Rogue Squat bar vs Freedom bar
This is a comparison of the Rogue Squat bar and the Freedom bar including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Overview and review of the Rogue Freedom bar
This overview of the Rogue freedom 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 395$
What else to consider from Rogue
Overview of the Rogue Freedom bar
The
rogue freedom bar is a special version of the
Ohio bar which bears the American red white and blue. It weighs in at 20kg and has a diameter of 28.5mm. The sleeves are made of chrome and are connected via bushing to the shaft. The shaft coating is
cerakote
and the loadable sleeve length comes in at 16.40.
There is no
centre
knurl and it withstands 190K PSI tensile strength with a good whip. The knurling is less aggressive than with
powerlifting and weightlifting bars.
Pros of the rogue freedom bar
The
freedom bar is based on the workhorse
Ohio bar, one of the bars which
Rogue produces for the longest time. You can rest assured that
Rogue knows what they are doing when handling the shaft for this one. The
cerakote
finish is a new addition to the
Rogue portfolio which has been adapted from the weapons industry. This enables better protection against corrosion while providing nicer finishes.
The pricing is also moving closer to the
295$ mid-range Ohio bar, which makes this a good
bar for home gyms, small groups or as a replacement for one the retired barbells in your gym.
Cons of the rogue freedom bar
If you do not like the design, there is no point in getting this barbell. Especially for commercial uses, you have to consider whether a more neutral design might be the better choice for you. While Cerakote is great against corrosion it is less able to take a beating from plates and banging of other metals. The chrome sleeves will be fine, but take care to avoid banging of the shaft of other things.
Conclusion
If you want to show that you are proud to be American this is the bar for you. It builds on a solid base from years of experience from the Rogue Ohio bar and adds the necessary red, white and blue beautifully.
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.
Related articles
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:
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Made in the USA
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Weight: 25 KG
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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
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Bar Length: 94.488
-
Distance Between Sleeves: 56"
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Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.795"
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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.
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Longer sleeves
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Longer shaft
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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
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No IPF / IWF approval
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Space requirements
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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