TITAN Strongman Log bar vs Rogue Castro bar [Article, Video]

This is a comparison between the TITAN Strongman log bar and the Rogue Castro bar. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rogue Castro bar [Article, Video]

This is an overview of the Rogue Castro bar which is made of bare steel and therefore very cost efficient. This article was originally oublished under "Which Rogue barbell to buy". Follow the links to learn more.

Price 275$

Overview

The Castro bar is a bare steel bar which comes closest to what you find in most commercial gyms. This is the lowest price tag you can get from Rogue for a full barbell. This makes it a good fit for anyone on a budget who has to buy a lot of barbells or expects them to be stored outside/transported often. For those scenarios, it is a waste of money to get anything that it pretty or elaborate in function.

The Castro bar weighs 20kg and comes in at 28.5mm diameter. It can take up to 190K PSI tensile strength with a good whip. The knurling is standard and the sleeves are attached via bushing. The loadable sleeve length is 16.50. Based on this it is the lowest priced multi-purpose bar available from rogue. Other bars are either special use or designed for children.

The Castro bar is the option to go for if you want to go spend as little as possible while still maximising the training options. If your gym/facility can also live with the fact, that these bars might look quite beaten up pretty fast, even better.

Pros of the Castro bar

The ultimate reason for the Castro bar are the costs. You still get a Rogue bar which is made in the United States at relatively low prices. The bar still goes through the same basic quality checks and holds a warranty. There are other vendors out there who might send you a bar with a lower price tag. Think twice whether you will get the same customer service, warranty and quality checks which only slightly retails over the cost of the raw materials, never mind the labour.

Cons of the Castro bar

A big con of the Castro bar is the bare steel. This finish is likely to show corrosion and use. This means you will need to take more care of it and maintain it more often. If you already have the labour and the necessary equipment to clean bare steel, you might even turn this into a plus. If you want to drill discipline into a bunch of new recruits you might get in a barbell cleaning session once a month on top of the other equipment maintenance you do.

Learn more about the specs of the Rogue Castro bar and purchase on the Rogue website

Overview and review of the Strongman Log bar

The Titan Strongman Log bar will put you back about $150. 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 Strongman log bar

The Strongman log bar is a staple of Strongman Training. The pinnacle of this lifting practice is the Austrian oak competitions at the Arnold. This exercise will challenge your balance and all body strength. The log also loads competition plates, which often can be a problem with these bars. The features and specifications of the log bar are:

TITAN log bar details:

Now fits Competition Plates,
welded end caps
1.65" knurled handles
Neutral hand grips at 26" on center.
Fully welded seams for great fit and finish.
14.25" loadable sleeves
Weight: 75 LB
Overall length: 75.5"
Sleeve diameter: 1.9"
Log diameter: 10"
Loadable sleeve length: 14.25"

Good tool to press big weights overhead.

Pros of the log bar

The neutral grip position puts less stress on your wrists for the bench press and the overhead press. It will also teach you better to deal with cumbersome objects to lift them up. The price is also attractive compared to barbells and other competitors.

Cons of the log bar

A log bar can be quite intimidating for beginners as they are heavier and harder to handle than a barbell. They can sometimes be a pain to fit the plates you already have in your gym. As this piece of equipment has a lot of welding to be done and TITAN is known to cut not so the best job on these you might want to opt for a piece of equipment which needs less welding or is from a different vendor.

Alternatives to the log bar

The Atlas bar is TITAN’s all-purpose bar at a reasonable price. There are no welds on this bar which eliminates the risk of getting poor quality. It will also not be as intimidating for beginners as a log bar.

If you still want a log bar you can invest a little more and go for the Rogue Log bar. You will pay more but there are usually no complaints on the Rogue finish.

The hex bar from TITAN is an option too. This will enable you to do deadlifts in a safe and practice farmers walks for a better grip and the carriers which are a part of Strongman competitions.

Summary of the log bar

A good budget option, but you might want to look somewhere else because of the many welds.