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I'm trying to choose BarBell for power lifting training.

http://www.worldfitness.com.au/images/72-Barbell.jpg

I'm asking you as a specialists.

You know, there are top brands everywhere, when you buying something.

E.g.

  • Technics - it is Bosch en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bosch_GmbH
  • Smartphones - it is Apple Inc. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
  • Snowboards - it is K2 Snowboards of K2 Sports en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2_Sports
  • Barbells - ?

Do you know similar for Barbells?

2 Answers 2

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I'm judging by your tag that you want a power lifting barbell. I have no idea what your budget is, so I'll give you some brand names and some things to look at when comparing barbells.

First, brand names:

  • Eleiko - their first love is Olympic weightlifting, but they make world renowned barbells.
  • Ivanko - their first love is powerlifting, and they also make world renouwned barbells.
  • Rogue - their first love is crossfit, but they have some very good barbells for better prices
  • Pendlay Elite - first love is Olympic weightlifting, but also very good barbells for reasonable prices

There are other companies, but these will get you started.

Second, what to look for:

  • You want barbells where the shaft is somewhere between 28.5 mm and 29.5 mm. Thicker barbells make it more difficult to get in a good position on squats and tax your grip more on deadlifts.
  • The loading area should be 50 mm (roughly 2 inches), and it should spin
  • For powerlifting, bushings are sufficient and for Olympic weightlifting, needle bearings are best
  • Try to choose a barbell with the highest tensile strength you can afford (ability to snap back to true after the bar bends).
  • Look for IPF or IWF compliance. Basically, they dictate what constitutes legal weight and knurl markings for the respective competitions. (IPF is for powerlifting and IWF is for Olympic weightlifting). All bars compliant will weigh 20 kg (about 45 lbs) and have compatible knurling.

Tensile strength is usually measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). Look for barbells with at least 155,000 PSI and if you can afford it, over 185,000 PSI.

If you are in America, the best value for your money is going to be from Rogue. They have a number of bushing bars with 185,000 PSI or better and a price range of around $250-375 USD for those barbells. Because of the volume of business they do and the fact that they are situated in the middle of the US, their shipping prices are among the best you can get.

In the US, mid-range barbells typically cost $250-$400 for bushing bars and $500-650 for bearing bars. If the Clean & Jerk, and Snatch are not your primary lifts, then consider bearing bars a luxury. However, if they are your primary lifts, consider it a necessity.

In the UK, it seems like the cost of all gym equipment has the same numbers, but it's in Euros or Great British Pounds. That means they cost twice as much as they would in America. It's not fair, but they guys I know who live over there have all reported the same things.

If you are elsewhere in the world, hopefully you can use this information to judge between the brands available to you where you are.

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  • Cheers!! This answer is exactly what I'm looking for, thank you! I'm still in searching. In the next month I would bought one, and hope keep this session open with you! Sep 24, 2014 at 12:00
  • Keep in mind that Eleiko and Ivanko are like buying the top of the line, and Rogue/Pendlay is like buying high quality mid-range equipment. Sep 24, 2014 at 15:18
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No, there aren't always top brands, sometimes it's a matter of taste (some people prefer Samsung smartphones), sometimes you don't get what you pay for and very often, peoples perceived idea of the top brand is far off.

A barbell is not a very complicated piece of equipment, it's basically a steel rod with ends that match the size of plates. Just make sure it's standard size and weight, and that it's certified to hold enough weight for you.

Incredibly enough, weights for barbells and plates don't always match their marked weight, so make sure you don't buy plates that are lying to you :)

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  • Test the news, where thousands of people are coming to opening of new Apple shop, where peoples living in the street for the whole night while waiting for Iphone 6, and you would understood what is top brands means. Samsung making irons. Apple - smartphones. Sep 24, 2014 at 12:03
  • So Apple is THE top brand, quality-wise because a bunch of people are that into them? By that logic, Justin Bieber is a top quality artist. Lots of people like Apple phones, lots of people like Android phones.
    – Mårten
    Sep 24, 2014 at 12:34
  • I'm exactly in searching of this names, like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols. It is not a fetish, it is like backspine of my choice. I would not like to buying something made in China with brand Abibas, you know. Sep 24, 2014 at 12:52

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