Rogue IWF olympic women bar vs Ohio power bar

This is a comparison of the IWF women bar and the Ohio power bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview and Review of the Rogue Ohio Power bar

This overview of the Ohio power bar was originally published in my comprehensive guide on which Rogue barbell to buy. If you are currently considering to buy a Rogue barbell it is worth a read to get input on the latest models. I update the guide on a yearly basis depending on Rogue's new releases.

Price: 325$/425$

Overview of the Rogue Ohio Power bar

The rogue Ohio power bar is one of the IPF approved barbells from rogue. To be used in competitions barbells have been tested and approved by the association you want to compete in. The IPF is one of the most respected and well-known federations in the world. This means that you can simulate powerlifting competition standards in your own gym. If you are a powerlifting gym intending to hold a competition at a national or international you should have at least one IPF approved barbell. Three might be even better depending on how many athletes are invited.

The Rogue Ohio Power bar comes in two versions. One in Zinc and the other in stainless steel. The zinc version withstands 200K PSI tensile strength while the other withstands 205K tensile strength. The bar weighs 20kg and has a diameter of 29mm. The loadable sleeve length is 16.875. The sleeves are attached to the shaft with bushing. The Ohio power bar has no whip and aggressive knurling.

The Ohio power bar is described as one of the best options for powerlifting on a budget. The 325$ option brings it very close to the bread and butter Ohio bar. If you don't want any intricate designs and you are focused on powerlifting, this is the bar to get. You might want to toss up between the westside barbell and the Ohio bar. If you compare like for like (in this case zinc for zinc) you get a stiffer bar with less aggressive knurling from the westside barbell and a less stiff barbell with more aggressive knurling with the Ohio power bar.

Pros of the Ohio power bar

The Rogue Ohio power bar is a good value for money bar for someone who wants to start a home gym with powerlifting focus. If you can spare a couple of extra dollars compared to the Ohio bar it will be worth your while. The other options to consider are the deadlift bar, thor bar and westside bar if you do not care that much for overhead lifts.

Cons of the Ohio power bar

The Rogue Ohio power bar has not been designed to be dropped continuously from overhead. While you can do it the lack of whip will show more wear and tear on the bushing and the bar itself. It will also behave suboptimally during clean and jerks and snatches if the main focus of your training or gym is weightlifting. If you want to invest while on a budget into a solid weightlifting barbell goes for the training bar instead.

Conclusion

If you are focused on powerlifting and do not want to pay for a Rogue westside or Thor barbell, the rogue Ohio power bar is the way to go.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Ohio power barbell and purchase on the Rogue website

Overview and review of the IWF Olympic women bar

Rogue updated their line up in 2019 with several IWF standard products so you can run weightlifting competitions. Here are the pros and cons.

The IWF Olympic women barbell is the IWF approved women bar from Rogue. The main differences to the men’s bar are the weight, the diameter and the price of $525. This bar meets the standards to be used by Olympians. I n addition rogue added a design with Cerakote which makes it one of the first barbells with IPF approval which is just not plain steel. The specifications of the bar are:

Made in Columbus, OH, USA with US and EU Steel
Women’s Bearing Bar (International Weightlifting Federation standards)
Bar Weight: 15KG
Shaft Diameter: 25MM
215,000 PSI Tensile Strength EU Steel
Olympic Knurl Marks (no center knurl)
Bar Length: 79.14"
Distance Between Sleeves: 51.50"
Loadable Sleeve Length: 12.50"
Black Cerakote Color Finish w/ Chrome Sleeves
Official IWF branding on center of shaft and endcaps

If you always wanted some an Olympic barbell with some extra design this one is for you.

Pros of the Cerakote IWF women bar

The pros of the Cerakote IWF bar are:

IWF approval
Price
Design

The Cerakote women bar is one of the few bars of Rogue which Cary the prestigious IWF approval. This means that it is build to the highest demands which live up to the bar being used by Olympians. The IWF has the strongest demands on sticking to their specifications with a minimum margin for error to keep competitions fair and comparable. Compared to Eleiko bars the Rogue bar is comparatively cheap to achieve the same goal.

Cons of the IWF Cerakote bar

The cons of the IWF Cerakote bar are:

Cerakote coating
Cost
Design

The Cerakote coating is not an ideal combination with steel plates. These bars also do not will with metal rack pins. Cerakote tends to scratch a lot faster than stainless steel on metal to metal contacts.

The cost of the Cerakote IWF women bar is considerable when you combine it to the lower Rogue ranges. If you are looking for an all-purpose bar for your home gym or CrossFit bis you can get more bars for the same money.

If you don’t look at this design it works against rather than for this bar. In commercial settings, you might also want to keel the colors and the design more neutral based on the clientele you would like to attract.

Alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar

The alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar are:

The Rogue Ohio bar is the workhorse option from Rogue. This is the all-purpose bar from where the entire Rogue production line started. A solid bet at a reasonable price.

The Rogue Pyrros bar has been finalized by Rogue and the finest Olympic weightlifter of all time to produce the finest Olympic weightlifting bar there is. If you want the household name of the Greek lifting god in your home or gym, this is the bar to go for.

The Rogue Thor bar is another option for someone who wants more than a plain design but leans more towards powerlifting. The Thor bar sleeves are longer and can there fit more plates.

Summary for the IWF Cerakote barbell

If you like the design over stainless steel for an IWF approved barbell this is the way to go. If you are looking for a CrossFit bar save yourself $200 and get the Rogue Ohio barbell.