Titan Atlas bar vs Rogue Russian bar [Article, Video]
This is a comparison between the TITAN Atlas bar and the Rogue Russian bar. Follow the links for more details.
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$
What else to consider from Rogue
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.
Overview and review of the atlas bar
The Titan Atlas will put you back about $200. TITAN is well known for their very good prices compared to their competition and will get you started on your home gym. This review was originally posted in “which barbell to get from TITAN”.
Overview of the Atlas bar
The
Atlas bar is the all-purpose, middle of the road bar from TITAN for all your needs. Only available in steel color this is a nice piece of equipment at a very reasonable price for all purposes. If you want to weightlift and powerlift and don’t care about competitions or fancy colors, this is the one for you. The features and specifications of the
Atlas bar are:
Atlas bar details:
-
20KG 28.5MM Olympic Weightlifting bar.
-
Medium knurl provides a full, not sharp pattern allowing the lifter to decide their ideal grip.
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220,000 PSI tensile strength gives the right amount of whip or flex to the bar for Olympic lifts.
-
Dual knurl marks allow you to use the
Atlas Bar for multiple lifts on and off your Rack.
-
Bar weight: 20KG (44 LB)
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Bar Diameter: 28.5MM
-
Knurl: medium
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Center Knurl: No
-
Knurl Marks: Dual
-
Bushing/Bearing: Combination
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Tensile Strength: 220,000 PSI
-
Warranty: 1 year
This is a solid first bar to start your home gym or to buy in bulk for commercial purposes.
Pros of the Atlas bar
As with all TITAN equipment, it has a price advantage when compared to their direct competition. That this bar also has partly bearing is especially attractive at this price point. The 220K tensile strength and whip round off the picture. A solid choice for starters and equipping gyms.
Cons of the Atlas bar
TITAN is known for cutting corners on their finishes. This doesn’t make the equipment less usable but at times optically inferior. As this is a budget bar which does the job very well, I doubt that will be a problem unless you open a gym in LA or NY for the rich and famous. If you want to hold official IPF or IWF lifting competitions the
Atlas bar is not approved.
Alternatives to the Atlas bar
The
blues city bar is the alternative from TITAN which will give you the choice of color with the
Cerakote coating. This is a type of coating technique which has been adapted from the weapons industry.
The
bombshell bar is the female version of the
blues city. It also has more whip and would be the choice for Olympic
weightlifters.
The
Rogue Ohio bar is the alternative from TITAN’s direct competitor which is built for the same purpose in Columbus, Ohio.
Summary for the Atlas bar
The
Atlas bar is a solid choice if you want to buy your first proper barbell to start your gym on a budget. Also, if you want to outfit a gym for the first time, this can be a good bulk buy as these barbells will last you longer than the York ones.