TITAN 12-inch log bar vs TITAN Atlas bar

This is a comparison between the TITAN 12-inch log bar and TITAN Atlas bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details

Overview and review of the atlas bar

The Titan Atlas will put you back about $200. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which barbell to get from TITAN”.

Overview of the Atlas bar

The Atlas bar is the all-purpose, middle of the road bar from TITAN for all your needs. Only available in steel color this is a nice piece of equipment at a very reasonable price for all purposes. If you want to weightlift and powerlift and don’t care about competitions or fancy colors, this is the one for you. The features and specifications of the Atlas bar are:

Atlas bar details:

20KG 28.5MM Olympic Weightlifting bar.
Medium knurl provides a full, not sharp pattern allowing the lifter to decide their ideal grip.
220,000 PSI tensile strength gives the right amount of whip or flex to the bar for Olympic lifts.
Dual knurl marks allow you to use the Atlas Bar for multiple lifts on and off your Rack.
Bar weight: 20KG (44 LB)
Bar Diameter: 28.5MM
Knurl: medium
Center Knurl: No
Knurl Marks: Dual
Bushing/Bearing: Combination
Tensile Strength: 220,000 PSI
Warranty: 1 year

This is a solid first bar to start your home gym or to buy in bulk for commercial purposes.

Pros of the Atlas bar

As with all TITAN equipment, it has a price advantage when compared to their direct competition. That this bar also has partly bearing is especially attractive at this price point. The 220K tensile strength and whip round off the picture. A solid choice for starters and equipping gyms.

Cons of the Atlas bar

TITAN is known for cutting corners on their finishes. This doesn’t make the equipment less usable but at times optically inferior. As this is a budget bar which does the job very well, I doubt that will be a problem unless you open a gym in LA or NY for the rich and famous. If you want to hold official IPF or IWF lifting competitions the Atlas bar is not approved.

Alternatives to the Atlas bar

The blues city bar is the alternative from TITAN which will give you the choice of color with the Cerakote coating. This is a type of coating technique which has been adapted from the weapons industry.

The bombshell bar is the female version of the blues city. It also has more whip and would be the choice for Olympic

weightlifters.

The Rogue Ohio bar is the alternative from TITAN’s direct competitor which is built for the same purpose in Columbus, Ohio.

Summary for the Atlas bar

The Atlas bar is a solid choice if you want to buy your first proper barbell to start your gym on a budget. Also, if you want to outfit a gym for the first time, this can be a good bulk buy as these barbells will last you longer than the York ones.

Overview and review of the TITAN 12-inch log bar

This is an overview of the TITAN 12-inch log bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. The Original was published in Which Strongman equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for details

12-inch Log bar V2 $250

Overview of the 12-inch log bar

The 12-inch log bar from TITAN is the biggest log bar you can get from them. It weighs 84 pounds and can take up to 1000 pounds for your heaviest overhead lifts. Log bars are a staple in strongman competitions and vary in weight. Sometimes they are done for repetitions, other times for maximum weight. The neutral grip handles make the log bars a lot more forgiving on the wrists and arms than regular barbells for heavy overhead presses. The log bar is usually lifted from the ground and brought to the mid section of the body to then bring it overhead. A great tool to develop strength and try out something new, but a big boy toy. The full specifications of the TITAN 12 inch log bar run as followed:

- Rackable on most standard power racks

- A staple for Strongman training and competitions

- Durable steel construction with laser-cut Titan logo

- Neutral knurled handgrips at 26-in on center

- Fully welded seams and end caps

- 14-in loadable sleeves which fit Olympic plates

- Available in 10 and 12-inch models

- Grip Diameter: 1.65-in.

- Handle Length: 11.3-in

- Handle Spacing: 23.6-in.

- Sleeve Diameter: 50mm.

- Overall Length: 80.3-in.

- Loadable Sleeve Length: 14-in.

- Sleeve to Sleeve Length: 50.6-in.

- Knurling: Medium

- Weight Capacity: 1,000 lb.

- Product Weight: 84 lb.

This is a good budget option from TITAN for your strongman training at home or in the gym.

Pros of the 12-inch log bar

The pros of the TITAN 12-inch log bar:

Competition measurements
Cost efficient design
Neutral handles with space
Compatible with standard plates

This is the type of log which dimensions would be the same in a proper strongman competition The only difference would be that this one is metal and not wood. This makes the TITAN 12 inch log bar more cost efficient and weigh a little less by itself compared to wood. That makes it more approachable for beginners. The chambers for the grips are generous in size and you will have no contact with the outer edges of it. This can sometimes be a problem on poorly designed log bars, especially for big athletes who then have trouble getting their hands and arms to the grips. You will also not need to worry about whether your standard plates will fit this log.

Cons of the 12-inch log bar

The cons of the 12-inch TITAN log bar are:

Big boy toy
Not wood
A little too long

This is a big boy toy and therefore not necessarily suitable for most commercial gyms. To really have fun with a log bar you should already know a little bit about lifting and not be scrawny yourself. This is not a beginners training tool so look somewhere else if you are only starting out on your strength journey.

The more experienced athletes will get a great log bar for a good price, but it will not fully simulate what happens in competition. Many competitions will get an actual wooden log bar as it is a better showpiece for spectators. So if you are training for serious competitions, you might as well invest the little extra money to get a heavier wooden log that also has a bit of a different feel about it.

TITAN has not normed this to average barbell length. If your gym is already tight, be aware that the log will protrude considerably more from the rack than your barbells do.

Alternatives to the 12-inch log bar

The 10 inch log bar from TITAN is the little brother of the 12" log bar. This size is usually used in female strongman competitions, but can also be a bit more approachable for the masses in a commercial gym to get them interested in strongman training. It also comes at a slightly lower price of $230, although I think that the size differences matter more for this comparison than the prices.

The TITAN Multi grip log bar offers you two different grip widths while giving up some of the weight compared to the 12 inch log bar which makes it a bit cheaper. If you want some more variety in your log presses you can opt for this model from TITAN.

Rogue delivers their log bars in (2, 10" and 12" at prices of $345, $465, and $595. Their logs are considerably higher in cost. The log bars usually involve more manual labor and welding in production and Rogue is known for better quality welds than TITAN. Usually these differences are more cosmetic than functional in nature, but be aware that you tend to pay more for better craftsmanship at Rogue for the welding and that log bars, not like barbells, need more of this kind of work.

The slater log is the real deal when it comes to log bars. If you want to purchase a ready made wooden log bar you can get your hands in three different versions from Slater costing $449, $549, and $695. These log bars weigh more for the same diameter and come closer to what you will handle in competition.

Conclusion for the 12-inch log bar

The 12.inch log bar from TITAN is a solid budget option for anyone who is considering a log bar for their gym. Be aware that a 12" log bar is massive and that most normal humans would be better of getting a 10" or even 8" log to not overwhelm themselves. Still, if you are goliath yourself, knock yourself out with a 12-inch. Maybe get a pizza of that size first and see what you get yourself into. Chances are if you can not eat a 12" pizza by yourself, you should not get the corresponding log bar.