Rogue Russian bar vs Thor bar
This is a comparison of the Rogue Russian bar and the Thor power bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Overview & Review of the Rogue Thor power bar
This overview of the Rogue Thor 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: 450$
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the Thor bar
The diameter of this barbell is 29mm. The shaft withstands 205K of tensile strength and has no whip. The knurling is very aggressive to suit the needs of powerlifters. The loadable sleeve length is either 16.25 or 16.88 depending on which version of the Thor bar you will get. The sleeve coating is available in Cerakote or Chrome.
Pros of the Thor bar
The design is innovative and you get a strong powerlifting bar which connects you to one of the greatest strongmen of our time when you train. Especially if you own a home gym and want to give it the extra special touch, this can be a good choice. No whip is a great option for bench presses and squats. You want as little whip as possible on these two movements.
Cons of the Thor bar
As with all the new
Rogue bars you have to like the design. If you are a Brian Shaw fan or want to appeal to the masses in your gym you might be better off getting a
barbell with fewer design features on it. The
Thor power bar is also a focused bar. If you want to keep things flexible you might be better off getting the
Chan or
Ohio bar. The price tag of 450 USD might also be off-putting to some.
Conclusion
The Thor bar is a great addition to the Rogue portfolio which honors one of the great athletes of our time. If you are from Iceland or like Game of Thrones this is a good option. For the budget conscious among you you will also have the option to go for the Rogue Ohio Power bar. This is the same base, but not as nicely finished as the Thor bar.
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.