Rogue Squat bar vs Camber bar

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

Overview and review of the Rogue Camber bar

This overview of the camber bar 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$

Overview of the Rogue Camber bar

The camber bar is another variation of the specialty bars of Rogue. It is very similar to the safety bar with a few differences. The first is that the hands can be placed lower on the frame. This helps even more with athletes suffering from a shoulder injury. The other difference is that the weight swings more during the movement. This helps with bigger core activation. While the safety bar lets you squat more weight deeper the camber bar actively works on balance.

The camber bar comes in at a weight of 85lb. The shafts fit regular clips and plates. The camber bar comes fully welded. Pay special attention to quality when you buy specialty bars. The production process is usually less mechanized than for barbells. You need a good welding job to be safe. Yes, you can get these bars a lot cheaper from craigslist. However, you might end up with a terrible welding job.

Pros of the Camber bar

The camber bar is unusual and will challenge your athletes. Not a lot of people have ever seen, nevermind used a camber bar in the real world. Combining the camber bar and safety bar is especially useful for strongmen who have to get used to moving weights at different angles and positions. If you want to use this as a cheaper replacement for a Yoke carry be cautious You can not put this bar down in the middle of the walk.

Cons of the Camber bar

This bar already weighs 85lb unloaded. It is also very cumbersome and awkward to store. This is a tool for big gyms with lots of floor space. If you are already constrained for space this is not the bar to get. It is also more challenging than the safety bar. If you are a beginner deciding between a safety and camber bar, go for the safety bar.

Conclusion

The rogue camber bar is a good tool especially for strongman training.Alternatives can be the Rogue safety bar or a Rhino hip belt squat to take tension off the shoulders and wrists.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Camber bar and purchase on the Rogue website

Overview and review of the squat bar

The Rogue squat bar is a 32mm long sleeved version of Rogue bars to maximize what you can squat. Here are the pros and cons.

The Rogue squat bar is a special design that focuses on squatting at $445. The main differences to regular bars are

Bigger circumference 32mm
Longer shaft
Fully knurled
Longer sleeves

This makes it a bar that is aimed at big, heavy squatters. It could also be interesting for some deadlift experiments as the elephant bar from the Arnold has not gone into mass production yet. The specifications of the bar are:

Made in the USA
Weight: 25 KG
Diameter: 32mm
Stainless Steel Shaft - 200,000 PSI
Aggressive Knurl Pattern along full length of shaft + powerlifting and center knurl marks
Bar Length: 94.488
Distance Between Sleeves: 56"
Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.795"
Chrome Sleeves
Bronze Bushings

Pros of the squat bar

The pros of the squat bar compared to other bars are in the name. The design features are inbuilt to maximize big squats.

Longer sleeves
Longer shaft
Full knurling
32mm

Longer sleeves will enable you to put more weight on the bar with rubber or steel plates. If you see Ray Williams squatting you can get an idea of why he might run out of space on the sleeves.

32mm stainless steel will keep the whip at bay. While you want whip in an Olympic barbell to make use of momentum to get the bar overhead, it is not a desirable feature in a squat bar. You want to minimize 1000 pounds taking a life on their own on your back.

The full knurling will provide more grip to your back. There are other bars out there with center knurls which does almost the same thing for you.

The longer shaft will make it less like for you to bump into the rack when oh are walking out very heavy weights. Depending on your setup this can be annoying. I injured myself twice because of twisting my upper body when walking out of a setup and touching off the j cups.

Cons of the squat bar

The cons of the squat bar are

No IPF / IWF approval
Space requirements
Limited use
Price

If you are considering the squat bar because you want to break records, keep in mind that it is not approved for the IPF or IWF. You will still earn respect for posting the first 500kg raw squat, which this bar is basically built for, but it won’t count in these federations.

If you are setting up your home gym in a very crammed place, keep in mind that this bar will protrude even further to the sides. If you have already cut it very thing with the distance of your bar to the wall or another rack, the squat bar might just push it over the edge.

The squat bar is mainly limited to squats. As it has bushing and knurling all across the bar it might not be the best option for Olympic lifts, the bench press, and deadlifts.

For the price you are looking at you can get more versatile barbells for your home gym with a cooler design. If you are setting up your home gym the squat bar might not be the go-to option.

Alternatives to the squat bar

Alternatives to the squat bar are

The Rogue Chan bar is a good alternative for mere mortals who don’t squat 400kg. It is cheaper than the squat bar, has a poppier design and can also be used for Oly lifts. If I was to spend $400 on a starter barbell for my home gym it would be this one.

The duffalo bar is an interesting bar for people who squat 800 pounds plus on a regular basis. This bar has been invented at Kabuki strength which is headed by Chris Duffin. The design is aimed at relieving stress on the shoulder while bench pressing and squatting. This is a very interesting second bar to buy instead of the squat bar, even though it costs $200 more.

Summary for the squat bar

The squat bar is a great bar for someone who actually needs it. This would be people who squat more than 300kg on a regular basis. There are not that many of them around. I personally think for a second barbell in your home gym you are better off going with safety or duffalo bar.vs Squat bar