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TITAN Blues City power bar vs Rogue IWF bar [Article, Video]

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jun 8, 2020 4:00:00 PM

TITAN Blues City power bar vs Rogue IWF bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison of the TITAN Blues city power bar and the Rogue IWF 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.

Overview and review of the IWF Olympic women bar

Rogue updated their line up in 2019 with several IWF standard products so you can run weightlifting competitions. Here are the pros and cons.

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The IWF Olympic women barbell is the IWF approved women bar from Rogue. The main differences to the men’s bar are the weight, the diameter and the price of $525. This bar meets the standards to be used by Olympians. I n addition rogue added a design with Cerakote which makes it one of the first barbells with  IPF approval which is just not plain steel. The specifications of the bar are: 
 
  • Made in Columbus, OH, USA with US and EU Steel
  • Women’s Bearing Bar (International Weightlifting Federation standards)
  • Bar Weight: 15KG
  • Shaft Diameter: 25MM
  • 215,000 PSI Tensile Strength EU Steel
  • Olympic Knurl Marks (no center knurl)
  • Bar Length: 79.14"
  • Distance Between Sleeves: 51.50"
  • Loadable Sleeve Length: 12.50"
  • Black Cerakote Color Finish w/ Chrome Sleeves
  • Official IWF branding on center of shaft and endcaps
 
If you always wanted some an Olympic barbell with some extra design this one is for you.
 

Pros of the Cerakote IWF women bar 

 
The pros of the Cerakote IWF bar are: 
 
  • IWF approval 
  • Price 
  • Design 
 
The Cerakote women bar is one of the few bars of Rogue which Cary the prestigious IWF approval. This means that it is build to the highest demands which live up to the bar being used by Olympians. The IWF has the strongest demands on sticking to their specifications with a minimum margin for error to keep competitions fair and comparable. Compared to Eleiko bars the Rogue bar is comparatively cheap to achieve the same goal.
 

Cons of the IWF Cerakote bar 

 
The cons of the IWF Cerakote bar are: 
 
  • Cerakote coating 
  • Cost 
  • Design 
 
The Cerakote coating is not an ideal combination with steel plates. These bars also do not will with metal rack pins. Cerakote tends to scratch a lot faster than stainless steel on metal to metal contacts. 
 
The cost of the Cerakote IWF women bar is considerable when you combine it to the lower Rogue ranges. If you are looking for an all-purpose bar for your home gym or CrossFit bis you can get more bars for the same money. 
 
If you don’t look at this design it works against rather than for this bar. In commercial settings, you might also want to keel the colors and the design more neutral based on the clientele you would like to attract. 
 

Alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar 

 
The alternatives to the IWF Cerakote bar are:
 
 
The Rogue Ohio bar is the workhorse option from Rogue. This is the all-purpose bar from where the entire Rogue production line started. A solid bet at a reasonable price. 
 
The Rogue Pyrros bar has been finalized by Rogue and the finest Olympic weightlifter of all time to produce the finest Olympic weightlifting bar there is. If you want the household name of the Greek lifting god in your home or gym, this is the bar to go for. 
 
The Rogue Thor bar is another option for someone who wants more than a plain design but leans more towards powerlifting. The Thor bar sleeves are longer and can there fit more plates. 
 

Summary for the IWF Cerakote barbell 

 
If you like the design over stainless steel for an IWF approved barbell this is the way to go. If you are looking for a CrossFit bar save yourself $200 and get the Rogue Ohio barbell. 
 

Overview and review of the Blues City power bar

The Blues City Power bar 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 power bar 

 
The blues city power bar is especially geared towards powerlifters and their needs. This is achieved by less whip in the bar, higher PSI strength, and more aggressive knurling. This provides better grip and less movement in the bar which can get challenging especially on very heavy squats and bench presses. There is a case to be made that whip actually helps the deadlift as it shortens the distance the weight has to be pulled especially for sumo deadlifts. The TITAN power barbell comes in black. The features and specifications of this barbell are: 
 
Barbell details 
  • Made In The USA with 100% US sourced materials.
  • Center knurling.
  • Oxide shaft to prevent corrosion and abrasions.
  • Power Lifting knurl marks with aggressive knurling.
  • Zinc sleeves with Bronze Bushings for consistent spins.
  • High tensile strength.
  • Provides little to no whip.
  • Weight: 20kg
  • Overall Length: 86.25”
  • Shaft Grip Diameter: 28.5mm
  • Overall Outside Knurling Width: 17”
  • Center Knurling Width: 5”
  • Tensile Strength: 200,000 PSI
  • Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.125 per sleeve
  • Shaft Length: 51.5”
  • Shaft Color: Black Oxide
  • Sleeve Material: Zinc
  • Bushings/Bearings: Bronze Bushings
  • Knurl Type: Aggressive Knurling
 
A good option for powerlifters who want something special at a reasonable price. 
 

Pros of the power bar 

 
This bar comes with center knurling, aggressive knurling, and stiff steel. It will hold chalk better than other TITAN models and therefore give the little edge for your powerlifting. Compared to the market it also comes at a reasonable price. 
 

Cons of the power bar 

 
If you want to use it for multiple people who are not that dedicated to training, they might complain that this bar is too aggressive on their hands. Experienced weightlifters will prefer a bar with whip to use the momentum to get more weight over their heads. 
 

Alternatives to the TITAN power bar 

 
You can have a look at the following alternatives to the TITAN power bar: 
 
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 TITAN power bar 

 
This is a good budget option for the ambitious home powerlifter on a budget. If you are buying multiples you might want to go to the Atlas bar. If you are planning a professional competition look into the Rogue and Eleiko portfolio to use approved barbells. 
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