USAWA

I’ve been lifting close to 30 years(wow, that was hard to write). I’ve slightly bent my first Olympic style bar from a Weider 310lb set I got as a Sophmore in High School. I just got my first gym membership in forever. Most of my training has been at home so, if I bent a bar, I’m the one who had to pony up for a new one. ALL the bars at the gym are bent so I lug my own in then lug ’em back out when I’m done. I’m fairly disciplined with my bars. I was brought up with, “if you can’t/won’t take care of what you already have, you definitely won’t take care of something upscale!”
I NEVER leave my bars loaded on a rack/bench or even on the floor. Guy a couple of doors down had his 315lbs proudly loaded and for sale on some bench uprights for 2+weeks. I could’ve used it as a cambered squat bar.
In Olympic lifting, the plates from 55kgs down to 22kgs are the same height. This distributes the pressure of the weight = much less stress on the bar. If you don’t have this set up(I do not), try to use 45’s of SAME height. I’ve got a bunch of various brands of 45’s and they DO vary. Any and all heavy pulls require same height plates to spread out that pressure.
Rack pulls will put ALOT of stress on the bar. How many plates per side does it take to START a bend in your bar? Step back a few feet and get down to bar level with you eyes, you may be surprised. Remember, as you do set after set, the weight keeps going up. How long are you resting ‘tween those sets? Pulls off blocks means you start with the bar straight and the pressure on the blocks.
Keeping the sleeves rotating smoothly will reduce binding and reduce torque on the bar and your WRIST!! Heavy rack pulls with stuck sleeves will bend a bar for good in a few sets. WD-40 rocks for this.
Just some thoughts that I think matter as much as the quality of the bar. I have an IWF approved Werksan bar that I use on ALL lifts that aren’t in the rack. I don’t want the bar on pins or hooks that will wear down the knurling. Once I get blocks high enough, I’ll do squats with it. It’s guaranteed for life and I plan on getting some life out of it. With 5 roller bearings on each end it SURE rolls quite nicely. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Bars, bars, bars… now that’s a topic I enjoy talking about! Most anyone who has been to the Dino Gym knows I have a weakness for good weightlifting bars. The other day I counted my bars in the gym and I have over 40 of them. That’s probably more than we need!!

I absolutely agree that different bars “fit” different lifts better than others. It is almost impossible to find a bar that is the BEST for all the lifts. If I had to make a choice on this – I would pick the Capps Texas Power Bar. This bar is a 1 1/8′ bar with good knurling, is moderately rigid, and has center knurling. Not a bad DL bar, decent bench bar, and ok squat bar. The center knurling lends it to being a good bar for one arm lifts. It can be used for the Olympic lifts, but doesn’t have the hand spacing marks for it. The sleeve rotation is like all Capps bars (not the best). But as an overall gym bar it has many uses, and takes abuse pretty well.

One of the BEST VALUES for the money right now is the Powermax Elite Olympic bar. It is a Malone bar (which I consider a premier bar manufacturer). This bar is very similiar to the first generation Pendlay bars (Malone made those as well), with the main difference the Powermax bar is Zinc plated. It is a 28.5mm bar, no center knurling, with great sleeve rotation. Perfect Olympic bar for the all rounder. It carries a lifetime guarantee. In fact, I just bought a couple of them yesterday from Gill Athletics!!! Al

Another point I want to make here.

Every gym should have a few “junk bars”. These are the bars you use for lifts in which the bar is very abused, and might end up bent. This way you don’t ruin a good bar doing something it wasn’t intended to be used for. (like MOST of the all round lifts!).

In the past we (at the Dino Gym) have went through several “junk bars” a year. When they get bent I pitch them on the junk pile north of the gym and buy another one. I consider these bars as “throw away” bars and just a normal casualty of heavy lifting. But the past few years we have been using a junk bar that has held up surprising well. This bar is the Midwest Power Bar from Solid Bar. It is a cheap bar as well. Right now we have two of them in use (one with center knurling and one without) and they are still staight as an arrow! Surprisingly they are manufactured only 30 miles from where I live!!!!

Good info on the bars. Between you and Scott, I doubt there is much more knowledge on Barbells than the Dino Gym anywhere
ET

Jesse, Good choice!

The Pendlay NexGen has got good reviews. I know you will be pleased with it. Plus, it has more “name recognition” than the Powermax Bar. I don’t have a NexGen bar yet so I’ll be interested in hearing how you like it. I have the first generation Pendlay, and then his second good bar the Pendlay Elite Olympic Bar, as well as the Pendlay Power Bar and a Pendlay Womens Olympic Bar (THAT would be a good present for Gabby sometime). The Pendlay Elite is very similiar to an Eleiko Olympic Bar. Even the knurling feels the same. The sleeves are SUPER SMOOTH rotating. I know Glen “stole” (or should I say mimicked which sounds better) several design features off of Eleikos. It may be the best of the three designs – but that is just my opinion. Al

Jesse, you cant go wrong with the pendlay bar, it will be a great bar for you guys to use!! After you have used it for awhile post a review, would be helpful to other guys on here I think. Al and I had a awsome talk about bars last night, Al has a amazing collection of bars there, including in what my opinion is the best bar made in the last 30 years, the Chapman bar!!

ST

Ok, what is the bar you see used for DL at many PL meets? I already have a DL specific bar, but the one I am talking about has real aggressive knurling and is more rigid than a DL bar
ET

I have seen a Texas power bar used before, which is stiffer and has a pretty deep knurling, as it is a pretty good all-around bar. It does have center knurling, though.