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 RogueOhioBarFraser Edition
This overview of the Fraserbar 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.
The Fraserbarcomes in at 20kg and a diameter of 28.5mm. The shaft and sleeves are Cerakote coated. Thecolourscheme is red and black.The Fraserbarwithstands 190K PSI of tensile strength and has a loadable sleeve length of 16.40. The sleeves rotate via bushing. As theFraserbaris based on theOhiobarit is designed as an all-purposebarwith a good whip.
This is my personalfavouritedesign fromRogueto date. I amharbouringbetween theFraserbarand Chanbaras I prefer the design of thisbar, but also know that the Chanbaras better value for money in terms of the material it is made of. I ultimately think I will end up buying the Chanbaras I already live and breathe the motto hard work pays off.
TheFraserbarrepresents the concept of the underdog who overcomes adversity to rise to the challenge. When this inspires you, this is thebarto get. You will get a solid barbell which makes use of the most modern production techniquesRoguehas to offer. If you like the red and blackcolours, 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 ofRich Froningyou might want to invest your money in hisbarinstead. As with the other updated versions of theOhioBarthe sleeves only come with Cerakote coating. This leaves thisbarmore exposed wear and tear from metal to metal contact. Try to usebumper plates instead ofmetal platesto 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.
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.
TheRogue squat baris a special design that focuses on squatting at $445. The main differences to regular bars are
Bigger circumference 32mm
Longer shaft
Fully knurled
Longer sleeves
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
Stainless Steel Shaft - 200,000 PSI
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 thesquat barcompared 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 orsteel 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 asquat 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.
If you are considering thesquat barbecause 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, thesquat barmight just push it over the edge.
Thesquat baris 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 thesquat barmight not be the go-to option.
TheRogue Chan baris a good alternative for mere mortals who don’t squat 400kg. It is cheaper than thesquat 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.
Theduffalo baris 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
Thesquat baris 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 orduffalo bar.vs Squat bar