Duffalo bar vs IWF Olympic women bar

This is a comparison of the Duffalo bar and the Olympic women bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview and review of the IWF Olympic women bar

Rogue updated their line up in 2019 with several IWF standard products so you can run weightlifting competitions. Here are the pros and cons.

The IWF Olympic women barbell is the IWF approved women bar from Rogue. The main differences to the men’s bar are the weight, the diameter and the price of $525. This bar meets the standards to be used by Olympians. I n addition rogue added a design with Cerakote which makes it one of the first barbells with IPF approval which is just not plain steel. The specifications of the bar are:

Made in Columbus, OH, USA with US and EU Steel
Women’s Bearing Bar (International Weightlifting Federation standards)
Bar Weight: 15KG
Shaft Diameter: 25MM
215,000 PSI Tensile Strength EU Steel
Olympic Knurl Marks (no center knurl)
Bar Length: 79.14"
Distance Between Sleeves: 51.50"
Loadable Sleeve Length: 12.50"
Black Cerakote Color Finish w/ Chrome Sleeves
Official IWF branding on center of shaft and endcaps

If you always wanted some an Olympic barbell with some extra design this one is for you.

Pros of the Cerakote IWF women bar

The pros of the Cerakote IWF bar are:

IWF approval
Price
Design

The Cerakote women bar is one of the few bars of Rogue which Cary the prestigious IWF approval. This means that it is build to the highest demands which live up to the bar being used by Olympians. The IWF has the strongest demands on sticking to their specifications with a minimum margin for error to keep competitions fair and comparable. Compared to Eleiko bars the Rogue bar is comparatively cheap to achieve the same goal.

Cons of the IWF Cerakote bar

The cons of the IWF Cerakote bar are:

Cerakote coating
Cost
Design

The Cerakote coating is not an ideal combination with steel plates. These bars also do not will with metal rack pins. Cerakote tends to scratch a lot faster than stainless steel on metal to metal contacts.

The cost of the Cerakote IWF women bar is considerable when you combine it to the lower Rogue ranges. If you are looking for an all-purpose bar for your home gym or CrossFit bis you can get more bars for the same money.

If you don’t look at this design it works against rather than for this bar. In commercial settings, you might also want to keel the colors and the design more neutral based on the clientele you would like to attract.

Alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar

The alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar are:

The Rogue Ohio bar is the workhorse option from Rogue. This is the all-purpose bar from where the entire Rogue production line started. A solid bet at a reasonable price.

The Rogue Pyrros bar has been finalized by Rogue and the finest Olympic weightlifter of all time to produce the finest Olympic weightlifting bar there is. If you want the household name of the Greek lifting god in your home or gym, this is the bar to go for.

The Rogue Thor bar is another option for someone who wants more than a plain design but leans more towards powerlifting. The Thor bar sleeves are longer and can there fit more plates.

Summary for the IWF Cerakote barbell

If you like the design over stainless steel for an IWF approved barbell this is the way to go. If you are looking for a CrossFit bar save yourself $200 and get the Rogue Ohio barbell.

Overview and review of the duffalo bar

The duffalo bar is probably the best bar in the market with a curve to make it easier on your shoulder and lower back for the bench and squat. Here are the pros and cons.

The duffalo barbell has been designed by renowned strength coach and powerlifter Chris Duffin. The single idea was too reduce strain for lifters on their shoulders and back for the squat and bench press by forcing the into better movement patterns. The duffalo is the best of this kind of barbell currently on the market and Rogue attests to that by not copying the original design but rather letting the manufacturer seeking it on their online shop. The specifications of the duffalo bar are:

Diameter: 32mm
Overall Length: 96”
Heat Treated and Cold Worked Alloy Steel – 195,000 KSI Tensile Strength
Unloaded Bar Weight: 55 LBS
Load Capacity: 1,500 LBS
Three Options: Clear Zinc, Black Oxide, Bright Nickel
Attachment point included for optional Band & Chain Handle Attachment*

Pros of the duffalo bar

The pros of the duffalo bar are:

Innovative, functional design
High-quality manufacturing from the US
Different colors

Kabuki strength is a real American dream come true. This is a well-executed piece of engineering that gets the highest marks in most reviews. It has been designed by a pro for pros to protect them from injury and bring up their exercise volume. If you are serious about strength, look into this bar.

Cons of the duffalo bar

The cons of the duffalo bar are:

Price
high specialization
Not relevant to competition

The price of the Duffalo bar is relatively high for a specialty barbell. It ranges in the realms of Eleiko and the top-line Rogue barbells. It is a good use piece of equipment but has fewer uses than these options in the gym.

The high specialization makes it almost exclusively interesting to powerlifters and strongman. It is definitely not the first buy for your home gym. Members of commercial gyms might even feel a little intimidated by this massive piece of steel.

Keep in mind that this bar will help to build volume in your training while doing less damage to yo ur body. You will still need to practice on a straight bar in your cycle to perform on stage.

Alternatives to the Duffalo bar

The camber bar has no curvage and places the weight for the squat closer to the center of your body. It also has a tendency to make the plates swing. If you want more activation in your squats this is a good bar but it is not for bench pressing like the duffalo bar.

The safety bar is the classic bar to have less strain on the spine for heavy lifting. The Duffalo bar is basically a combination of the ideas of safety and Olympic barbell. Compared to the duffalo bar you will save money. This is the better bar for a commercial gym. As an am I Tinnef home gym owner I would still go for the duffalo bar.

The earthquake bar is partly made of bamboo and okays with the idea of weights which shake uncontrollably when moved. While it can not take as much weight as the other bars and needs bands and kettlebells to function, this can be an interesting squat variation based on lovers of the west side method.

Summary of the duffalo bar

The duffalo bar is a very interesting second purchase of a barbell for very ambitious home gym owners who start to feel the pains of age but still lift very heavy.