When people think of high-end weightlifting bars, they usually think of bars made overseas in countries where weightlifting has been big for years. Until the past few years, they would be right to overlook America when it came to weightlifting bars. However, with the explosion of CrossFit and the renewed interest in Olympic weightlifting, American companies have put out some top-notch products.
Rogue set out to make some of the best weightlifting bars in the world. The bars are made to IWF specifications with a few improvements that really make a difference for their everyday use.
1. IWF certified weightlifting bars have a center knurl. This really only makes sense if you are planning to use the bar for back squat. Whether or not you need a center knurl for back squat remains controversial, but there is no mistaking that a center knurl will chew up your neck during cleans, especially high rep cleans in a CrossFit workout. We felt that a bar this specialized should be as well suited as possible for its intended use and should not make compromises to give questionable benefit for a secondary use.
2. Most high-end Olympic weightlifting bars are chrome plated. While this protects them from rust, it makes them slick. Manufacturers somewhat compensate for this by changing the knurling texture, but it can not be overcome completely. Our Olympic weightlifting offerings are zinc coated, either bright or black for a more secure feel. Zinc coatings also offer better rust protection than chrome. The zinc coating allows us to give the bars an understated knurling texture that is not found on other brand’s bars.
3. Most of the top end weightlifting bars have 4 needle bearings per sleeve. We have 5 top of the line German needle bearings per sleeve, to ensure that we have some of the smoothest rotating sleeves available.
Add to all that 185,000 PSI tensile strength spring steel for a perfect whip that rivals the best bars in the world, and snap ring construction on the perfectly machined sleeves and you have one of the best bars in the world, made in Indiana for a bargain price.
Coach Burgener’s Signature Bar is finished in bright zinc. Its sister bar, The BlackJack Bearing Bar has a shaft that is finished in black zinc for those that prefer the chalky feel of black zinc and the way it wears over time.