Information on how to run faster, lift stronger and think deeper

REP fitness Deep Knurl power bar vs REP fitness trap bar

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jul 7, 2021 9:00:00 AM

REP fitness Deep Knurl power bar vs REP fitness trap bar

This is a comparison between the REP fitness deep knurl power bar and the REP fitness trap bar. Follow the links for more details.

Click for Instagram

REP fitness trap bar
 

Overview and review of the REP fitness Trap bar

This is an overview of the REP fitness Trap 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 Trap Bar $125

 
The REP fitness trap bar goes along with the designs of trap bars that you would find in most gyms. Trap bar deadlifts are a good alternative to regular deadlifts. They are less taxing on the lower back and easier to learn as the barpath is more restricted and standing inside the frame provides more stability. A trap bar is also a good alternative to farmer's carry handles, as it gives you more uses while also being good for carrying exercises. The full specifications of this trap bar are:
 
  • Raised handles with knurled grip
  • Solid steel construction
  • 500lb Weight Capacity
  • 16” loadable sleeve space
  • Length: 71”, Width: 25.5”, Height: 6”
  • Product Weight: 55 lbs (unloaded)
  • Handle Diameter - 25mm
  • Medium depth knurling
 
A solid addition to an existing gym that wants to switch things up or for someone that has enough space on their first purchase to throw some specialty bars in. A duffalo bar or Safety squat bar would still be my preferred option as I use heavy kettlebells for deadlift variations and farmer's walks.
 

Pros of the Rep Trap Bar

 
The pros of the REP fitness trap bar are:
 
  • Price compared to the competition
  • Lower injury risk compared to straight bar deadlifts
  • Can also be used as a carrying frame
 
Compared to the Rogue fitness trap bars REP fitness offers almost the same thing at a lower price. They achieve this by importing the barbell from China rather than producing it themselves in the US.
 
If you just want to do deadlifts and not compete in powerlifting, then a trap bar is a good option to protect your back as long as you have the space to store it. A straight bar deadlift can put a big strain on your back, especially if you are doing the movement incorrectly. Trap bars bear a lower risk to do so.
 
Another nice bonus is that a trap bar can also be used as a carrying frame. If you are looking to incorporate carry exercises into your regime and go really heavy, then a trap bar is in my opinion the more versatile option than farmer's handles.
 

Cons of the Rep Trap Bar

 
The cons of the REP fitness trap bar are:
 
  • Bulky
  • Limited use cases
 
A trap bar is usually better suited for a commercial gym than a home gym as they are pretty hard to store. While they are more versatile than farmer walk handles they are still less useful than an actual barbell. Keep these things in mind when making your decision as I personally think that a duffalo bar, safety squat bar, or heavy kettlebells are a better investment in your home gym than a trap bar.
 

Alternatives to the Rep Trap Bar

 
  • Rogue Trap bar
  • TITAN Trap bar
  • Dinnie rings and kettlebells
 
The Rogue trap bar is produced in the US and comes in two variations. Especially version 2 is great as Rogue really thought about the shortcomings of the traditional Trap bar design which are the weight of the bar itself and the handles and optimized on those.
 
The TITAN trap bar is another low-cost option that imports from China. Overall your bill will be lower with TITAN fitness when outfitting a home gym at the cost of laxer quality controls compared to REP fitness based on what I am reading and seeing. This is more of a choice between the two for the overall cost of your gym when you throw in a trap bar to the line of items rather than a question of which one has the better or cheaper trap bar per se.
 
I personally use heavy kettlebells combined with the Rogue Dinnie rings for heavy carries and all kinds of variations of deadlifts. This takes up less space in my gym and is very versatile. The only downside of this approach is that you can not scale in increments as you can with a trap bar with the weight plates you already have in-house.
 

Conclusion for the Rep Trap Bar

 
This is a solid trap bar if you want one and have the space to store it. I personally prefer kettlebells with different handles for carrying work, but I also do not do 200kg carries which would only be possible with a proper frame, trap bar or farmer's walk handles as the kettlebells would get too big and expensive.
 

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:
 
  • 29mm diameter.
  • Knurl Markings: Powerlifting - 32" between markings.
  • Knurl Depth: 75% deeper than any standard offering
  • Tensile Strength: 200k
  • Bushing design with snap rings.
  • Shaft: Stainless Steel.
  • Sleeves: Stainless Steel.
  • Bushing design with snap rings for optimal Powerlifting performance.
  • 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

 
The pros of the REP deep knurl power bar are:
 
  • Deep knurling
  • Full stainless steel construction
  • 29mm shaft
 
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

 
The cons of the REP deep knurl bar are:
 
  • Imported
  • Pricing
  • Color options
  • Knurling
  • No bearing
  • 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

 
Alternatives to the REP Deep knurl bar are:
 
 
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.

Topics: Powerlifting, Garagegym, Home Gym, Bodybuilding, REP Fitness