Rogue Russian bar vs Castro bar

This is a comparison of the Rogue Russian bar and the Castro bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details

Overview and review of the Rogue Castro bar [Article, Video]

This is an overview of the Rogue Castro bar which is made of bare steel and therefore very cost efficient. This article was originally oublished under "Which Rogue barbell to buy". Follow the links to learn more.

Price 275$

Overview

The Castro bar is a bare steel bar which comes closest to what you find in most commercial gyms. This is the lowest price tag you can get from Rogue for a full barbell. This makes it a good fit for anyone on a budget who has to buy a lot of barbells or expects them to be stored outside/transported often. For those scenarios, it is a waste of money to get anything that it pretty or elaborate in function.

The Castro bar weighs 20kg and comes in at 28.5mm diameter. It can take up to 190K PSI tensile strength with a good whip. The knurling is standard and the sleeves are attached via bushing. The loadable sleeve length is 16.50. Based on this it is the lowest priced multi-purpose bar available from rogue. Other bars are either special use or designed for children.

The Castro bar is the option to go for if you want to go spend as little as possible while still maximising the training options. If your gym/facility can also live with the fact, that these bars might look quite beaten up pretty fast, even better.

Pros of the Castro bar

The ultimate reason for the Castro bar are the costs. You still get a Rogue bar which is made in the United States at relatively low prices. The bar still goes through the same basic quality checks and holds a warranty. There are other vendors out there who might send you a bar with a lower price tag. Think twice whether you will get the same customer service, warranty and quality checks which only slightly retails over the cost of the raw materials, never mind the labour.

Cons of the Castro bar

A big con of the Castro bar is the bare steel. This finish is likely to show corrosion and use. This means you will need to take more care of it and maintain it more often. If you already have the labour and the necessary equipment to clean bare steel, you might even turn this into a plus. If you want to drill discipline into a bunch of new recruits you might get in a barbell cleaning session once a month on top of the other equipment maintenance you do.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Castro bar and purchase on the Rogue website

Overview & Review of the Rogue Russian bar

This overview of the Rogue Russian 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: 769$

Overview of the Russian bar

The Russian bar became popular in the 1960s and was used at the Olympic games in 1980. It weighs 20kg and uses a diameter of 28mm. It withstands 200.000 PSI and has a chrome finish with 16.25 of loadable sleeve length. The design is unique and optimized fur multiple reps. To achieve this the bar has special sleeves combined with special collars. These enable you to do multiple repetitions on the Olympic lifts without having to reset the bar.

Rogue took the old model of the Russian bar and applied their modern knowledge and technology to bring the bar into the 21st century. The bar has a centre knurl and Olympic knurl marks. It also comes with bearing for a better spin off the sleeves.

This high quality and special manufacturing make it the highest priced Rogue bar to date. You ultimately get what you pay for and this is the top end.

Pros of the Russian bar

You get the best of the best with added functionality for weightlifters. The shaft is made of stainless steel while the sleeves are made of chrome. This is combined with extra functionality through the click and tighten mechanics.

If you have Olympic weightlifters who want to fully focus on multi-rep sets this is the bar to go for. This is the right bar for serious athletes who are subsidized by the state to win gold medals. Put this bar into an environment where this is big respect for the sport of weightlifting and the equipment used.

Cons of the Russian bar

The high price tag makes it not really a feasible option for a home gym or Crossfit box. If you have to buy many barbells, the price will get unacceptable compared to the Ohio bar as you can get twice as many barbells for the same budget. If your gym is mainly powerlifting focused you might also want to look into other barbells.

As the collars are specialized the Russian bar might also not be the right choice for a commercial gym or military facilities where there are a lot of people. Collars tend to get lost in those environments and they are an essential piece of the functionality and price of this barbell.

Conclusion

The Russian bar is a great addition to an already existing weightlifting gym which honors the past. You get some extra functionality which seasoned weightlifters will appreciate and respect. This piece of equipment would be wasted on beginners or people who do care little about the sport of weightlifting.

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