Rogue IWF olympic women bar vs Safety Squat bar
This is a comparison of the IWF women bar and the Safety Squat bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Overview and review of the Rogue Safety Squat bar
This overview of the Rogue safety 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: 395$
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Overview of the Rogue Safety bar
The
Rogue safety bar is tested at 1000lbs and 70lb/35kg. It has a frame and padding attached to it so that you can fully focus on your legs. There will be less balancing needed as with a
normal barbell. Also, your elbows will not suffer as much as with extensive heavy squatting.
Safety bar squats are not ideal for beginners. You need to build basic strength first to be able to progress to this beast. Do not think that 140kg of
back
squat with a barbell is the same as with the safety
bar. The name can be a little misleading.
Pros of the safety bar
The safety bar is very popular with seasoned powerlifters. The older you get the more wear and tear your body shows. Especially when you have been lifting heavy for decades.
The safety bar addresses these issues. You can lift heavy weights without taxing your ligaments and shoulders as much.
Cons of the safety bar
This bar can only be used for squats. If you only have a budget of 400 USD for the
bar in your home gym do not get this
bar. The same goes for gyms. Most of your clients will be
intimated by the size of this beast and not know how to use it. You probably will only need one unless you are
specialised
in powerlifting. It is also huge and awkward to store. It fits on the lowest position of the gun rack. Know exactly why you want this
bar before purchasing it. Otherwise, you have 395USD gathering dust in your basement. If the price tag is too high you can also opt for the
camber bar. The
camber bar comes in at a lower price and has a similar effect to the
safety bar with less material protecting the lifter.
Conclusion
The Rogue Safety bar is a great tool for seasoned powerlifters to take stress of their lower backs and still train hard. You will also be able to mix things up a little more. You can also look int the Rogue Rhino Belt Squat as an alternative.
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.
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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:
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Made in Columbus, OH, USA with US and EU Steel
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Women’s Bearing Bar (International Weightlifting Federation standards)
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Bar Weight: 15KG
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Shaft Diameter: 25MM
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215,000 PSI Tensile Strength EU Steel
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Olympic Knurl Marks (no center knurl)
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Bar Length: 79.14"
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Distance Between Sleeves: 51.50"
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Loadable Sleeve Length: 12.50"
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Black Cerakote Color Finish w/ Chrome Sleeves
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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
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IWF approval
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Price
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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
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Cerakote coating
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Cost
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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 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.