REP fitness Rackabale EZ Curl barbell vs technique bar

This is a comparison between the REP rackable EZ curl barbell and the REP fitness technique bar. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the REP fitness Technique bar

This is an overview of the REP fitness Technique 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 Technique Bar $119

Technique bars are a helpful tool for Olympic weightlifting to get the technique right and progress to a full bar. Especially when you work with children or a lot of lightweight beginners for Olympic weightlifting than this is something you might want to consider. For most home gyms this means that this is an option they will not get a lot of use out of unless your children are training with you. The full specifications of this bar are:

72" long
51.5" between collars (fits on squat racks)
Bushings in sleeves for smooth spin
Bright zinc finish on bar shaft, black zinc on sleeves
Dual knurl markings
200 lb max load
28mm diameter

This bar does what it says on the tin. Nothing too fancy to use and not too pricey to regret not using enough.

Pros of the Rep Technique Bar

The pros of the REP fitness technique bar are:

Full control over the bar path for beginners
Good for speed drills
Good for child athletes

When you are learning the correct technique for the clean and jerk and the snatch it can be beneficial to start with a barbell that is lighter than 20kg or 15kg. A trainer would usually start beginners on a broomstick or PVC pipe and progress from there and a technique bar has some weight to it while it is not the full 20kg of an unloaded barbell which can be a big jump for some. More experienced athletes also might work on speed or a weakness in the different phases on the lifts with a lighter barbell, also it is probably better to stick with the bar you will actually lift on, once you progressed that far. The sea logic applies to children that start oly lifting at a very young age.

Cons of the Rep Technique Bar

The cons of a technique bar are:

Limited use
Limited sleeve space
Limited weight capacity

If you are looking into building your own home gym chances are high that you have already surpassed the beginner stage. Especially if we are talking Olympic lifts, because if you want to do that home without ever having instructions in person before I would highly recommend that you reconsider. This makes technique bars limited in their use for a home gym. In a commercial gym, they can be a good purchase if you have specialized in Olympic lifting. Based on the size of your beginner classes you might want to stock up on half the class for technique bars and half regular bars or broom sticks.

Alternatives to the Rep Technique Bar

Alternatives to the REP fitness technique bar are:

Rogue Technique bar
TITAN Technique bar

These barbells basically do the same, except that they are from other vendors. The Rogue Technique bar comes in more different tastes than the REP fitness bar and is made in the US whereas the TITAN fitness portfolio is more limited and is imported from China.

Conclusion for the Rep Technique Bar

If you own an Oly lift-focused commercial gym it is a good idea to stock some of these depending on the size of your classes. If you want to get a barbell for your little ones I personally think Rogue has better options.

Overview and review of the REP fitness Rackabale EZ Curl barbell

This is an overview of the REP fitness Rackable EZ curl 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 Rackable EZ Curl Barbell $169

The REP rackable EZ barbell is an EZ bar designed to be racked and is, therefore, longer than the usual EZ barbells you would find in most gyms. The EZ design is specially tailored to bicep curls and skull crushers. The wavy design makes these exercises easier on the wrist than a straight barbell. These are nice to have but not necessities for your home gym setup. I personally do curls and skull crushers with my Rogue Ohio barbell with a narrow grip and that works just fine. The full specifications of this barbell are:

Diameter: 30mm
Weight: 35lbs
Finish: Stainless Steel or Hard Chrome Coating
Knurl: 4x70mm sections of medium depth knurl
Length: 6'2"
Loadable length: 10"
Distance between sleeves: 4'3"

It does what it says on the tin if you fancy one.

Pros of the Rep Rackable EZ Curl Barbell

Pros of the EZ rackable Curl barbell are:

Rackable
Length
Easy on the wrists

The design and purpose of this barbell are fulfilled with this model. The quality is good and it is not that expensive that you would regret your purchase. Just be aware that the use you will get out of this barbell is quite limited, unless you want to curl like a berserker on a daily basis to make your bicep grow. I had phases like that in my teenage years, I have to admit.

Cons of the Rep Rackable EZ Curl Barbell

The cons of the rackable EZ Curl barbell are:

Hard to store
Limited use cases

While this barbell is easier to handle in the rack than a normal short EZ bar, it takes up quite a bit of space when it is not in use. If you don't want it on the floor you will need to get a gun rack mount or some other barbell storing device. These cost usual as much if not more than this barbell. So if you do not have the infrastructure in your gym yet to store a second full-sized barbell I would get a short EZ barbell or none at all.

Alternatives to the Rep Rackable EZ Curl Barbell

Rogue EZ bar
TITAN EZ barbell

Rogue as well as TITAN stock variations in short and long of the EZ barbell. The differences are minimal so it is really more about which vendor you like most and who can deliver the fastest depending on your needs.

Conclusion for the Rep Rackable EZ Curl Barbell

The REP fitness rackable barbell does what it says on the tin. Do you really ned it? Probably not, but it is nice to have if your barbell gun rack is not full yet. Better specialty bars to get are a safety bar or duffalo bar if your budget allows.