REP fitness Deep Knurl power bar vs Gladiator WL barbell
This is a comparison between the REP fitness deep knurl power bar and the REP fitness Gladiator WL bar. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the REP fitness Gladiator WL barbell
This is an overview of the REP fitness Gladiator WL barbell including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which barbell to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.
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Rep Gladiator WL $289
The
REP Gladiator WL is a variation on the Gladiator design from REP fitness that provides a center knurl, good tensile strength, and bearing on the sleeves for under $300. If you are looking for a solid weightlifting barbell that does not break the bank, you have probably found your perfect match. The full specifications of this barbell run as following:
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28mm diameter (25mm for 15kg bar)
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20 kg (45lb) or 15kg (35lb) option
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1500 lb static rating
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3 Needle bearings and 2 bushings per sleeve
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Ribbed sleeves to keep weights from sliding while training.
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Hard Chrome coating - rust-resistant coating
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Center Knurl on WL and SS barbell
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No Center Knurl on MX Gladiator and 15kg
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Medium Depth Knurl
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230k tensile, 210k yield
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5 year warranty
A great barbell maximizes the important ingredients that make a good weightlifting barbell like the tensile strength and center knurl while compromising on some components like the sleeves to keep the cost as low as possible. I love the thought process that went into this to make a good weightlifting barbell affordable for the average Joe.
Pros of the Rep Gladiator WL
If you want a weightlifting barbell, but do not want to spend $700 to $1000 just on one piece of equipment for your home gym, then this is a great choice. I love what REP fitness has done her to put the best of the weightlifting world into a piece of steel, without making it too expensive. Yes, you will compromise with this barbell, but you can not have it all when you buy new and want to save money at the same time.
Cons of the Rep Gladiator WL
Currently, this barbell is not IWF approved. If you want to train as close to competition standards as possible you either need to opt for the Rogue weightlifting barbell series or the Eleiko barbells. Most Olympic lifting events on the international stage still use Eleiko equipment, while Rogue fitness is catching up in market share in the United States and international Invitation events. It will be interesting to see whether we will see Rogue equipment on one of the next Olympic events for lifting.
This bar will not spin as smoothly as the fully breed Olympic barbells from Rogue, Eleiko, or REP fitness as the sleeves are a bushing and bearing hybrid. This is a choice for this barbell to keep costs down as bearing is a specialized material that comes at a higher cost.
This barbell is imported and therefore manufactured and packaged in China. If this rubs your patriotic streak up the wring way you will have to opt for Sorinex or Rogue fitness who through lengths to keep their production and supply chain as local to the United States as possible.
There are no color options on this barbell as REP fitness does not provide a wide range of sleeves or Cerakote coating for their barbells. This might change in the future when sales volumes go up and REP fitness gets the chance to invest in the production lines of their overseas vendors.
Alternatives to the Rep Gladiator WL
The
REP Gladiator MX barbell is very similar to the
Gladiator WL. The main differences are the full bearing sleeves and no center knurl which makes it more of an all-round barbell than the
WL. Weigh up between these two barbells what you will actually use it most for and make a decision on what to get.
The
REP Excalibur is the better choice if you want a Lifetime warranty instead of a 5-year warranty on your barbell. In return, you make some considerable sacrifices on the features of the barbell which I personally would not be willing to make. But I have never filed a warranty case in my entire life, so I am probably not the best person to advise on this perk.
The
Rogue Pyrros bar is the top-of-the-line weightlifting barbell from Rogue. If you want a barbell that is IWF approved and connects you to one of the greatest talents in Olympic weightlifting to date then this is the right piece of metal for you. The only downside is that the price is considerably higher than anything you would find in the REP fitness range.
The
TITAN Blues city weightlifting barbell is TITAN's approach to weightlifting barbells with bearing sleeves. If you want to bring the low-cost idea to its final conclusion TITAN is a safe bet. What you get in money saved you might regret shipping and quality control wise by purchasing through TITAN as they have to cut some corners to make the low prices across their entire portfolio feasible.
Conclusion for the Rep Gladiator WL
The R
EP Gladiator WL barbell is a solid choice for someone who wants to save some money on ha high-quality weightlifting barbell. Thi bar makes some compromises in the design to bring the cost down, but these make sense. Especially if you see oly lifts as a more dynamic alternative to powerlifting for training at home, rather than chasing Olympic medals, then this is the perfect fit of a barbell for you.
Overview and review of the REP fitness Deep Knurl power bar
This is an overview of the REP fitness Deep knurl power bar including the pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in which barbell to buy from REP Fitness. Follow the links for more information.
Rep Deep knurl power bar EX $399
The
REP deep knurl power bar is the upper end of the spectrum in Olympic barbells which you can get from REP fitness. The main distinguishing features of this bar are its aggressive knurling and the full stainless steel construction covering the sleeves and the bar itself. The full specifications are:
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29mm diameter.
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Knurl Markings: Powerlifting - 32" between markings.
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Knurl Depth: 75% deeper than any standard offering
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Tensile Strength: 200k
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Bushing design with snap rings.
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Shaft: Stainless Steel.
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Sleeves: Stainless Steel.
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Bushing design with snap rings for optimal Powerlifting performance.
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Warranty: Lifetime*
This is a great barbell for the serious powerlifter who does not mind getting calluses on their hands. For most commercial gms this barbell might be a bit too much in price per item and the uncompromising design.
Pros of the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX
This bar is great if you mainly train the squat, bench press, and deadlift and you know that you are serious about it. With this bar you go uncompromising for the next record on your total to provide maximum grip to your hands. Even at the cost of tearing the skin.
Cons of the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX
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Imported
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Pricing
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Color options
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Knurling
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No bearing
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No Whip
This barbell comes imported from overseas to save costs. That being said I am personally surprised at the price point of $400 for this barbell. This is not enough of an advantage to make me want to switch from Rogue Fitness who on top of that produces locally in the US. If you are looking at a rack and plates also you can make some considerable savings, but if it is just between the
Rogue Ohio power bar and the
Deep Knurl from REP I am not convinced.
Stainless steel is not available from most vendors to be powder coated with some other color. Why ruin the high-quality steel with some kind of spray-on tan? Compared to other vendors REP fitness still has a noticeable lack of colored barbells, which they will probably fix once their overseas producer figures at how to get cerakote on the barbells. I think that is only a matter of time, but for now, the only colored option in the REP fitness lineup is the
Black sabre bar.
The knurling on this bar is aggressive which rules it out for most commercial uses. If you have a cheap rack with cheap J Cups I would also recommend an upgrade as this bar will quickly eat into inferior metal and rubber.
If you are looking for a barbell for your home gym/garage gym or commercial establishment this is not the bar to get. It does not provide any whip and also has no bearing. This bar is high priced and only good for powerlifting, so buy it as such. Otherwise, opt for the all-round
Sabre bar, or for the
Gladiator series if your focus is on Olympic weightlifting.
Alternatives to the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX
The
Rogue Ohio power bar in the stainless steel version is currently hailed as the Ferrari amongst the powerlifting barbells. There are some other barbells from Kabuki strength and EliteFTS that specifically pander to the powerlifting community, but these are more niche. As the price gap is not that noticeable I personally would go with the
Ohio power bar instead of the
deep knurl unless your entire gym is already REP fitness-themed.
The
Blues city power bar is TITAN fitness's approach to the world of powerlifting bars with heavy knurling. TITAN is known for minor quality issues in return for the lowest prices amongst their competitors. As you are specifically buying this barbell for their knurling I would watch out for TITAN, as this is exactly the kind of detail that lower standard quality procedures would give a pass when they should not.
If you are into stainless steel but like Olympic weightlifting a lot better than powerlifting, then you should go for the REP fitness
Gladiator stainless steel bar. This bar provides more whip, has a less aggressive knurl, ad the sleeves rotate on bearing. This makes this bar netter suited for Olympic weightlifting than powerlifting.
Conclusion for the Rep Deep knurl power bar EX
This is the top bar to get from REP fitness when you are into powerlifting. There is not a lot you can do wrong with this so be confident and move ahead if you have the money. The only reconsideration would be if you are planning on having one brand scheme rather than multiple brands in your gym. Then a decision between TITAN, Rep fitness, and Rogue fitness would need to be made before loading up the shopping cart.