Rogue Squat bar vs Fraser bar
This is a comparison of the Rogue Squat bar and the Fraser bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Overview and review Rogue Ohio Bar Fraser Edition
This overview of the Fraser 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$
Overview of the Fraser bar
This is my personal
favourite
design from
Rogue to date. I am
harbouring
between the
Fraser bar and Chan
bar as I prefer the design of this
bar, but also know that the Chan
bar as better value for money in terms of the material it is made of. I ultimately think I will end up buying the Chan
bar as I already live and breathe the motto hard work pays off.
Pros of the Fraser bar
The
Fraser bar represents the concept of the underdog who overcomes adversity to rise to the challenge. When this inspires you, this is the
bar to get. You will get a solid barbell which makes use of the most modern production techniques
Rogue has to offer. If you like the red and black
colours, even better. This is a well designed, reliable piece of equipment that will make you proud.
Cons of the Fraser bar
If you are a big fan of
Rich Froning you might want to invest your money in his
bar instead. As with the other updated versions of the
Ohio Bar the sleeves only come with Cerakote coating. This leaves this
bar more exposed wear and tear from metal to metal contact. Try to use
bumper plates instead of
metal plates to remedy this.
Conclusion
The Rogue Ohio bar Fraser Edition comes from a long line of solid barbells. The slogan "Hard work pays off" is priceless and if you look into the story of Matt Fraser you will agree that this is the barbell with the best story. If you are an underdog underground weekend warrior who is lying in wait to make it big, this is your barbell.
Overview and review of the squat bar
The Rogue squat bar is a 32mm long sleeved version of Rogue bars to maximize what you can squat. Here are the pros and cons.
The
Rogue squat bar is a special design that focuses on squatting at $445. The main differences to regular bars are
This makes it a bar that is aimed at big, heavy squatters. It could also be interesting for some deadlift experiments as the elephant bar from the Arnold has not gone into mass production yet. The specifications of the bar are:
-
Made in the USA
-
Weight: 25 KG
-
Diameter: 32mm
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Stainless Steel Shaft - 200,000 PSI
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Aggressive Knurl Pattern along full length of shaft + powerlifting and center knurl marks
-
Bar Length: 94.488
-
Distance Between Sleeves: 56"
-
Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.795"
-
Chrome Sleeves
-
Bronze Bushings
Pros of the squat bar
The pros of the
squat bar compared to other bars are in the name. The design features are inbuilt to maximize big squats.
-
Longer sleeves
-
Longer shaft
-
Full knurling
-
32mm
Longer sleeves will enable you to put more weight on the bar with rubber or
steel plates. If you see Ray Williams squatting you can get an idea of why he might run out of space on the sleeves.
32mm stainless steel will keep the whip at bay. While you want whip in an Olympic barbell to make use of momentum to get the bar overhead, it is not a desirable feature in a
squat bar. You want to minimize 1000 pounds taking a life on their own on your back.
The full knurling will provide more grip to your back. There are other bars out there with center knurls which does almost the same thing for you.
The longer shaft will make it less like for you to bump into the rack when oh are walking out very heavy weights. Depending on your setup this can be annoying. I injured myself twice because of twisting my upper body when walking out of a setup and touching off the j cups.
Cons of the squat bar
-
No IPF / IWF approval
-
Space requirements
-
Limited use
-
Price
If you are considering the
squat bar because you want to break records, keep in mind that it is not approved for the IPF or IWF. You will still earn respect for posting the first 500kg raw squat, which this bar is basically built for, but it won’t count in these federations.
If you are setting up your home gym in a very crammed place, keep in mind that this bar will protrude even further to the sides. If you have already cut it very thing with the distance of your bar to the wall or another rack, the
squat bar might just push it over the edge.
The
squat bar is mainly limited to squats. As it has bushing and knurling all across the bar it might not be the best option for Olympic lifts, the bench press, and deadlifts.
For the price you are looking at you can get more versatile barbells for your home gym with a cooler design. If you are setting up your home gym the
squat bar might not be the go-to option.
Alternatives to the squat bar
The
Rogue Chan bar is a good alternative for mere mortals who don’t squat 400kg. It is cheaper than the
squat bar, has a poppier design and can also be used for Oly lifts. If I was to spend $400 on a starter barbell for my home gym it would be this one.
The
duffalo bar is an interesting bar for people who squat 800 pounds plus on a regular basis. This bar has been invented at Kabuki strength which is headed by Chris Duffin. The design is aimed at relieving stress on the shoulder while bench pressing and squatting. This is a very interesting second bar to buy instead of the squat bar, even though it costs $200 more.
Summary for the squat bar
The
squat bar is a great bar for someone who actually needs it. This would be people who squat more than 300kg on a regular basis. There are not that many of them around. I personally think for a second barbell in your home gym you are better off going with safety or
duffalo bar.vs Squat bar