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:

I could look at that all day. Doesn't it just make you want to reach out and wrap your hands firmly around it? Just me?

I don't think I have ever used straps or chalked this bar, for what I do it simply doesn't need it. I have one of the older Rogue beater bars, and trying to pull anything heavy with that without chalk or straps is impossible, but when you grip this thing, it bite back. Honestly I think this knurl profile is as close to perfect as you get on a power bar. You're not going to want to being doing high rep Olympic work with it, but why would you want to do that anyway?

The other thing I like on this bar is that 29mm thickness. Which is surprising, because I really prefer 28mm in general, just be aware that if your hands are.... dainty, that getting a grip on this hog may be a problem. I'm not saying that dainty hands are a bad thing, it's just that general meatiness of this bar may present you with some issues.

The next few things I like are also the reasons I don't use this bar for everything, so it's going to be hard to put them in the don't like section, but I'll try to make sense of this.

The center knurl is just as aggressive as the rest of the bar, which means that it is going to stick, and stick firm, when you're squatting. Now, this is great, but I have a literal callus on my spine, and if you for some reason lift shirtless (I know some of you don't have that deeply ingrained puritanical shame I do) do not let this bar slip. It is a half step away from an actual wood rasp.

This bar does not whip (at normal human weights) so your movement is going to go straight into the weight. I like a little which on certain things, but this aint gonna do that.

Let's talk about value on this bar. The version I'd recommend for most people would be the E-Coat, that bar retails for $305. Now, you can technically buy a barbell on Amazon for like 70 bucks, I do not think that is a good idea. I in fact this that is a very bad idea. I have used a lot of barbells, mostly from garage sales until the last 5 years or so. So let me give you some advice, I have had sleeves fall off (the entire sleeve) mid lift, I have bent barbells, and that is from someone who has a squat of 325 at the very best. So you could get a cheap barbell, don't. If that thing fails at a bad time, it could be a bad situation. $305 for a bar that quality of what Rogue gives you is an amazing deal. And as I write this they have Boneyard (bars with blemishes or double knurls) Power Bars for as low as $195 bucks. Those are bars that you are never going to need replace (probably, some of you get up to some wild stuff). Not to mention they are backed by a warranty from Rogue, not some drop shipper that started their "company" three moths ago. Spend a little more on that bar, and go hunting for some cheap cast plates if you need to save. You can always flip plates, but that bar is going to be around long after you're dead, I plan to be buried with mine.

What I don't like:

Nothing... Ok fine, but this isn't a real don't like it's more of a be careful list.

First off, if you drag the bar along your shins when you deadlift, enjoy getting to know the staff at the ER, because thing is going to carve trenches into the bone of you shin.

I mentioned that center knurl earlier, well I do wish they made one without it because I am not squatting enough for it to make a difference, but at around 225 if I go shirtless this bar has drawn blood. To be fair, I was being slopping and bouncing out of the whole, but this bar is not going to pity your poor form, it is a cruel and unforgiving bar, and it will demand sacrifice for your mistakes.

If you are concerned about keeping your hands nice and soft this probably isn't what you're looking for, but why? Like, having a nice durable layer of callus is nothing but positives in my book. I once grabbed a bare wire and didn't notice for a full five seconds because of all the dead flesh between me and the wire, and I have Rogue to thank for that.

That's pretty much it. I really like it.

Conclusions:

If you're a standard lifter that only wants one bar, this is that bar. If you are an Olympic lifter you already know this isn't for that, but that doesn't mean you can't have one of these too. Especially with boneyard pricing.

For the price, the quality, the warranty, and the general pleasure of cold hard steel biting deep into your flesh there isn't much better. I mean they do have those Aggro bars, but dude, even I do not understand who was looking for that.