Rogue LB-3 log bar vs Ohio froning bar

This is a comparison of the Rogue LB-3 Log bar and the Ohio froning bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue specialty bar to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review Rogue Ohio Bar Froning Edition

This overview of the Froning 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 375$

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Overview of Rogue Ohio bar Froning edition

The Rogue Ohio bar Froning edition pays tribute to all-time Crossfit legend Rich Froning. Rich Froning managed to claim the title of "Fittest man on earth" four times. This makes him the most successful CrossFit athlete to date. The Froning bar carries his logo. The logo is silver while the rest of bar has been kept black. Rogue uses its Cerakote finish combined with the base of the Ohio bar to create another design dedicated to a Rogue athlete.

The Froning bar comes at 20kg and a diameter of 28.5mm. The sleeves are connected via bushing to the shaft. It can withstand 190K PSI Tensile strength with a good whip. The knurling is standard. This multi-purpose bar has a loadable sleeve length of 16.40.

The Froning bar is a great option if you like the colour back and want to connect to one of your favourite CrossFit athletes. Other options you might want to consider are the Fraser bar and Matt Chan bar which is also multi-purpose bars with Rogue athlete branding. This is a great bar for any fitness enthusiast who wants to combine or contrast black with other colours in their home gym.

Pros of the Froning bar

The Froning bar is a single colour bar in black which makes it less popping than the other athlete designs from Rogue. If you like simple designs which do not make bold statements this is a good bar to get. The Ohio bar builds the base and delivers a solid base for multi-purpose barbell training. Connecting to the legend Rich Froning might also give your athletes a psychological boost while training. The low key design also makes it a more feasible option for gym outfits.

Cons of the Froning bar

As with the other Ohio bars with cerakote finish make sure that it is mainly used with bumper plates instead of steel plates. Otherwise, wait until these bars become available with chrome sleeves. It should only be a matter of time until Rogue makes this available. A black shaft can be more prone to show scratches of the underlying material. If you go heavy duty and don't care for the design you might want to go for the Ohio bar, Castro bar or Operator bar instead.

Conclusion

The Rogue Froning bar will set your mind to the greatest of all times in the realm of CrossFit. If you are building a new CrossFit box with class get a set of the Rogue name branded barbells. Your customers will notice that extra bit of attention to detail.

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

Overview and review of the Rogue LB-3 log bar

This is an overview of Rogue LB-3 log bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. It was published first under which rogue specialty bar to get. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the Rogue LB-3 12 log bar

Price: $595

The LB-3 log bar is the biggest log bar in the Rogue Line up and made to spec for strongman competitions. It can hold up to 1000lb and already weighs 130lbs when empty. The full specifications of the LB-3 log bar are:

Made in Columbus, OH, USA
12" Diameter Strongman Log
Total Length: 80.75"
11-gauge steel construction
Handles: Neutral-grip, 1.25” diameter, set 24” apart
Finish: Black Powdercoat
Laser-cut Rogue logo

This is the big daddy of logs you can buy off the shelf from Rogue. The extra-wide design is best for huge athletes that otherwise have problems fitting their arms into the mold without touching off the metal. Be aware that this is already a beast without any plates added. So do not buy this unless you are big or have quite a few big guys in your gym.

Pros of the Rogue 12 log bar

The pros of the LB 3 12 log bar are:

Prepares for competition
Made for big athletes
Sturdy design

This log bar is so big that it will prepare you for anything that a strongman competition will throw at you. If you can handle the size and weight the design is also safer for bigger athletes. What can often be a problem with log bars is that they are made to be big, but of cheap, thin material which makes them prone to deform or bend the plate pins when dipped. Not with the LB 3 which is the high quality we are used to from Rogue.

Cons of the Rogue 12 log bar

Cons of the Rogue 12 log bar:

Price
Size

The 12 log bar comes in at $595. For a specialty bar that you will not use that often, that is a high price. Let’s face it, most mere mortals will use this once, maybe twice a week. If you are not a strongman athlete this piece of metal takes up a huge space and a big chunk out of your wallet.

Alternatives to the Rogue 12 log bar

Alternatives to the Rogue 12 log bar are

The rogue strongman sandbags can be a good alternative to the log bar. If you want to get big weights from the ground to your shoulder you can also do this with these bags which weigh between 100lb to 400lb when filled with sand. They can also be emptied and stored and transported easier than a log bar. Of course, the Dow side is that they are not log-shaped and have no handles.

The rogue rubber atlas stones are another alternative for strongman training. These try to emulate a real stone as close as possible. You will get a perfect sphere that is ready-made. The weight ranges from 50lb to 200lb. These are ready-made with an iron core. No filling or deforming and even if they get a cut they still work. The only downside is where to store them and that they can. It be adjusted.

The LB1 and LB2 are log bar variations that are smaller than the LB-3. The LB1 weighs 72lb empty while the LB2 comes in at 50lb. These might be the better variations to use on a commercial gym as they are smaller and lighter.

Conclusion for the Rogue 12 log bar

The Rogue 12 log bar is the tool for the professional strongman/strongwoman to prepare himself or herself for the next competition. With 130lb starting weight, it does not have many applications for normal-sized athletes or hobby strongmen. You get what you pay for and it is an excellent piece of equipment. I question whether most people will need it and you can save money and space by going for one of the smaller options.