Rogue Russian bar vs IWF Olympic bar
This is a comparison of the Rogue Russian bar and the IWF Olympic bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
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 $200 and get the Rogue Ohio barbell.
Overview & Review of the Rogue Russian bar
This overview of the Rogue Russian bar was originally published in my comprehensive guide on which Rogue barbell to buy. If you are currently considering to buy a Rogue barbell it is worth a read to get input on the latest models. I update the guide on a yearly basis depending on Rogue's new releases.
Price: 769$
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.