-impregnated bronze bushings; and close to a dozen finish configurations. It truly is an end-game barbell.
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This is a quick review of the Vulcan Strength 1-Basic Safety Squat Bar (SSB); an affordable yet fully-functional alternative to pretty much every other safety squat bar on the market.
Being offered for the low price of $209, the Vulcan 1-Basic Safety Squat Bar sports a 700-lb max capacity, true 50 mm sleeves (no axle collars needed), single-piece [stitched] vinyl pad (meaning no rotating/sliding pads), and shipping is even included in the already low price.
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This is a review of the Rep Fitness AB-5200, a commercial-grade, adjustable ladder bench with not only all the standard features you’d expect from a commercial bench, but a number of very unique characteristics as well; things like grippy vinyl, improved mobility, an optional spotter platform, and more. The 5200 is also one of the only ladder benches (if not the only) that can be stored upright. And the price! It could not be more competitive.
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If you’re serious about training at home, then you’re going to want some form of power rack or squat stand in your garage gym in order to get the most out of your workouts. You’ll need somewhere to rack the bar for overhead presses and squats, and you’ll also want access to safety spotters so that you can confidently go heavy on your bench press and squats those days you find yourself training alone. You will also need a pull-up bar, and those are already built into power racks and many squat stands.
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To all you crazy wildcats out there, Fringe Sport has a bumper plate to match your ferocious side (or fierce side, if you prefer), the Fringe Sport Savage Bumper Plates.
Savage Bumper Plates are a new twist on Fringe’s top-tier, basic bumper plate. Sporting all of the same bells and whistles as Fringe’s Colored and Contrast Bumpers, Savage Bumper Plates are black bumpers with dense “tiger streaks of color” mixed in; which you must admit is pretty cool looking.
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Did I not just review the PR-5000 Power Rack like last September? Why in the world am I doing it again! Is there nothing else I could be reviewing!
No I’m just kidding. That was the original PR-5000 Power Rack, and this is the PR-5000 V2 Power Rack, and boy oh boy is the new version all kinds of different than last year’s model, and all kinds of better!
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Every holiday season I keep a list of all the important Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, and this is that list. As the information on those sales becomes available I will update this article. I will also frequently have non-holiday sales listed here as well.
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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 much-needed Fringe Sport product review!
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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.)
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The newly redesigned Rogue Monster Utility Bench is finally here. That’s right; the beefiest, coolest looking utility bench to ever exist is no longer the most unwieldy bench around. The new 2.0 Monster Frame now has wheels and a handle, a tripod frame that makes setting of your feet less of an ordeal, and yes, it’s still available in the same six custom configurations.
In this review I will discuss the features, pros, and cons of the Monster Utility Bench 2.0 just as I normally would in a bench review. I will also give extra attention to how the Monster 2.0 compares to the Rep Fitness FB-5000; that ever-so-popular, extremely affordable, Fat Pad-compatible utility bench that beat the Monster 2.0 to market by over a year – the bench that has hundreds of 5-star reviews and no doubt finds a home in thousands of garage gyms.
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It’s been eight years since I first published my Weight Bench Ultimate Shopping Guide, and once again (for the third time) this page is due for an update. Starting in September of 2026 I will be making sure this guide is up-to-date. This includes checking current availability and pricing, fixing broken links, and updating images. I’ll even be adding new offerings that were not available the last time this guide was updated. If there is a bench that you believe has a place on this page, leave your suggestion in the comments section below.
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A few months back I was looking to pick up a new trap bar for the gym. I wanted something basic, but not something cheap. I was willing to put some money into this new hex bar, but I wasn’t trying to see how many [mostly-unnecessary] bells & whistles I could cram into it and have to pay for. I simply wanted a new trap bar that had virtually no weight limitations, could be racked for shrugs, and was relatively easy to store; at least as far as hex bars go. I didn’t care about open-ended models, dual-handles, build-in jacks, etc.
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This is a comprehensive review of the Body Solid Pro Clubline Lat & Mid Row Machine; an aggressively-priced, commercially-rated cable machine that allows one to perform both lat pulldowns and cable rows from the very same, surprisingly compact piece of equipment.
The SLM300G is exactly like the machines you used back in your global gym days. This is not a compromise machine with limitations or special needs; you can perform genuine, max effort, heavy lat pulldowns and rows, and all for a price the average garage gym owner can actually afford. At well under $2000 delivered this is by far the most accessible, commercial, dual-station lat tower on the market.
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This is a comprehensive review of the Victory FT-5000, Rep Fitness’ take on one of (if not the most) versatile pieces of gym equipment available – the functional trainer.
For those of you who knew this review was coming and have been waiting patiently for me to complete it, I apologize for the longer than usual wait. I really wanted to be thorough with this review and that meant getting a lot of time on the FT-5000 before publishing anything. I also wanted a good amount of feedback from others who were using it in my gym. That too required slowing down the review process a little. A functional trainer is a major investment and I just wanted to detailed as possible with the content of this review.
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