REP stainless steel Gladiator bar vs trap bar

This is a comparison between the REP fitness stainless steel Gladiator bar and the REP fitness trap bar. Follow the links for more details.

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 stainless steel Gladiator bar

This is an overview of the REP fitness stainless steel gladiator 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 Stainless Steel Gladiator bar $399

The REP Stainless steel gladiator bar is REP fitness's top-tier Olympic weightlifting barbell. The knurl is medium while the focus is on high tensile strength and bearing to make the ride as smooth as possible for Olympic weightlifters. The full list of specifications runs as follows:

205k tensile strength, 1500 lb rated
Medium depth knurl
5 needle bearings per sleeve for a smooth spin
Ribbed sleeves to keep weights from sliding while training.
Weightlifting knurl markings
28mm diameter
87.4" length
Lifetime warranty*

If you can afford it, then there is not a lot you can do wrong with the REP fitness stainless steel Gladiator bar. This is a great purchase for anyone who is aiming to build an Olympic weightlifting gym at home. Commercial buyers might opt for the normal steel version. Especially if they are buying in multiples to save on cost per item.

Pros of the Rep Stainless Steel Gladiator bar

The pros of the stainless steel Gladiator bar:

Stainless steel
Good whip
Good spin

This is a great option for anyone who wants to spend no more than $500 on a good quality Olympic weightlifting barbell. The stainless steel makes it durable while it spins smoothly and has a great whip. REP fitness has improved on its successful Gladiator design by delivering it in stainless steel. Not a lot to do wring here.

Cons of the Rep Stainless Steel Gladiator bar

The cons of the Stainless steel Gladiator bar are:

Price
Imported
Lack of color options

If you are into the REP fitness portfolio you are already more price-sensitive than someone who buys their equipment from Rogue fitness. In that case, this is still a pricey barbell as you can get a piece of steel that does the job for between $200 and $300. You do not necessarily not bearing and stainless steel to get your home gym going, especially if you have not been training professionally in a team already.

REP fitness achieves its prices by importing from overseas. If you have an issue with that business practice and would rather buy from someone who produces and sources locally in the US then Rogue fitness and Sorinex are your alternatives.

Currently, the REP fitness production lines are not laid for the use of Cerakote for their barbell production to add color. I am sure it is only a matter of time until they switch suppliers and find a way of getting their hands on the necessary machines to upgrade their overseas supplier. For now, the only colored barbell in the REP fitness lineup is the Black Sabre bar.

Alternatives to the Rep Stainless Steel Gladiator bar

The Rogue Pyrros bar forms the pinnacle of weightlifting bars from Rogie Fitness. Co-designed with one of the biggest legends of Olympic weightlifting this barbell does not just provide the best in class when it comes to whip and spin but also a mind connection to a great weightlifter. If you want the best apart from Eleiko barbells then this is the one to get.

The REP deep Knurl bar is the top of the food chain in the REP portfolio when it comes to powerlifting bars. If you won’t do overhead lifts with your barbell but have $400 to spend the deep Knurl is the better choice than the gladiator bar.

The REP gladiator bar has all the good DNA from its stainless big brother, except the stainless steel bones. If you want a very close feel to the Stainless gladiator bar in terms of spin and whip, but do not want to shell out the extra dollars for the stainless steel, then the Gladiator bar is your friend.

The Rep Sabre bar is the right choice for anyone who is looking for an all-around barbell for all the needs of a Crossfitter at a decent price. If you are only going to buy one barbell to do all the lifts with then this is the value-for-money workhorse you want from REP.

The TITAN blues city Olympic barbell is TITAN’s touch on Olympic weightlifting. TITAN is the price leader in the market which comes at the cost of looser quality controls. If you want a smooth precision barbell this might work against you in the long run. Still, money saved and spent on plates is also not to be scoffed at.

Conclusion for the Rep Stainless Steel Gladiator bar

If you want the Apex predator in weightlifting barbells from REP fitness then the Stainless steel gladiator bar is your weapon of choice. There are higher quality Oly barbells out there like the Eleiko range or the Pyrros bar, but not at the same price point.