Multi-Purpose Bar Reviews

This is a review for the Fringe Sport 20 kg Hybrid Bar, a high-tensile strength, multi-purpose barbell that readers have suggested I review a surprising amount of times since its release. Well I finally snatched one up, and here is that review. The Hybrid Bar is a 28.5 mm, dual-marked bar intended to offer a [...]

It’s almost time for the second annual Garage Gym Competition. For those of you who don’t know, the Garage Gym Competition is a virtual powerlifting meet organized by Mr. Joe Gray of Gray Matter Lifting. Last year’s Garage Gym Competition was very successful, so the list of sponsors has grown significantly, and the quantity and quality [...]

This is a review for the most up-to-date version of the 20kg men’s Wonder Bar V2 by Fringe Sport, a bar that has been heavily refined over the years while still maintaining it’s sub $200 price point; a price that even includes the shipping, mind you. Like all other products that they sell, Fringe Sport is [...]

This article is a work in progress. Normally I wouldn’t publish an incomplete article, but its completion is dependent on my readers knowing of its existence and contributing to it.  I have been writing articles and equipment reviews for this site for well over five years now, and in that time I’ve been asked hundreds [...]

The new Matt Chan Bar is here; an updated yet still true-to-form version of what is typically considered to be Rogue’s most unique and versatile multi-purpose bar, and incidentally the bar that has always been one of my personal favorites over the years. The new Chan Bar is stronger, it’s more resilient, and it’s flashier, [...]

This is a review for the California Bar, American Barbell’s first multi-purpose (dual-marked) Olympic bar. The California is basically a WOD bar; American Barbell’s version of the Ohio Bar. It’s an American-made jack-of-all-trades; and it’s one of the best-built bars in its class. This particular review is for the original California Bar; the zinc-plated version [...]

In the last couple months I’ve been asked about the American Barbell Stainless Steel WOD Bar more that I’ve been asked about any other bar. Why? Simply because the price for this bar is just stupid low. Stainless steel bars are never sold for $299, and people want to know whether this bar is legit or not. Truth be [...]

This is a review for the newest adaptation of the Again Faster Team Bar, the new 2.0. Just a heads up, I have no hands-on experience with the previous Team Bars, so there won’t be any comparisons between the original bar or version 1.2. Just consider this a stand alone review for the 2.0. Update 2016-2017: I highly recommend avoiding this [...]

This is a review for what is now the fourth Vulcan bar that I’ll review here at Garage Gyms; the Vulcan Standard 28.5 mm Olympic Bar; or what I think of as the Box Bar. Previously I reviewed the Vulcan Elite, the One Basic, and the Bearing Training Bar, and I think that it’s safe to say [...]

This is a review for the Vulcan 28.5 mm Training Bearing Bar – which is practically identical to the previous Vulcan bar that I reviewed, the Vulcan One. The primary difference between these two bars is that the Vulcan One Basic is a bushing bar, and the 28.5 mm Training Bar is a needle bearing bar. I strongly [...]

Welcome! This is a review for the new Vulcan One Basic 28.5 mm Olympic Barbell; my very first Vulcan bar. I’m pretty excited about finally having a Vulcan bar to play around with; I’ve been researching them for some time now, and have heard many good things. I’ve wanted to do a Vulcan review because I think that there is [...]

This bar has been updated and has been much improved over this older version. See an updated review here. In this review I’ll be taking a look at the OFW Wonder Bar, an entry-level, import WOD bar. This is version two of the Wonder Bar (W2), and while it is much improved over the 1st gen Wonder, it still screams [...]

I’ve had the Burgener & Rippetoe multi-purpose weightlifting/powerlifting bar in my garage gym for about fifteen months now. This bar has been the primary bar in my gym, and it has been used consistently by two people for over a year now. Since I’ve had the B&R bar for a good amount of time now [...]