Barbell Suggestions

[JustinLallemand]

OK - I've got a custom power rack with 3/4" cold rolled steel pins that I have been doing 18" deads on with a little over 700. Also, I'm bad about slowly setting the bar down when it's a weight near my max...

Unlike most cases, my pins have held up well with a slight bend, but no problem. My texas power bar, which is rated at 1500 lbs (of course not tested by dropping it on pins) has bent pretty significantly.

Any ideas on a new bar? I really like this one and I think it would have held up well except for a few things I do. I also like the knurling - especially in the center....

I'm thinking about buying another one but using the bent one for DLing and basically the stuff that caused it to bend initially, while using the other for pressing, rows, etc. The bend doesn't seem to be a problem on back squats but is a little screwed up for front squats.

It'd be nice to have 3 or 4 different ones for different things - like the buffalo bar for squats or something, but I need an all-purpose bar. I assume these normal sized bars are probably not rated at anything higher than 1500.... And obviously, I don't want to spend a ton on one.

Any thoughts? It looks like you can buy a texas power bar for around $220 or so.

[Mike Landrich]

Not a real answer to your question, but a suggestion to save you some $$$. Do your 18" DLs on blocks, instead of on pins in the rack. Use hooks in the rack to load the bar, then lower the bar to the blocks for your set. Dropping on the pins will bend any bar.

[Andy Vincent]

What Mike said, or swap your pins for straps. You can get them at Sorinex or Spud Inc.

[JustinLallemand]

Not a real answer to your question, but a suggestion to save you some $$$. Do your 18" DLs on blocks, instead of on pins in the rack. Use hooks in the rack to load the bar, then lower the bar to the blocks for your set. Dropping on the pins will bend any bar.

Great point! In fact, I decided that day to go buy some lumber to build some simple blocks, but being a moron, it was too late... I guess for a while I thought the bar was fine and only had to worry about the pins. WRONG again.