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TITAN Safety Squat Bar vs the duffalo bar [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jul 14, 2020 9:00:00 AM

TITAN Safety Squat Bar vs the duffalo bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison between the TITAN Safety Squat bar and the duffalo bar. Follow the links for more details.

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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.

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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 TITAN Safety Squat bar

The Titan Safety squat 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 Safety squat bar

 
A safety squat bar is a good tool to help with the development of your lower back strength. Strongman like it as a bar to prepare for the squat events in strongman competitions where the weight usually sits a bit lower from the bar based on the contraption they are using. If you want to take your squat to the next öevel and make it easier on your lower back, a safety bar is a good alternative to a straight barbell. Here are the features and specifications for the TITAN safety Squat bar:
 
Safety squat bar details
  • Shoulder and arm pads for a comfortable lift
  • 5" drop keeps the weight plates lower for a stabilized center of gravity and better balance
  • 6" hand grips for control when needed.
  • Extra thick pad comes in one piece to prevent sliding on the bar while squatting.
  • Capacity: 1500 LB
  • Weight: 61 LB
  • Overall length: 90.5”
  • Handle Spacing: 12.75”
  • Shoulder Pad Spacing: 8"
  • Bar Diameter: 1.5”
  • Loadable Sleeve Length: 16”
  • Camber Drop: 5”
  • Handle Angle: 22 Degrees 
 
This is a good edition for dedicated athletes or gyms who want to specialize into tailoring to strongmen.
 

Pros of the Safety squat bar

 
It is an extra tool in your belt to get stronger and bring up your lower back strength. It is easier to hold on to bigger weights and less taxing on the back. Some also like it to do good mornings with. TITAN also has a pretty good deal on this compared to the competition in the market.
 

Cons of the Safety squat bar

 
The cons of the safety squat bar are its single-purpose use, that it is cumbersome and that you buy it from TITAN. You can only use it for squats, not for bench pressing, Olympic lifting or powerlifting. TITAN is also known to cut corners on welding and finish of their products which is important for safety bars, as they are usually assembled by hand. 
 

Alternatives to the Safety Squat bar

 
Alternatives to the safety squat bar are:
 
 
The TITAN Bison bar is curved to ease the strain on your back when you are squatting. This bar can also be used for bench presses as well as squats. The downside is that it does not have as big as a capacity and might be a little tight for very big athletes. 
 
The camber bar works with a very similar concept as the safety bar but without the handles in front. This makes the camber usually a little less expensive and a good choice in combination with handles for very deep squats. 
 
The TITAN log bar is a great addition to your setup if you want to go for strongman competitions. For a proper strongman gym, you will want to have a log bar, safety bar, farmer's walk bars and some tires to flip.
 

Summary for the TITAN Safety bar

 
The TITAN safety bar is a low-cost Safety bar compared to other options in the market. With the savings, you might even be able to pick up another strongman item. The downside is that the finish might be not up to par. 
 

Topics: TITAN