TITAN Blues city barbell vs Duffalo bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison of the TITAN Blues city barbell and the Kabuki strength Duffalo bar. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the duffalo bar

The duffalo bar is probably the best bar in the market with a curve to make it easier on your shoulder and lower back for the bench and squat. Here are the pros and cons.

The duffalo barbell has been designed by renowned strength coach and powerlifter Chris Duffin. The single idea was too reduce strain for lifters on their shoulders and back for the squat and bench press by forcing the into better movement patterns. The duffalo is the best of this kind of barbell currently on the market and Rogue attests to that by not copying the original design but rather letting the manufacturer seeking it on their online shop. The specifications of the duffalo bar are:

Diameter: 32mm
Overall Length: 96”
Heat Treated and Cold Worked Alloy Steel – 195,000 KSI Tensile Strength
Unloaded Bar Weight: 55 LBS
Load Capacity: 1,500 LBS
Three Options: Clear Zinc, Black Oxide, Bright Nickel
Attachment point included for optional Band & Chain Handle Attachment*

Pros of the duffalo bar

The pros of the duffalo bar are:

Innovative, functional design
High-quality manufacturing from the US
Different colors

Kabuki strength is a real American dream come true. This is a well-executed piece of engineering that gets the highest marks in most reviews. It has been designed by a pro for pros to protect them from injury and bring up their exercise volume. If you are serious about strength, look into this bar.

Cons of the duffalo bar

The cons of the duffalo bar are:

Price
high specialization
Not relevant to competition

The price of the Duffalo bar is relatively high for a specialty barbell. It ranges in the realms of Eleiko and the top-line Rogue barbells. It is a good use piece of equipment but has fewer uses than these options in the gym.

The high specialization makes it almost exclusively interesting to powerlifters and strongman. It is definitely not the first buy for your home gym. Members of commercial gyms might even feel a little intimidated by this massive piece of steel.

Keep in mind that this bar will help to build volume in your training while doing less damage to yo ur body. You will still need to practice on a straight bar in your cycle to perform on stage.

Alternatives to the Duffalo bar

The camber bar has no curvage and places the weight for the squat closer to the center of your body. It also has a tendency to make the plates swing. If you want more activation in your squats this is a good bar but it is not for bench pressing like the duffalo bar.

The safety bar is the classic bar to have less strain on the spine for heavy lifting. The Duffalo bar is basically a combination of the ideas of safety and Olympic barbell. Compared to the duffalo bar you will save money. This is the better bar for a commercial gym. As an am I Tinnef home gym owner I would still go for the duffalo bar.

The earthquake bar is partly made of bamboo and okays with the idea of weights which shake uncontrollably when moved. While it can not take as much weight as the other bars and needs bands and kettlebells to function, this can be an interesting squat variation based on lovers of the west side method.

Summary of the duffalo bar

The duffalo bar is a very interesting second purchase of a barbell for very ambitious home gym owners who start to feel the pains of age but still lift very heavy.

Overview and review of the Blues City Cerakote

The Blues City Cerakote barbell will put you back about $300. 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 Blues city Olympic barbell

This is the top of the line barbell from TITAN you will get a great barbell with all of the necessary knurlings to do powerlifting or weightlifting. You can decide between colors and the cerakote finish give this bar a good look, while still being up for high standards. Here the specifications and features of the Blues City:

Available colors:

Black
Blue
Bronze
Red

Bar details

Made In The USA.
No center knurling.
Cerakote shaft to prevent corrosion and abrasions.
Dual knurl marks with standard knurling.
Zinc sleeves with Bronze Bushings for consistent spins.
High tensile strength.
Provides a good whip.
Weight: 20kg
Overall Length: 86.75”
Shaft Grip Diameter: 28.5mm
Overall Knurling Width: 16”
Tensile Strength: 190,000 PSI
Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.25 per sleeve
Knurl Type: Standard Knurling

Pros of the Blues City barbell

For a cerakote bar, this is a very good price. Compared to other TITAN barbells the price might be a little high for you, especially if you don’t care that much about the color of your barbell.

Cons of the Blues City barbell

If you are buying in bulk this might not be the option for you as the costs will multiply out. If you want to simulate closer what happens in competition this bar is neither IPF nor IWF approved. For this, you would have to go with Eleiko or Rogue bars.

Alternatives to the Blues CIty

Alternatives to the TITAN Blues City are

The Titan Atlas bar is a great option from TITAN to save money when you buy in bulk while still providing great service to your clients. The Atlas bar is the all-around workhorse out of the TITAN portfolio.

The Rogue Pyrros bar has been co-designed by Rogue and three-time Olympic weightlifting champion Pyrros Dimas. It has recently been approved by the IWF to be used at official competitions.

The Rogue Ohio power bar is the powerlifting adaptation of the Rogue Ohio bar. This barbell has recently been approved by the IPF to be officially used in their competitions.

Summary for the Blues City bar

If you want a stylish cerakote bar on a budget this is the one to get. If you are buying in multiples or you are preparing for a professional competition you might want to go with different options.