11/09/2026
AN OLYMPIC BAR IS AN OLYMPIC BAR. RIGHT?
Not quite.
Walk into most gyms and they’ll have a selection of bars that, at first glance, look much the same. But diameter, knurling, whip, tensile strength, sleeve rotation and construction can make them very different tools.
And that’s the important bit: a bar is a tool.
A weightlifting bar needs to perform differently to a powerlifting bar. A bar destined for a busy commercial gym has different demands again. Even the amount and type of knurling can completely change how a bar feels in your hands.
So before choosing one, forget about which bar has the biggest numbers on the spec sheet and ask a much simpler question:
What do I actually need this bar to do?
We’ve broken it down into four things worth considering before you buy. Swipe through ➡️
The best bar isn’t necessarily the most expensive, the stiffest or the one with the highest tensile strength.
It’s the right tool for the job.