TITAN Safety Squat Bar vs Rogue Thor power bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison between the TITAN Safety Squat bar and the Rogue Thor power bar. Follow the links for more details.

Overview & Review of the Rogue Thor power bar

This overview of the Rogue Thor 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: 450$

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Thor bar

The Thor bar pays tribute to the seven-time strongest man of Iceland Hafbor Julius Björnsson. He also starred in Game of Thrones as the mountain, helping Cersei to fend off attackers and crush the Vipers skull. The Thor bar uses the cerakote coating to put Hafbor's nickname Thor and an Icelandic flag onto an Ohio Power bar. It comes in a 45lb and 20kg version.

The diameter of this barbell is 29mm. The shaft withstands 205K of tensile strength and has no whip. The knurling is very aggressive to suit the needs of powerlifters. The loadable sleeve length is either 16.25 or 16.88 depending on which version of the Thor bar you will get. The sleeve coating is available in Cerakote or Chrome.

The Rogue Ohio power bar is quite popular and has a good reputation among home gym owners who mainly focus on powerlifting. The Thor and the Ohio power bar are not that far apart in price, so you might as well get the more modern version. Alternatives to the Thor power bar are the Rogue Ohio power bar, The Rogue deadlift bar and the Westside bar.

Pros of the Thor bar

The design is innovative and you get a strong powerlifting bar which connects you to one of the greatest strongmen of our time when you train. Especially if you own a home gym and want to give it the extra special touch, this can be a good choice. No whip is a great option for bench presses and squats. You want as little whip as possible on these two movements.

Cons of the Thor bar

As with all the new Rogue bars you have to like the design. If you are a Brian Shaw fan or want to appeal to the masses in your gym you might be better off getting a barbell with fewer design features on it. The Thor power bar is also a focused bar. If you want to keep things flexible you might be better off getting the Chan or Ohio bar. The price tag of 450 USD might also be off-putting to some.

Conclusion

The Thor bar is a great addition to the Rogue portfolio which honors one of the great athletes of our time. If you are from Iceland or like Game of Thrones this is a good option. For the budget conscious among you you will also have the option to go for the Rogue Ohio Power bar. This is the same base, but not as nicely finished as the Thor bar.

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

Overview and review of the TITAN Safety Squat bar

The Titan Safety squat bar 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 Safety squat bar

A safety squat bar is a good tool to help with the development of your lower back strength. Strongman like it as a bar to prepare for the squat events in strongman competitions where the weight usually sits a bit lower from the bar based on the contraption they are using. If you want to take your squat to the next öevel and make it easier on your lower back, a safety bar is a good alternative to a straight barbell. Here are the features and specifications for the TITAN safety Squat bar:

Safety squat bar details

Shoulder and arm pads for a comfortable lift
5" drop keeps the weight plates lower for a stabilized center of gravity and better balance
6" hand grips for control when needed.
Extra thick pad comes in one piece to prevent sliding on the bar while squatting.
Capacity: 1500 LB
Weight: 61 LB
Overall length: 90.5”
Handle Spacing: 12.75”
Shoulder Pad Spacing: 8"
Bar Diameter: 1.5”
Loadable Sleeve Length: 16”
Camber Drop: 5”
Handle Angle: 22 Degrees

This is a good edition for dedicated athletes or gyms who want to specialize into tailoring to strongmen.

Pros of the Safety squat bar

It is an extra tool in your belt to get stronger and bring up your lower back strength. It is easier to hold on to bigger weights and less taxing on the back. Some also like it to do good mornings with. TITAN also has a pretty good deal on this compared to the competition in the market.

Cons of the Safety squat bar

The cons of the safety squat bar are its single-purpose use, that it is cumbersome and that you buy it from TITAN. You can only use it for squats, not for bench pressing, Olympic lifting or powerlifting. TITAN is also known to cut corners on welding and finish of their products which is important for safety bars, as they are usually assembled by hand.

Alternatives to the Safety Squat bar

Alternatives to the safety squat bar are:

TITAN Bison bar
Camber bar
TITAN Log bar

The TITAN Bison bar is curved to ease the strain on your back when you are squatting. This bar can also be used for bench presses as well as squats. The downside is that it does not have as big as a capacity and might be a little tight for very big athletes.

The camber bar works with a very similar concept as the safety bar but without the handles in front. This makes the camber usually a little less expensive and a good choice in combination with handles for very deep squats.

The TITAN log bar is a great addition to your setup if you want to go for strongman competitions. For a proper strongman gym, you will want to have a log bar, safety bar, farmer's walk bars and some tires to flip.

Summary for the TITAN Safety bar

The TITAN safety bar is a low-cost Safety bar compared to other options in the market. With the savings, you might even be able to pick up another strongman item. The downside is that the finish might be not up to par.