Weightlifting Bars, part 2 - What’s the Sweet Spot? What are they all for?
Following up on the last post regarding lifting bars, let’s go through the list of bars that I own and see what to make of each of them. This should be fun.
Eleiko Olympic Bar – This one is my pride and joy. I have had this bar for a long time, and I can pretty much use it for everything. I use it all of my Olympic lifts and variations, plus I use it to overhead press and whatever else comes to mind while it is loaded. It is a great bar for any use, though it is a little thin to feel great while squatting heavy weight. If you only had one bar, this wouldn’t be too terrible.
Eleiko Olympic Bar #2 – This is the newer model and I have used it on many occasions, and since it is an Eleiko, it is one of the best bars made. I do not use it as much since I have the other one, it sits on the storage rack most of the time.
Werksan Olympic Bar – I really like this bar, it spins really well and has a nice feel to it. The knurling is not as defined as on the Eleiko, but it is a good bar.
Intek Power Bar – This is my go-to bar. I can do everything with this bar. While it would not be ideal for Olympic lifts, it is just fine for pulls and other variations. And while Power bars are a few mm thicker than Olympic bars, this one feels a little thicker than a standard Power bar. It comes in at 29mm, and while that’s standard, it feels a touch thicker.
Intek Dual Purpose Bar – A CrossFit type bar with the double rings for different hand placements. This is a good bar, though I have never really used it. My wife broke it out of its sleeve and uses it. Nothing against it, I just have others I already use. REVISION: This is the bar I gave to my cousin and he says it’s awesome.
EliteFts Yoke Bar – I bought this bar for myself as a Christmas present and am so happy with the purchase. I was looking for a good Safety Squat Bar (SSB) and this one has lived up to it. Great bar for squats, box squats, front squats (yep I said it) or good mornings.
Marrs-Bar – This bar is my newest addition and I love it. My new favorite bar. It sits great on your back, comfortable and almost puts you into a low bar position. Also great for front squats and box squats. This is one of the best bars you can get your hands on.
Some crappy Olympic bar – This is a bar I picked up when we were trashing some equipment from our facility, and it is what it sounds like. Like I said, I only use it for landmine exercises, and actually leave it in the landmine. It serves its purpose.
Tsunami Bar – A great bar to be used for different variations of exercises, de-loads some oscillation work. I haven’t used it a lot, but I do like using it for overhead pressing variations and overhead walks.
Trap Bar – I do not have one, but I want one and it will be the next addition to the gym. Very versatile bar that you can do many lifting variations with. REVISION: I bought a new trap bar from Intek just last night and I am excited to try it out. It has an open back and pedestal stands for easy loading; I can’t wait to get it.
Kabuki Transformer Bar – I have heard a lot of great things about this bar, and the pictures make it seem as if it could be a game changer, especially for a home gym owner.
What don’t you have? What’s a bar you would like to try out?
Keith