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What bar do you own?

Rambodian

No I'm not cambodian
What bars do you own?

I have a Texas power bar and a MM needle bearing bar, the higher rated one.

Was interested in what bars you guys own, and how have they performed so far.

I like my Texas bar, it has great knurling, but it is a bit flexible and I have only maxed my deadlifts to 160kg on it. So far it has held up good but there is a little 2mm bend in it from dropping it with 125kg off my back when I failed a squat. Broke the ring out of my plate as they landed a bit off set but the bar held up bloody well. I measured it using the Riptoe method I seen in another post the other day. For all intensive perposes its straight, and I just glued the ring back in my plate.

The MM bar has basically no friggen knurling at all, that thing is smooth. But I did get it for my wife and she prefers it that way so that was a bit of a win really. So far she has maxed about 60kg on it doing deadlifts. I haven't used it really, besides a few warm ups for SOHP as it was already on the stands so can't comment on its durability. Dam thing has smooth bearings though, for 200 bucks we are stoked with it.

What about you guys, especially those of you who lift super heavy, what are you using?
 
I have the cheap gym direct bar. It's bent as from 300kg+ rack pulls. It's 32mm diameter and the knurling is shit. Good for rack pulls that's about it.

Also have a pendlay bushing. Nice bar, knurling is fine but very good. Doesn't have as much flex as I thought it would.
 
ABC Power Bar bought on Markos of PTC's reccomendation, he says jump you jump.

all i had before that was a bent ebay china bar

everyone says the knurling is harsh but i never really found that to be the case. there was talk of the arly bars being brutal then a "series 2" was manufactured with less aggressive knurling, it's more than likley i have that.

I'll most likley not own anything else can't see the ABC bar failing at any stage

$520 delivered to Brissy from memory

2 years old and the only thing that tells you its not new is the chalk and the rust dust off my plates on the sleeves.
 
I've had my ABC for six years roughly, the chrome has come off, just wearing in.

My next bar will not be chrome plated.
 
currently have an Eleiko powerlifting comp bar.
nuf said for performance.


used to own the economy bar from Iron Edge, bent really quickly, only deadlifting like 120 at the time, was smashing the Oly lifts at the time, lots of cleans so really cant expect it to hold up only being like 190 bucks.

also used to own a Pendlay Bushing Class HD NexGen, held up good, didnt bend, 170 deads, was doing Oly lifts when i first got it, had a moderate whip, only down side was no center knurling for when i got into powerlifting, the bar would slip and move around when squatting - the difference the center knurling makes is incredible.
 
I have
5 Black Nitrate ABC power bars
1 Pendaly nex gen weightlifting bar
3 Muscle Motion 600kg bars
1 Texas deadlift bar
1 China bar
1 SSB
1 Trap bar

My cheap china bar was my very first bar a number of years ago. It has seen plenty of 5 plate deadlifts, still straight as. Cost me about $70 brand new lol. Its only used for rack puss now, or some things with the girls as its 18kg.

MM bars are great bars for the price, and will do any home gym justice.
The knurl is quite fine, so once you get past 200kg+ squats they can move around a little, but a little chalk fixes that.
They are also quite whippy.

ABC bars are the best bar your going to find for under $1000. Get a little whippy at 240kg squats, but apart from that, they are an excellent bar.
I also love the fact you can custom knurl the bar.

The Texas deadlift bar is awesome.
Brutal on the hands, and plenty of whip. Its longer and thinner than a standard bar.

Pendaly bar is great bar for only lifts. As callan said no centre knurl, and moderate whip.
I use it every time I do C&J.

Next bar on order is a Texas squat bar.
Thicker, and a super rough knurl.
Cant wait for it to sink itself into my delts!
 
I have the cheap gym direct bar. It's bent as from 300kg+ rack pulls. It's 32mm diameter and the knurling is shit. Good for rack pulls that's about it.

Also have a pendlay bushing. Nice bar, knurling is fine but very good. Doesn't have as much flex as I thought it would.

I forgot I have a SSB as well.
 
Does SSB = Safety squat bar?

@Callan: Where do you buy a Eleiko bar in Aus mate? and how is the knurl compared to a Texas bar?

ABC bars get consistently good reviews.

Do you guys reckon a Texas power bar would hold up to some oly lifting if I didn't smash it on the ground. Ofcourse I would have bumper plates on it by then.
 
Sticky how is the whip on the Texas deadlift bar compared to a pendlay.

More whip on a Texas.... Its thinner. That plus it actually has a knurling, its a recipe for awesomeness.


Does SSB = Safety squat bar?

@Callan: Where do you buy a Eleiko bar in Aus mate? and how is the knurl compared to a Texas bar?

ABC bars get consistently good reviews.

Do you guys reckon a Texas power bar would hold up to some oly lifting if I didn't smash it on the ground. Ofcourse I would have bumper plates on it by then.

SSB = Safety Squat Bar..
Texas bar will work for oly lifts..... I used to use my ABC bar. Just not as good.
More knurl = more cuts.
Not as much whip.
different rings
 
Eleiko Powerlifting bar, 5 years old now. Kept locked up at gym for my use
Texas Power bar for home, kept outside.
Both are good bars for powerlifting, I wouldn't recommend the texas bar for Oly lifting, I reckon the knurling is much to harsh for snatching, and cleans.
If the Eleiko bars were a similar price to what the are in the usa ( $ 895 retail ) I'd highly recommend for a home gym that isn't outside (as bar is prone to rust ).

For Olympic lifting the best value bar I've used is the Pendlay ( hopeless for powerlifting as rings in wrong position and no centre knurling, also too flexy for heavy squats )

The new Ironedge/ABC power and olympic bars look interesting, the old bars are good, but I felt the sleeves had too much spin for powerlifting. Rock solid bars though.
 
MM bar from Gym Direct
Trap bar
EZ curl bar
Tricep bar

The tricep bar was a bit of an impulse buy and a poor decision in hindsight. I used it once for tricep extensions and hated it. The few times I have used it have been for hammer curls, although these are done easily enough with just dumbbells....don't need the bar. It's best value IMO would be if I had 2 of them, to use for farmers walk. There's no knurling though if you rotate it to use in that manner.
 
Bar that came with mm rack.

The bolts on the end are coming undone after week of usage.

Looking at buying another bar for deads and Olympic lifts.
Might pop down to ptc so i can try before i buy!
 
my bar is the one that came with my bodymaker rack from gym and fitness about 5 years ago. the knurlings worn, its bent and i always have to tighten the bolts at each end holding the sleeves. one day i'll buy a new one...
 
I just got one of the new Iron Edge Power bars. I've only had it for a few days but it seems like a great bar. Whether its worth $600 or not is hard to say as I'm still coming to terms with the crazy prices of things here in Australia. It does seem pretty high quality though. Back home in the States I had 2 Texas power bars and an older Pendlay Oly bar.
 
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