TITAN Multi grip log bar vs Rogue Castro bar

This is a comparison between the TITAN Multi grip log bar and Rogue Castro 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 Rogue Castro bar [Article, Video]

This is an overview of the Rogue Castro bar which is made of bare steel and therefore very cost efficient. This article was originally oublished under "Which Rogue barbell to buy". Follow the links to learn more.

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Price 275$

Overview

The Castro bar is a bare steel bar which comes closest to what you find in most commercial gyms. This is the lowest price tag you can get from Rogue for a full barbell. This makes it a good fit for anyone on a budget who has to buy a lot of barbells or expects them to be stored outside/transported often. For those scenarios, it is a waste of money to get anything that it pretty or elaborate in function.

The Castro bar weighs 20kg and comes in at 28.5mm diameter. It can take up to 190K PSI tensile strength with a good whip. The knurling is standard and the sleeves are attached via bushing. The loadable sleeve length is 16.50. Based on this it is the lowest priced multi-purpose bar available from rogue. Other bars are either special use or designed for children.

The Castro bar is the option to go for if you want to go spend as little as possible while still maximising the training options. If your gym/facility can also live with the fact, that these bars might look quite beaten up pretty fast, even better.

Pros of the Castro bar

The ultimate reason for the Castro bar are the costs. You still get a Rogue bar which is made in the United States at relatively low prices. The bar still goes through the same basic quality checks and holds a warranty. There are other vendors out there who might send you a bar with a lower price tag. Think twice whether you will get the same customer service, warranty and quality checks which only slightly retails over the cost of the raw materials, never mind the labour.

Cons of the Castro bar

A big con of the Castro bar is the bare steel. This finish is likely to show corrosion and use. This means you will need to take more care of it and maintain it more often. If you already have the labour and the necessary equipment to clean bare steel, you might even turn this into a plus. If you want to drill discipline into a bunch of new recruits you might get in a barbell cleaning session once a month on top of the other equipment maintenance you do.

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

Overview and review of the TITAN Multi grip log bar

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

Multi grip log bar $153

Overview of the TITAN Multi grip log bar

The TITAN Multi grip log bar is a good cheaper and smaller option for home gyms compared to other log bars available from TITAN. As this log bar is short it can not be racked and is also too small to reflect truly what you will have in a strongman competition. That being said it is one of the best options to get a log into a small space and get something else into your training than just barbell movements. The full specifications of this log bar are:

- This bar combines the best of a multi grip barbell with the girth and feel of a traditional log bar.

- 10" Diameter barrel measure 15" long to produce the same motion of rolling the log up your body for lifts.

- Multiple grips let you target different muscle groups and makes this bar more suitable for athletes of varying size.

- Grip spread distances at 19" and 31" apart.

- Heavy duty steel construction and thick powder for a durable training bar.

- Overall Length: 75.5"

- Grip Spread: 19" | 31"

- Grip Length: 5.5"

- Grip Diameter: 1.3"

- Log Length: 15"

- Log Diameter: 10"

- Sleeve Length: 14"

- Sleeve Diameter: 1.95"

- Weight: 60 LB

A good purchase as it is not too expensive, just be mindful of the space available in your home gym or commercial gym as you most likely will have to store on the floor or lean it in the corner as it does not work with most standard storage units for barbells.

Pros of the TITAN Multi grip log bar

The pros of the TITAN Multi grip log bar are:

Multi grip
Smaller size
Price

The multi grip options on this log bar can be used to make your workout as challenging as with a 12" log bar. Just use the wider grip and you will see how it challenges you. The smaller size also means that it better fits small environments and can be stored easier. In combination with the smaller price tag this is the ideal present for someone who is obsessed with strength and you want to get them something out of the ordinary. Not a lot you can do wring with this.

Cons of the TITAN Multi grip log bar

The cons of the Multi grip log bar are:

Not rack loadable
Not competition dimensions
Positioning of grips for big athletes
TITAN finish

This log bar is too short to be loaded into a rack to do presses from a certain height. If you want to train partial movements for the log bar lift, this is not the ideal tool to get. However, if you are considering partial log bar lifts, you probably want to get one of the bigger log bars anyway.

In most competitions the log bars will be bigger and not hollow. This makes their handling a lot different from what you get with the multi grip log bar. It is still a great tool which is easy to transport and dies not take up a lot of space. For the real deal you might want to look for the slater logs instead to train at home.

As the sleeves have been cut into to make space for the multiple grips, this log bar can be challenging for bigger athletes. You might have trouble to get your hands in the right way or load the log bar to your chest as some pieces or missing. This only applies when you are massive yourself, but definitely something to consider.

The last thing to mention is the TITAN finish. While there no negative reports about this particular log bar that I have found, you still run a risk with TITAN on finish of the products with many welds. That does mean that this must be the case for you, but there is a reason why TITAN can offer their products at such a low price. This usually shows in quality control, customer service and shipping. There is just a wider variance in experience compared to the more expensive brands like Eleiko and Rogue.

Alternatives to the TITAN Multi grip log bar

Alternatives to the TITAN Multi grip log bar are:

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.

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 TITAN Multi grip log bar

The TITAN MUlti grip log bar is a good tool to enter Strongman and build size. If you are already massive you might want to go with one of the bigger logs.