Titan Atlas bar vs Rogue Westside bar [Article, Video]
This is a comparison of the TITAN Atlas bar and the Rogue westside bar. Follow the links for more details.
Rogue fitness vs TITAN fitness
Rogue Fitness is the current market leader when it comes to a functional home gym and commercial gym equipment. They have one of the widest portfolios including racks, barbells, benches, dumbbells, and apparel for the weekend warrior and dedicated athlete. The biggest downside of Rogue Fitness is their comparatively high prices to the competition.
TITAN Fitness is the clear cost leader when you want to build a home gym on a budget that is still similar to what Rogue offers in function, look, and feel. While you will save about half on the sticker price you will run a higher risk of inconsistencies in quality compared to a purchase from Rogue. The equipment will be safe but is more likely to have blemishes, quality issues with welds, or that pieces will not easily fit into place. That makes TITAN a good option for a DIY enthusiast who does not mind tinkering with their equipment, but not the first choice to get the best equipment and treat yourself.
Review and Overview of the Rogue Westside Power bar
This overview of the Westside 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 345$
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Overview of the westside power bar
The
Westside bar has been developed together with Louie Simmons which is not too far from his own gym. The
Westside barbell training facility is world famous for continuously producing some of the strongest powerlifters in the US and on an international level. The Westside method is a staple for strength coaches. The method is especially well tailored to lifters who compete with bench press shirts and squat and deadlifting suits.
The westside barbell weighs in at 45lb with a diameter of 29mm. It can withstand 205K PSI tensile strength and connects the sleeves to the shaft via bushing.
Rogue offers a black zinc finish on shaft and coating. The knurling is powerlifting and the
bar has no whip. The loadable sleeve length is 16.25. There is no 20kg version available.
Westside bar pros
Westside bar cons
The black zinc finish is more open to corrosion than other finishes from
Rogue. It is also a powerlifting specific
bar and you might also have to buy an
Ohio deadlift bar to complete the set. Depending on your need the
Matt Chan bar retails at just a slightly higher price, has the same tensile strength and has a better whip. It all depends on your goals. If you want to do more than powerlifting this
bar is not ideal. If your main focus is the big three go for this one.
Conclusion
The westside bar is a great option when you are mainly focused on powerlifting and want to do the three big lifts. It is a bit more upmarket than the Ohio power bar and less expensive than the Rogue Ohio deadlift bar.
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:
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20KG 28.5MM Olympic Weightlifting bar.
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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.
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Dual knurl marks allow you to use the
Atlas Bar for multiple lifts on and off your Rack.
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Bar weight: 20KG (44 LB)
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Bar Diameter: 28.5MM
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Knurl: medium
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Center Knurl: No
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Knurl Marks: Dual
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Bushing/Bearing: Combination
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Tensile Strength: 220,000 PSI
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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.