Titan Atlas bar vs Rogue chan bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison of the TITAN Atlas bar and the Rogue chan bar. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue chan bar

This overview of the Rogue Chan 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: 395$

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Rogue Chan bar

The Matt Chan bar was the first Rogue barbell to be introduced with an athletes name. Matt Chan and Rogue have been working closely in the last few years. You can see this in the many equipment demos done by Matt. Matt Chan is a former firefighter and finished multiple times in the top ten of the Crossfit games. Since Rogue updated their Cerakote range they had another go at the Chan bar design.

The Chan bar is an Ohio bar on steroids. You get a better design, a centre knurl and a stainless steel shaft for 395$. If you want to spend the extra 100$ USD compared to the Ohio bar this is the all-purpose barbell to get. The design was created to fit Olympic and powerlifting needs alike.

The bar comes in at 20kg of weight, 200K tensile strength and a Good whip. The diameter is 28.5mm and the sleeves spin via bushing. Rogue offers two variations on the sleeves, one being cerakote the other chrome. It seems that cerakote does not respond well to metal to metal contact. If you want to use steel plates with the chan bar maybe opt for the chrome sleéves. The loadable sleeve length is 16.5 which is a bit longer than the other standard bars.

Pros of the Chan bar

This bar has a lot of pros and only a few cons. You get a stainless steel bar for 100$ USD less compared to the oly options. The bit of extra knurling helps with front squats. This is the best value for money bar you can get above 300USD from rogue. In addition, you also get a cool design. If you want to do everything in your home gym, this is the one to go for.

Cons of the chan bar

If you have to fit out an entire gym with 10 - 20 barbells 100$ a piece does make a difference. This bar is also too pretty to be used in military installations or with beginners. For these scenarios, you are probably better off buying the Ohio, Castro, C-70 or operator bar. The training bar might also be a better option if you only want to do Oly lifts, as it has a better whip at a lower price. The bushing might also not be ideal if you are a competitive weightlifter. The bars you will use in your competition have the bearing.

Conclusion

Matt Chan has been with Rogue barbell and CrossFit for years. If a bar is allowed to carry his name you can rest assured that it is the best you can get for CrossFit or all purpose barbell training. This bar is a good value for money option in the Rogue line up. If you have to buy in bulk there is always the Rogue Ohio bar.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Chan barbell and purchase on the Rogue website

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.