REP fitness Gladiator WL barbell vs Black sabre barbell

This is a comparison between the REP fitness Gladiator WL bar and the REP fitness Black sabre barbell. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the REP fitness Black Sabre barbell

This is an overview of the REP fitness Black Sabre 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.

Rep Black Sabre Barbell $209

The black sabre barbell is the bread and butter barbell from REP fitness with the added pixie dust of being black. The sabre line manifests a considerable drop in barbell quality and warranty length in exchange for being about $100 apiece cheaper than the higher Gladiator and Excalibur line. The full specifications of this barbell are:

20 kg (45 lbs)
150k tensile strength
1000 lb rating
28.5mm diameter
87.4" length
Black Zinc coating
Bushing design with snap rings
Dual knurl markings for Olympic and Power lifting
1-year warranty

This is a solid barbell for anyone who really wants to optimize their budget for a home gym but still wants to get something else than steel color. A commercial buyer might get these as a "use and abuse" barbell to graduate from the technique bar for beginners or to have some visual distinction between different user groups.

Pros of the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

The pros of the Black sabre REP fitness barbell are:

Color option
Cheap and cheerful

This is the right barbell for someone on a budget or with a lot of money to spend but wants to get the most out of every dime invested. With the black color, it is a little more interesting than just a regular steel-colored barbell, if you are into that kind of stuff. Not a lot that can go wrong with $200 against a barbell.

Cons of the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

The cons of the Rep black Sabre barbell are:

No bearing
No aggressive knurl
1-year warranty
Imported
150k tensile strength
Doesn't go all the way

For $100 less REP fitness makes a considerable drop in what you are getting for your money. This barbell has no bearing, no aggressive knurling and the metal being used also takes lesser tensile strength. Top this of a 1-year warranty compared to a 5 year or lifetime warranty you are able to get around $300 and you are leaving a lot of value on the table just to save $100. If the bottom line is all you care about, e my guest, but then buy the Sabre or even the basic barbell from REP fitness instead.

This barbell is also imported, so if you want to source all your gear from the US from a vendor that maximizes job creation locally, then Sorinex or Rogue fitness are the better options.

Alternatives to the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

Alternatives to the REP fitness black Sabre bar are:

The rep sabre bar is the more logical alternative in my opinion if all you care about is to get a fairly decent barbell at the lowest possible price. If you are already taking a big hit on features, you might as well strip the color of the barbell and maximize your savings.

The Rogue Ohio bar with Cerakote coating is an option if you have the money, but want more color options than just black. Rogue provides quite a few combinations of colors and material in their portfolio. So if it is the creative freedom you are after for your barbell, then Rogue has a lot more to offer.

The TITAN Atlas bar is the bread and butter barbell on the low end from TITAN fitness. If you want the cheapest possible home gym, while still getting commercial-grade equipment, then TITAN is your best bet. The only downside is that as a company they seem to cut more corners for low prices than other vendors. This might have an impact on your individual experience when buying from them.

Conclusion for the Rep Black Sabre Barbell

The black sabre barbell is a good option if you want to buy from REP fitness and to make a statement, but not for more than $200. It is so far also the only barbell with color in the REP fitness lineup. If you want to maximize savings the Basic barbell or steel-colored Sabre barbell are also options.

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.

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:

28mm diameter (25mm for 15kg bar)
20 kg (45lb) or 15kg (35lb) option
1500 lb static rating
3 Needle bearings and 2 bushings per sleeve
Ribbed sleeves to keep weights from sliding while training.
Hard Chrome coating - rust-resistant coating
Center Knurl on WL and SS barbell
No Center Knurl on MX Gladiator and 15kg
Medium Depth Knurl
230k tensile, 210k yield
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

The pros of the Gladiator WL:

Price
Design

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

The cons of the REP Gladiator WL barbell are:

Not IWF approved
No full bearing on the sleeves
Imported
Color options

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

Alternatives to the REP Gladiator WL bar are:

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 REP 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.