If the title had you wondering where to get your favorite drink, get your head straight!  I’m talking about weight lifting bars.  If you go to a Walmart-style gym, you’ll find a bunch of bars that are generic and cheap, just like they think you are.  Nicer gyms have a variety of bars designed to help you maximize your lifting results.  Here is a quick rundown of the different bars at Spring Hill Fitness:

Texas Power Bar and Ohio Power Bar – these strong and stiff bars are meant primarily for squatting and deadlifting.  You can identify them by the knurl in the center of the bar which prevents the bar from sliding down your back when squatting and the sharpness of the knurl that helps keep your grip when deadlifting.  The ends of the bar have the Texas or Ohio Power logo inscribed in them.

Rogue Bar – this one is meant primarily for Olympic lifting (i.e. snatch and clean-and-jerk).  It’s easy to identify because it has a black rubber band on each sleeve that says Rogue.  It’s a strong bar with some flex to it which makes it safe to drop from overhead with bumper plates.  The sleeves spin smoothly which helps with snatches and cleans, and there’s no center knurl to scrape your neck when doing cleans or jerks.

Rogue Bella Bar – a women’s version of the Rogue bar described above.  It weighs just under 35 pounds and has a thinner grip meant for smaller hands.  Easy to spot because it’s a foot shorter than the other bars.

Eleiko Bar – this is a high end Olympic lifting bar, similar to the Rogue bar except it uses needle bearings for an ultra-smooth spin.  It’s slightly thinner than most other bars making it easier to grip and has black end caps that say Eleiko.

Two Inch Thick Axle – we have a hollow black one that weighs 20 pounds and a solid steel beast that weighs 70 pounds.  They can be used for just about any type of lift and will give you a great grip workout at the same time.

Safety Squat Bar – this one has a black pad built into it, short handles to grasp, and the ends are bent at an angle that keeps the weights farther forward than in a traditional squat.  The design makes it easier to keep your back upright when squatting, and the pad adds some comfortable for your shoulders.  It’s also great for doing good mornings.

Trap Bar – a hexagonal bar that allows you stand in the center of it when lifting, reducing stress on the lower back when deadlifting.  It’s also great for shrugs.

EZ Curl Bar – short bar with a zig zag shape in the middle, designed to take pressure off the wrists and elbows when doing curls or tricep extensions.

Tricep Bar – short bar with parallel (palms facing) handles.  Has the same purpose as the EZ curl bar except it’s used more for tricep extensions than curls.

Log Bars – steel versions of the log you may have seen lifted in the World’s Strongest Man contest.  The sheer size of the “bar” makes it a challenge to lift, and the parallel (palms facing) handles are friendly on the shoulders for pressing.  Our silver 10 inch diameter log weighs 50 pounds unloaded, and our black 12 inch log weighs 90 pounds unloaded.

Swiss Bar – same length as a normal olympic bar but has four sets of short parallel handles at different widths.  This bar allows you to do presses, rows, curls, etc. with a neutral grip (i.e. palms facing) which tends to be easier on the shoulder joints.  It is solid steel and weighs 55 pounds.

Others – we have five other general purpose Olympic size bars.  They are good bars and can be used for any lift – they just lack the special features described above.

Last note is to please avoid dropping a loaded bar in the squat rack, as that can permanently bend even the strongest bar.  We have a platform and bumper plates designed for dropping weights.  I hope this guide has helped you with your next trip to the gym.  Thank you!