Rogue Ohio bar vs Trap bar

This is a comparison of the Rogue Ohio bar and the trap bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview and review of the Rogue Trap bar 1 & 2

This overview of the trap bar 1 & 2 was originally published in my comprehensive guide on which Rogue barbell to buy. If you are currently considering to buy a Rogue barbell it is worth a read to get input on the latest models. I update the guide on a yearly basis depending on Rogue's new releases.

Price 295$/375$

Overview of the Rogue Trap bars

The trap bar 1 & 2 of Rogue are their take on the trap bar. Trap bars are a great tool for Strongman competitors and powerlifters to get some stress of the posterior chain while still developing deadlift strength. Another application is farmer carries which makes it a very versatile strength tool.

The trap bar 1 comes in at 58lbs while the Trap bar 2 comes in at 60lb. The designs are also a good example of how Rogue handles customer feedback. The first generation of these trap bars was very heavy. This has been remedied in the second generation which you can purchase now. The sleeves come in at 1.91 diameters which means you can use all standard plates from Rogue with these speciality bars.

The difference between the trap bar 1 and trap bar 2 is that you get a pair of extra handles in the more expensive version. I leave this to personal preference. I always found that these extra handles were in the way and rather a hindrance than a help. However, I am 185cm high. If you have taller athletes you might want to get the bar which leaves your team/members with more options.

The production process of a Trap bar involves several welding steps. With Rogue, you can be sure that the production line knows what they are doing as Rogue has the volume of purchases and passion which is needed for a good welding job. You can also be sure that someone in America did the weld job. This can not always be said of other speciality bars in the market. It is unlikely that you will break a bar, However, if the weld is poor, someone will take away substantial injuries if it breaks mid lift.

Pros of the trap bar

Trap bar deadlifts a great addition to your training routine to get more deadlift volume in. You are putting less stress in your back as you would with the straight barbell. Especially if your gym has a lot of seasoned athletes consider a trap bar to have more options to address their needs. If you have lots of space in your home gym this is a good purchase to cover some of the more Strongman reölated exercises.

Cons of the trap bar

The trap bar takes a lot of space to store and train with. Most home gyms will not have the necessary space to do farmers walks and store it unless you actually own a farm. Many members in commercial gyms feel intimidated by the sheer size of a trap bar and it will just sit there and gather dust. Take a hard look at the use case as this is one of these toys which look good when you purchase it and than won't be used.#

Conclusion

The Rogue trap bars have a good finish and the new iteration has less weight to make it easier to use. Trap bars are a good addition to any powerlifting gym to get more volume in for the deadlift.

Learn more about the Trap bar 1

Learn more about the trap bar 2

Overview and review of the Rogue Ohio bar

This is an overview and review of the workhorse model from Rogue, the Rogue Ohio barbell. This article was originally published in "Which Rogue barbell to buy". Follow the links for more details.

Price 285$/295$

Overview

The Rogue Ohio bar is the flagship barbell of Rogue. This is the workhorse of the portfolio and a best seller. You can make anyone happy from powerlifters to weightlifters to Crossfitters. This bar has been bought by Crossfit gyms and home gym owners all over the world. It is the perfect balance between price and versatile use. If you want a bar and don't want to think or even write a long article like I did, just grab this one.

The Rogue Ohio bar was one of the earliest lineups sold by Rogue. It builds the base of most bars which you can read about in this article. This means that Rogue really knows how to build this bar. Years of experience and experiment have gone into the production process of this bar and they managed to build a very successful business on top of it.

The Rogue Ohio bar weighs 20kg and comes in at a diameter of 28.5mm. The basic model comes in two variations, Zinc and Black Oxide. It withstands 190K PSI Tensile strength with a loadable sleeve length of 16.40. The sleeves are attached with bushing to the shaft and you will feel a standard knurl when you lift.

The basic model still goes strong and if you want to go in bulk for an all-purpose gym, this is the option to go for. If you are more powerlifting orientated look out for the Rogue Ohio power bar. If you have more of a weightlifting focus check out the training bar at a similar price.

Pros of the Rogue Ohio bar

The Rogue Ohio bar strikes the perfect balance between budget, functionality and design. It has developed to the middle of the range product that every use case can rely on. You can purchase this bar without wrecking your head. Even if your training focus changes in the future, you can still make use of the Ohio bar without having to buy a new one. Some of them or six years in action and still going strong.

Cons of the Rogue Ohio bar

Middle of the road means that the Ohio bar is not great at anything specifically. It is neither IPF nor IWF approved. It is not made of the best material available and has no bearing. That doesn't make it a bad bar, just not the greatest you could possibly get for a specific use case. In most scenarios, this won't matter anyway.