TITAN hex bar vs Rogue Squat bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison between TITAN hex bar and the Rogue Squat 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 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.

The Rogue squat bar is a special design that focuses on squatting at $445. The main differences to regular bars are

Bigger circumference 32mm
Longer shaft
Fully knurled
Longer sleeves

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:

Made in the USA
Weight: 25 KG
Diameter: 32mm
Stainless Steel Shaft - 200,000 PSI
Aggressive Knurl Pattern along full length of shaft + powerlifting and center knurl marks
Bar Length: 94.488
Distance Between Sleeves: 56"
Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.795"
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.

Longer sleeves
Longer shaft
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

The cons of the squat bar are

No IPF / IWF approval
Space requirements
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

Alternatives to the squat bar are

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.

Overview and review of the Hex trap bar

The Titan Hex trap bar 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 hex trap bar

A hex trap bar is a great option to introduce beginners to the deadlift or to have a multi-purpose tool to do farmers walks. Lifting the weight from inside the frame while making it less strenuous on your lower back limiting injury risk. The specifications and features of the hex trap bar are:

Bar details

Dual handle design
Raised set of handles stands 7.5" from the floor for a raised starting position when lifting.
Frame measure 49" across so you can easily rack the bar on your power rack safety system.
Solid 48mm weight posts for maximum capacity and long term durability. Tested at 810 LB over a 24 hours period.
Overall Length: 87.5"
Hexagon Frame Length: 49"
Handle Spread: 25"
Handle Diameter: 1.25"
Handle Length: 24.5"
Weight Post Length: 15.75"
Weight Post Diameter: 48 mm
Weight: 60 LB

Good tool when you have lower back problems or beginners.

Pros of the Hex bar

A hex bar lets you develop about the same muscle groups as the straight bar for the deadlift with a lesser risk of lower back injuries. It can also be used for farmers walks in Strongman classes.

Cons of the Hex bar

Hex bars are usually hard to store and intimidating to beginners. Because of their higher weight and big frame beginners usually don’t like to set them up. Apart from the farmers walks and deadlifts the applications of the hex bar are quite limited.

Alternatives to the hex bar

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.

For only about $100 more you can get a yoke. Most people who consider a hex bar already own a barbell. You might as well consider a yoke as it gives you a lot more options for only slightly more money.

If you are already looking into strongman equipment, you might want to have a look at a log bar. These are great to develop overall body strength and have been a staple of strongman competitions for years.

Summary of the hex bar

The hex bar is a great tool to get athletes used to the deadlift or lower injury risk for people who are not into powerlifting but want to reap the benefits of the deadlift.