By Robert Holthouse
•
November 3, 2021
The barbell. a staple of us home gym enthusiasts. The Rogue Ohio Bar, possibly the most well known specific model of barbell on the planet, and with good reason. This there is it's big thicc brother, The Ohio Power Bar, now there are thicker barbells out there, but, why? You're on a page of an average man, lifting average weight. If you're here wondering how this stacks of to Rogue's 32mm squat bar, you and I are not in the same class of lifter, and frankly if you're worried that the OPB is to "whippy" you and I might not be the same species. Also congrats you freaking animal, know that I am jealous of your raw power. About the bar: The Ohio Power Bar is just shy of 87" long, has just over 16" loadable sleeves, a center knurl that will fuse with you under enough weight, power lifting marks, and a 29mm diameter. It's a bushing bar, and while it spins it's not loose. Its got all of the Rogue stuff, their work hardening (whatever that actually means), a F8-R, f rating, again that's a rogue thing, and a 200k-205k PSI tensile strength depending on configuration. Speaking of those configurations, boy or boy decisions decisions. The bar comes in all kinds of finishes so you can properly accessorize your lifts. You got black zinc and chrome (what's in my gym), bar steel for all you purists, a few different colors in cerakote, a couple stainless options, and what I am actually really learning to love E-Coat. Now, I've handled each of these in my many visits to Rogue, and for a feel in the hand: 1 - Bare Steel, 2 - Stainless, 3/4 E-Coat and Zinc, 5 - Cerakote. But to be clear, the difference is pretty minimal other than Bare Steel, there's just something about being free from any protection that just feels better. What I like: I've kinda already started this section, but here we go. The knurl, oh boy that knurl. Now I've handled a lot of bars, my hands have have wrapped around steel from Ohio to California, I've touch knurling manufactured on multiple continents, and there is something about the Ohio Power Bar this is just.... soooooo gooooood. Just look at it a minute: