With the increasing popularity of Vulcan Strength’s barbells, and the seemingly boundless expansion of their bar collection, it seemed about time for a comprehensive buyer’s guide. This is that guide. Your questions, comments, thoughts, and personal feedback is welcome in the comments section below, as your opinions are just as important as mine; if not more so.
Last updated January 2018 – verifying data and current pricing; misc updates; add Vulcan SS Absolute Power Bar
How to find the right Vulcan Bar
In an effort to simplify the use of this barbell guide, I’ve created five categories for the entire Vulcan barbell line-up. There are two categories for women’s 15 kg bars (Olympic WL bars, and Multi-purpose/CrossFit bars), the same two categories for men’s 20 kg bars, and then a section for power bars.
Pick the type of barbell that you are interested, read about the available bars, then compare your top choice(s) to whichever other bars out there you are considering. Hopefully this’ll be much simpler for you than opening up every single product page on the Vulcan website.
Many thanks to Vulcan for being so willing to answer bar specification questions when they came up, especially for those bars that aren’t even released yet.
- Women’s Absolute Stainless Steel Olympic WL Bar
- Women’s Professional Olympic WL Bar
- Women’s Elite Olympic WL Training Bar(s)
Women’s 15 kg Mulit-Purpose (CrossFit) Bars
- Vulcan Absolute Stainless Steel Olympic WL Bearing Bar
- Vulcan Professional Olympic WL Bearing Bar
- Vulcan Elite 3.0 Olympic WL Training Bar
- Vulcan Standard Olympic Bearing Bar (commercial)
Men’s 20 kg Multi-Purpose (CrossFit) Bars
- Vulcan Training Bearing Bar
- Vulcan Standard 28 mm Olympic Bar
- Vulcan Standard 28.5 mm Olympic Bar (commercial)
- Vulcan One Basic Economy Bar
Quick Reference Specification Tables
Vulcan Women’s Olympic WL Bars (25 mm, 15 kg)
Vulcan currently offers one of the largest selections of 15 kg women’s barbells; a number of them being high-performance Olympic weightlifting bars. The following bars all weigh 15kg and have 25 mm diameter shafts. What varies from bar-to-bar is the finish, sleeve assembly (bushings/bearings), knurl aggressiveness, and tensile rating of the shaft.
Note that the weightlifting bars in this section are expensive and are intended for seasoned Olympic weightlifters – especially the first two bars. Newcomers to the Olympic lifts will find that the bars in the Multi-Purpose/CrossFit section below this section will serve their needs equally well, and for a lot less money.
Absolute 15 kg Olympic WL Bearing Bar
The Absolute is Vulcan’s premium women’s Olympic weightlifting barbell. It has a stainless steel shaft rated at an incredible 240,000 PSI, an aggressive knurl typical of elite Oly bars, and eight German needle bearings. The Absolute’s most unique feature; the stainless steel shaft; offers a more secure and natural feeling grip than any applied finish. It’s that classic bare steel feeling without the rust or maintenance.
The Absolute is a level 99 bar that should never need to be replaced, and arguably a better buy than comparably priced non-stainless bars like the Women’s NxG Trainer and Comp bars. Only American Barbell offers a womens stainless steel Olympic barbell of this caliber, but on paper the Vulcan looks to have more potential (50,000 more PSI rating, for one.)
Vulcan Absolute 15 kg Bar At-a-glance
- Application: professional Olympic weightlifting
- Heat treated & aged stainless steel shaft; hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 240,000 PSI
- Knurling: aggressive
- Elasticity: high whip
- Rotation: 8 total German needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Noteworthy: Stainless is a very expensive and difficult material to work with, but the feeling of a stainless steel shaft is unbeatable. Don’t pull the trigger on any bar over $600 without at least considering a stainless steel bar.
- Price: $669; includes shipping.
Women’s Professional Olympic WL Bearing Bar
If you’re looking for a super whippy, competition-worthy Olympic bar, but you’d like to spend a little less than the $669 for the Absolute, then the Women’s Pro Bearing Bar is the way to go.
The Pro is finished entirely in hard, engineered chrome, it sports a super whippy, 195k PSI shaft, has aggressive knurl typical of elite-level Oly bars, and spins on 8-precision needle bearings. Another odd yet interesting feature of the Women’s Pro is that it actually has a 4″ passive center knurl, something very hard to come by on a woman’s Olympic bar.
4″ passive center knurl of the Women’s Professional Oly Bar
The Vulcan Pro is a very legit alternative to the more expensive NxG Trainer and the two Chinese IWF-Trainers (ZKC and DHS). The Vulcan doesn’t carry the IWF sticker that would allow it to be used on stage, but were you planning to host a sanctioned meet or event? It’s also a lower-priced alternative to the EU chrome Rogue Olympic WL Bar ($635) and the AB Performance Bearing Bar ($599); both 190,000 PSI bars.
Edit: The American Barbell Performance Bar was lowered to $550 but the 15 kg Vulcan Pro is still a far superior barbell in terms of performance.
Vulcan 15 kg Professional Olympic Bar At-a-glance
- Application: professional Olympic weightlifting
- Hard chrome 25 mm shaft, hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 195,000 PSI
- Knurling: aggressive
- Elasticity: high whip
- Rotation: 8 total German precision needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $579; includes shipping
- Noteworthy: The women’s Vulcan Professional has a 4″ passive center knurl, a feature all but impossible to get on a womens bar. This feature alone will seal the deal for many female lifters.
Women’s Elite V3/V4 Olympic WL Training Bar
The women’s version of the Elite Olympic Trainer is a newer addition to the Vulcan line-up, and other than the typical differences between men’s and women’s bars, the 15 kg Elite is the same as the 20 kg Elite.
The Women’s Elite is a 221k PSI Olympic training bar with a self-lubricating bronze bushing system, a dense chrome finish on the shaft, and engineered chromed sleeves. The Elite is a very whippy bar with moderately aggressive knurling. Couple the knurling with the unique finish of the shaft and you get an Olympic bar that offers a very secure grip.
The men’s Elite has been a very popular bar for many years among serious weightlifters. I expect the 15 kg version to become a favorite among women as well.
Vulcan 15 kg Elite 3.0 Olympic Training Bar
- Application: Olympic weightlifting
- Dense chrome 25 mm shaft, grooved hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 221,000 PSI chrome molybdenum (Moly) shaft
- Knurling: moderately aggressive
- Elasticity: high whip
- Rotation: self-lubricating bronze bushings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $359; includes shipping
- Noteworthy: The Elite 3.0 is easily one of the best bushing-based Olympic WL bars on the market. It’s not uncommon for them to be out of stock, but they are worth the wait.
Vulcan 15 kg Elite Olympic Bearing Training Bar
- Same Specifications as above bushing Elite
- Rotation: needle bearings
- Price: $559; includes shipping
- Noteworthy: The shafts of the Elite bars are the whippiest on the market. This bearing-based Elite could make a nice alternative to the Vulcan Pro (or any bearing bar really.)
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Women’s 15 kg Multi-Purpose/CrossFit Bars
The remaining Vulcan women’s are all dual-marked, general-purpose bars. These are the bars meant to go from a WOD to the rack without the need to change equipment. You can be snatching one moment and bench pressing the other, all with the same bar.
Aside from being more versatile, multi-purpose/CrossFit bars are also more affordable than professional weightlifting bars. It works out this way because multi-purpose barbells do not require professionally worked, highly-elastic shafts and precision German needle bearings. They simply need to be strong, they need to spin reliably under moderate loads, and their finish needs to offer protection from corrosion. Multi-purpose bars are ideal for the majority of CrossFitters and strength trainers.
Women’s Training Bearing Bar
The Vulcan Training Bearing Bar is surprisingly comparable in performance to the Vulcan Pro Bearing Bar, only for a lot less money. The knurling on the Vulcan Training Bar is not as aggressive as the Pro, and the bar is dual-marked, but it’s still a hard chrome finished, high tensile strength bearing bar. This would be a good bar for a CrossFitter who plans to pursue Olympic weightlifting on a more serious level sometime down the road, as it works well for both applications and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
By the way, this bar used to be offered only in black oxide and it sold for the exact same price – sold pretty well too from what I hear. It’s an even better deal now that it’s finished in hard chrome.
Vulcan 15 kg Trainer At-a-glance
- Application: Intermediate CrossFit/Olympic weightlifting
- Hard chrome 25 mm shaft, hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 191,000 PSI
- Knurling: moderate (high-rep friendly)
- Dual-marked for multi-purpose use
- Elasticity: good whip
- Rotation: needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $309; includes shipping
- Noteworthy: probably the best price around for a women’s bearing bar, not to mention the fact that it’s finished in hard chrome rather than zinc or oxide.
Standard 15 kg Multi-Purpose Bar
The Standard is a bushing bar, and at its core it’s your typical CrossFit WOD/multi-purpose bushing bar; very similar to something like the Rogue Bella and the California.
The women’s Standard will actually cost you about $35 more than the Bella ($215), but that $35 difference gets you Oilite brand bronze bushings (self-lubricating), a higher PSI tensile strength shaft, and absolutely no black zinc; a huge perk as far as I’m concerned. As far as the California goes, you do get hard chrome sleeves and quality composite bushings but it will also cost you about $50 more after shipping. I like them both, but $50 is $50.
If you’re looking for a durable, versatile, and affordable bar for your garage gym, the Vulcan Standard should probably be on your short list. It should be on your short list for a CrossFit box or small commercial gym too, as this bar is built for and warranted against that kind of atmosphere.
Vulcan 15 kg Standard At-a-glance
- Application: multi-purpose/CrossFit garage gym bar
- Bright zinc 25 mm shaft, grooved bright zinc sleeves
- Tensile strength: 195,000 PSI
- Knurling: moderate (high-rep friendly)
- Dual-marked for multi-purpose use
- Elasticity: moderate whip
- Rotation: Sintered bronze bushings (Oilite)
- Warranty: lifetime
- Made in USA
- Price: $249; includes shipping
Women’s One Basic Economy Bar
The One Basic is Vulcan’s economy, multi-purpose bar. It’s really intended for beginner to intermediate lifters on a smaller budget, but it’s still a lot of bar for the money. I mean, it has an industry-standard 190k PSI shaft, yet it still sells for barely over $200. Of course keeping this price competitive with other economy bars does require some compromise, and one of them is a shorter warranty than all other Vulcan bars.
Previous black zinc version of the Vulcan One Basic
I’ve owned the One Basic so I can say with confidence that it’s a solid economical barbell. It is way better than any chain-store bar like a CAP, Body Solid and Troy; and I’d take it over most other economy bars found online, but it only takes about $50 to move into the higher performance bar like the Vulcan Standard – and it’s not hard to justify doing just that.
Vulcan 15 kg One Basic At-a-glance
- Application: economy multi-purpose garage gym bar
- Chrome 25 mm shaft and sleeves.
- Tensile strength: 190,000 PSI
- Knurling: light/moderate (high-rep friendly)
- Dual-marked for multi-purpose/CrossFit
- Whip: moderate whip
- Rotation: bronze bushings
- Warranty: 3-years
- Price: $219; includes shipping
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Men’s 20 kg Olympic Weightlifting Bars
The following bars are high performance 20 kg Olympic WL bars. They are all true 28 mm, high whip bars. What varies from bar-to-bar is the shaft material/finish, rotation mechanism, knurl aggressiveness, and tensile strength rating of the shafts.
Keep in mind that the bearing bars in this section are expensive and are really intended for seasoned Olympic weightlifters. Newcomers to the Olympic lifts will find that the Elite and the bars in the Men’s Multi-Purpose/CrossFit section below will better serve them than the super-expensive pro bars, and do so for a lot less cash.
Absolute Stainless Steel Olympic WL Bar
The Absolute is Vulcan’s premium Olympic WL bar. It’s one of the few Olympic weightlifting bars in existence to have a solid 28 mm stainless steel shaft; arguably the most secure and natural feeling material one could ask for in a bar shaft. Stainless steel won’t rust, requires practically no maintenance, it feels spectacular, and it also happens to look super classy.
The Absolute is a high-speed bearing bar. The sleeves contains 4 precision German needle bearings. The stainless shaft is heat treated and aged, and the finished shaft has a tensile strength rating in excess of 240k PSI. The Absolute is a high whip Olympic bar that meets all IWF-specifications, comes with a lifetime warranty, and it will probably be the last WL bar that you ever need to buy.
The only other two bars you can really compare the Absolute to would be the Ivanko OBS-20K (218k PSI stainless steel shaft @ ~$1100). Ivanko is solid competition for the Absolute in terms of performance, but clearly way more expensive. There are, of course, a few other stainless options, but none really push the spec envelope like the Absolute.
Absolute SS Oly At-a-glance
- Application: professional Olympic weightlifting
- Heat treated and aged 28 mm stainless steel shaft, hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 240,000 PSI shaft
- Knurling: aggressive w/ passive center knurl
- Elasticity: high whip
- Rotation: precision German needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Noteworthy: Stainless is a very expensive and difficult material to work with, but the feeling of a stainless steel shaft is unbeatable. Don’t pull the trigger on any bar over $600 without at least considering a stainless bar.
- Price: $712; includes shipping
Professional Olympic WL Bearing Bar
Prior to the Absolute, the Professional Olympic Bar was Vulcan’s premium, elite-level Oly bar. Even with the introduction of the Absolutes, the Pro is still just as much bar as it ever was. Matter of fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a bar that could match the Vulcan Pro’s specifications for any amount of money, and I say that because there are a couple things about this bar that no other manufacturer seems to be able to touch.
You can read an independent review of the Vulcan Pro on the WL Forums here. This image credited to Justin; the author of said review.
For starters, the Vulcan Pro has the most impressive tensile and yield strength ratings of any premium Olympic bar. The tensile strength is over 240k PSI and the yield is over 220k PSI. You read that correctly – it has a yield strength higher than the tensile strength of every other Olympic bar, including NxG, Ivanko, and the Euro. In other words, it would take an almost deliberate kind of negligence to put a bend in this bar.
Additionally, the Vulcan Pro is known far and wide for being one of the most elastic Olympic bars around. It whips like no other. The Vulcan Pro also has an industrial chrome finish that is as utilitarian as it is beautiful. To me, this bar looks exactly like what a professional-grade Olympic bar should look like, and I feel confident saying that it performs better than what you’re currently lifting on.
Vulcan Professional At-a-glance
- Application: professional Olympic weightlifting
- Engineered chrome 28 mm shaft, grooved hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 241,000 PSI
- Yield strength: 223,000 PSI
- Knurling: aggressive w/ passive center knurl
- Elasticity: high whip
- Rotation: German needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $599; includes shipping
- see review
Elite V3/V4 Olympic Training Bar
You’ve undoubtedly seen a Vulcan Elite somewhere; either in person, or somewhere on the Interwebs, and you’ve surely heard good things. That’s because the Elite is one of the finest and most unique bushing-based Olympic training bars on the market, and it’s an extremely popular bar indeed.
The Elite is a 28 mm, chrome molybdenum bar with an incredible (and legitimate) 221,000 PSI tensile strength. It’s also one of the whippiest, most elastic Olympic bars you can buy – bushing or otherwise. One of the features that make this bar popular is the dense chrome finish on the shaft. It has a peculiar and rather dull, milky look to it, but it offers a feel on par with bare steel while offering full oxidation resistance.
Dense chrome shaft of the Elite V3.0
As a whole, the Elite is a beautiful bar – the sleeves are a bright & reflective hard chrome that contrast well with the dense chrome shaft, and the Vulcan logo is laser engraved into the inner collar; a great looking bar. At the end of the day, the Elite is simply a reasonably priced, high-performance Olympic training bar, and one of my all-time favorites – and not only just of the Vulcan’s bars, but all bars.
Compare the Elite V3 & V4 to the Rogue 28 mm Olympic Trainer and the American Barbell Performance Trainer, and I think the front-runner will be obvious.
Vulcan Elite V3/V4 Olympic Training Bushing Bar At-a-glance
- Application: Olympic weightlifting
- Dense chrome 28 mm shaft, grooved hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 221,000 PSI chrome molybdenum (Moly) shaft
- Knurling: moderately aggressive w/ passive center knurl
- Elasticity: high whip
- Rotation: self-lubricating bronze bushings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $369; includes shipping
- In depth review: here
- Noteworthy: the Elite is so popular that it’s rarely in stock. Don’t be afraid to pre-order this bar; it’s worth the wait.
Vulcan Elite V3/V4 Olympic Bearing Bar
- Same specifications as the above Elite Training Bar except:
- Rotation: five needle bearings per sleeve
- Price: $599; includes shipping
- Noteworthy: the Elite Bearing Bar is a reasonable compromise to the Professional Bar if you prefer the dense chrome shaft finish, or if you want to see what the whippiest Oly bar feels like.
Standard Olympic Bearing Bar (commercial)
The Standard Bearing Bar is like the American-made, industrial mix of the Training Bar and the Vulcan Pro Oly. It is manufactured to very high standards to withstand the hostility of a multi-user facility like a CrossFit affiliate or an Olympic training center. In other words, it’s a commercial bar.
The Standard has a total of 5 bearings per sleeve rather than the usual 4, the knurl is a hint more aggressive than the Standard’s bushing counterpart, and there is no center knurl. The whole bar is finished in bright zinc, and it is warranted for life – which is a long time for a bar marketed to commercial facilities.
I like this bar a lot, but at full price of $529 I don’t see it as my first choice for a garage-gym (single-user) bar. It’s just too close in price to something like the Vulcan Pro or Elite; bars that offer so much more performance potential like better whip, more substantial knurl, and engineered chrome rather than zinc. If you can catch it on sale that’s a different story.
Vulcan Standard Bearing At-a-glance
- Application: Olympic weightlifting/commercial training facility
- bright zinc 28 mm shaft, grooved bright zinc sleeves
- Tensile strength: 196,000 PSI
- Knurling: moderatel to aggressive
- Elasticity: good whip
- Rotation: needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Made in USA
- Price: $529; includes shipping
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Men’s 20 kg Multi-purpose/CrossFit Bars
The following section contains the men’s general-purpose & CrossFit bars. These are your multi-purpose Olympic bars that also work well in the rack for squats and presses and such. All of the following bars are dual IWF/IPF marked.
Aside from being more versatile, multi-purpose bars are also less costly than professional Oly bars. These bars don’t have the same professionally worked, highly elastic shafts and premium needle bearings as their professional counterparts, though they still perform well even for advanced lifters. Multi-purpose bars are ideal for the majority of CrossFitters and strength trainers as they are strong, reliable, and suitable for all but the most elite.
Training Bearing Bar
Vulcan’s Bearing Training Bar is essentially the One Basic (below) with bearings rather than bushings. It’s an economy WOD bar for beginner to intermediate lifters who believe that it’s important for them to own a bearing bar rather than a bushing bar. A beginner really doesn’t need bearings, but if you’re going to insist that you do, this bar makes that affordable.
Like the Vulcan One Basic, this bar used to be 28.5 mm in diameter and finished with black zinc. After some recent upgrades, it is now a 28 mm barbell with a chrome finish. The shaft is rated at 190k PSI, is dual-marked with moderate knurl, has no center knurl, and spins on four needle bearings per sleeve. One advantage this bearing bar has over the One Basic is a lifetime warranty versus a 3-year warranty.
I have one of these bars so I know first-hand that it’s a solid piece of equipment, but outside of CrossFit I don’t like this bar. Aspiring Olympic weightlifters are better off with an Olympic Training Bar – something with some real whip and coarser knurl, and like I said, beginner’s don’t even need bearings. I guess I shouldn’t say that I don’t like it, but rather that this bar has a very limited audience.
Vulcan Training Bearing Bar At-a-glance
- Home gym/garage gym CrossFit bar
- Hard chrome 28 mm shaft, hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 190,000 PSI
- Knurling: moderate; no center knurl
- Dual marked for multi-purpose/CrossFit
- Elasticity: moderate whip
- Rotation: needle bearings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $319; includes shipping
Standard 28 mm Olympic Training Bar
As you’ve probably noticed there are a few versions of the Vulcan Standard, and this is the 28 mm bronze bushing version. This Standard is kind of similar to the Vulcan Elite 4 in that it’s a bushing-based Olympic training bar, but there are a number of things that differentiate it from the Elite. Most notably, the 28 mm Standard has a more moderate knurl, zero center knurl, lower tensile strength, and a bright zinc finish instead of dense chrome. The Standard is also made in the USA, while the Elite is not.
To me these differences make the 28 mm Standard more of a high-rep Olympic bar / WOD bar than a true Olympic training bar, and frankly I believe the Elite is a better option for not a lot more money. The dense chrome of the Elite feels better than zinc, the knurling is more substantial, and the high tensile strength shaft has more elasticity. Both the Standard and the Elite have their place though.
Vulcan 28 mm Standard At-a-glance
- Application: CrossFit/Olympic weightlifting
- Bright zinc 28 mm shaft, bright zinc grooved sleeves
- Tensile strength: 196,000 PSI
- Knurling: moderate; no center knurl
- Elasticity: moderate whip
- Rotation: oil-impregnated bronze bushings
- Warranty: lifetime
- Made in USA
- Price: $346; includes shipping
Standard 28.5 mm Olympic Bar (commercial)
This is the dual-marked, 28.5 mm, commercial version (and original version) of the Vulcan Standard. This Standard is designed to be used in high-traffic, commercial gym settings. It is manufactured to very strict tolerances here in the USA to offer high levels of durability, reliability, performance, and value. It sells for a reasonable $286 making it a solid contender for gyms to buy in bulk, and I’m sure that price gets better if you need a bunch of them.
I have the 28.5 mm Vulcan Standard down in the garage gym and it’s a great bar [review]. The zinc finish looks great and has shown zero sign of aging in the two years+, the sleeves spin just as smoothly as the day I got it, and the knurl depth is right in that sweet spot of not too much; not too little. This bar costs a little more than other popular box bars like the RB 2.0, but for having Oilite bushings, no black zinc, and such a high tensile strength shaft, it’s totally worth the nominal difference.
Vulcan 28.5 mm Standard At-a-glance
- Application: commercial gym/box bar
- Bright zinc 28.5 mm shaft, bright zinc sleeves
- Tensile strength: 194,000 PSI
- Knurling: medium; no center knurl
- Dual marked for multi-purpose/CrossFit
- Elasticity: moderate whip
- Rotation: sintered bronze bushings (Oilite)
- Warranty: lifetime
- Made in USA
- Price: $286; includes shipping
One Basic Multi-Purpose Bar
The One Basic is Vulcan’s economical CrossFit/multi-purpose barbell. It is a dual-marked, bronze bushing bar with a moderate (high-rep friendly) knurl. This bar used to have a 28.5 mm shaft and be finished entirely in black zinc, but it was recently upgraded to have a true 28 mm shaft and a hard chrome finish – without a price increase.
These two changes to the One; along with it’s good tensile strength and low price; make it an extremely attractive and competitive bar in the mid $200’s category. The One Basic blows away other budget CrossFit bars like the Team, Echo, Rocket, Sabre, and so many more – at least in my mind. It’s still an entry-level bar with a limited warranty, but that’s all most newcomers to CrossFit and strength training need.
Vulcan One Basic At-a-glance
- Home gym/garage gym bar
- Hard chrome 28 mm shaft, hard chrome sleeves
- Tensile strength: 190,000 PSI
- Knurling: moderate; no center knurl
- Dual marked for multi-purpose/CrossFit
- Elasticity: moderate whip
- Rotation: bronze bushings
- Warranty: 3-years
- Price: $249; includes shipping
- Review: here (previous generation)
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20 kg Power Bars
This final section is for the powerlifting bars. Power bars are simple bushing bars designed to handle heavy compound lifts like the squat, bench, and deadlift. They are thick, rigid, and aggressively knurled, yet generally less expensive than their Olympic-counterparts. Power bars are for folks who excel in the big-3 but have zero interest in the explosive Olympic lifts.
Vulcan Absolute Stainless Steel Power Bar
The Vulcan Absolute Stainless Power Bar is an upgrade to the existing oxide Absolute Bar (seen below). It’s basically a 100% stainless steel barbell; stainless shaft, stainless sleeves, and even a stainless bushing system. It has a ridiculous 240,000 PSI tensile strength shaft, aggressive knurl throughout, and a hefty but fairly reasonable $550 price tag.
I’ve yet to see how stainless steel bushings perform, but I’m assuming they are acceptable or they wouldn’t be in the bar. I’m very excited to see how this beast is received.
Vulcan Absolute Stainless Steel Power Bar At-a-glance
- Application: elite powerlifting bar
- Stainless steel 29 mm shaft and sleeves
- Grooved sleeves
- Tensile strength: 240,000 PSI
- Knurling: very aggressive (inner and outer)
- Elasticity: no whip
- Rotation: stainless steel bushing system
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $549; includes shipping
Absolute Power Bar
The Absolute Power Bar is super high tensile strength power bar rated at 221k PSI. That’s higher than the Rogue Ohio Power Bar, the Texas Power Bar, and the Okie. The 29 mm shaft is aggressively knurled and finished in grippy black oxide, while the grooved sleeves are unfinished raw steel. Veteran powerlifters should feel right at home with the Absolute’s configuration.
If you’re not in the market for a stainless steel power bar, I highly recommend the Absolute.
Vulcan Absolute Power Bar At-a-glance
- Application: elite powerlifting bar
- Black oxide 29 mm shaft, grooved bare steel sleeves
- Tensile strength: 221,000 PSI
- Knurling: very aggressive
- Elasticity: no whip
- Rotation: bushing system
- Warranty: lifetime
- Price: $339; includes shipping
- review here
Elite Power Bar
The Vulcan Elite is a 29 mm, 196,000 PSI power bar. It has very aggressive knurling, Oilite self-lubricating bronze bushings, and a bright zinc finish from sleeve to sleeve. Since power bars tend to be black oxide and/or bare steel, the Elite having a more corrosion-resistant finish creates yet another option for us when trying to find a power bar, and that’s great.
An interesting feature of the Elite Power Bar is the presence of dual hash marks. It has both IWF and IPF marks just like a multi-purpose bar, only it’s not a multi-purpose bar. I’ve tried to come up with a good reason for putting weightlifting marks on a power bar, but I came up with nothing. Your guess is as good as mine.
The Elite would make a great barbell for powerlifting and strength programs that focus on the core compound lifts, but no Olympic lifts – programs like Starting Strength or Wendler’s 5/3/1; among countless others. It’s strong, it’s affordable, and it’ll spin and remain rust free for many years to come.
The Elite Power Bar during testing – over 1000-pounds and the bar barely even looks flexed. I think it’ll stay pretty straight for our slightly lighter lifts. BTW: this was actually pressed by Tiny Meeker.
Vulcan Elite Power Bar At-a-glance
- Application: powerlifting
- Bright zinc 29 mm shaft, bright zinc sleeves
- Tensile strength: 196,000 PSI
- Knurling: very aggressive, with 4″ center knurl
- Elasticity: no whip
- Rotation: sintered bronze bushings (Oilite)
- Warranty: lifetime
- Made in USA
- Price: $295; includes shipping
- Noteworthy: the Elite is a dual-marked power bar – go figure.
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Quick Reference Tables – Bar Specifications
Women’s Olympic WL Bars
| Absolute Oly | Professional Oly | Elite Oly | |
| Price | $669 | $579 | $359-$559 |
| Tensile Strength | 240,000 PSI | 195,000 PSI | 221,000 PSI |
| Shaft Finish | stainless steel | hard chrome | dense chrome |
| Knurl Depth | aggressive | aggressive | semi-aggressive |
| Whip | high whip | high whip | high whip |
| Center Knurl | no | yes | no |
| Rotation | needle bearings | needle bearings | bushings or bearings |
Women’s Multi-Purpose/CrossFit Bars
| Training Bearing | Standard | One Basic | |
| Price | $309 | $249 | $219 |
| Tensile Strength | 191,000 PSI | 195,000 PSI | 190,000 PSI |
| Shaft Finish | hard chrome | bright zinc | chrome |
| Knurl Depth | moderate | moderate | light moderate |
| Whip | good whip | average whip | average whip |
| Center Knurl | no | no | no |
| Rotation | needle bearings | bronze bushings | bronze bushings |
Men’s Olympic WL Bars
| Absolute | Professional | Elite | Standard | |
| Price | $712 | $599 | $369-$599 | $529 |
| Tensile | 240,000 PSI | 241,000 PSI | 221,000 PSI | 196,000 PSI |
| Shaft Finish | stainless | hard chrome | dense chrome | bright zinc |
| Knurl Depth | aggressive | aggressive | semi | medium |
| Whip | high whip | high whip | high whip | average whip |
| Center Knurl | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Rotation | bearings | bearings | either | bearings |
Men’s Multi-Purpose/CrossFit Bars
| Standard | Training Bearing | One Basis | |
| Price | $346 | $319 | $249 |
| Tensile Strength | 194k-196k PSI | 190,000 PSI | 190,000 PSI |
| Shaft Finish | bright zinc | hard chrome | hard chrome |
| Knurl Depth | moderate | moderate | light moderate |
| Whip | average | average | average |
| Center Knurl | no | no | no |
| Rotation | bronze bushings | needle bearings | bronze bushings |
Power Bars
| Absolute SS Power | Absolulte Power Bar | Elite Power Bar | |
| Price | $549 | $339 | $295 |
| Tensile Strength | 240,000 PSI | 221,000 PSI | 196,000 PSI |
| Shaft Finish | stainless steel | black oxide | bright zinc |
| Knurl Depth | very aggressive | very aggressive | very aggressive |
| Whip | none | none | none |
| Center Knurl | yes | yes | yes |
| Rotation | ss bushings | bronze bushings | bronze bushings |
| Markings | IPF | IPF | dual IWF/IPF |
♦ ♦ ♦
Knurling Guide
Knurl aggressiveness is highly subjective. My definition of “very aggressive” will no doubt differ from yours, and both of our definitions will probably differ from the next guys. The following images are just here to help you get an idea of what Vulcan thinks the different terms mean in regard to their own bars. For the record, the differences are subtle – you really just have to touch bar, but maybe this helps a little.
Light/Moderate Knurl
Light to Moderate Knurl (One Basic pictured)
Moderate/Medium Knurl
Moderate to medium knurl (28.5 mm Standard pictured)
Semi-Aggressive Knurl
Semi-aggressive knurling (Elite Oly pictured)
Very Aggressive Knurl
Very aggressive knurling (Olympic Professional pictured)
This guide has ended up being particularly long, so I really, really hope you guys and gals find it helpful! Please share this, it’s much appreciated. Suggestions, comments, and questions below.
I really do like Vulcan. I have the Elite and I love it. The whip is incredible and it feels strong. I am thinking about that new Absolute Power Bar.. I assume it is made by the same manufacturers as the Elite, and I have no hesitation to buy the overseas bars from Vulcan. Great article JB. I hope more folks become more aware of this company. They really do put out great gear.
Thanks Clay! Any headway with the green bar?
The CEO said zinc can come out that color, but I could exchange it on my dime. He assured me that I got a first tier bar. I will not purchase from them again. We talked on the phone civility, but I am disappointed that he could not see my point of view. I am not going to return it because that would be pissing away $50 in shipping My next purchases will be from Vulcan. The bar is OK, I think in retrospect I would have gotten the $229 One Basic.
Anyways,I cannot overstate how happy I am with the Elite and the Black Bumpers from Vulcan. I find myself gravitating more and more to Vulcan when I want to spend my money. Great stuff and thanks for your reviews because that is why I gave them a shot.
That’s very disappointing. They just clearanced the B&C for no other reason than the batch came out green, so that was kind of a weird thing for Phil to have said. Very random. Well I’m sorry you had to deal with that from them. I never like to hear this kind of thing regarding companies I have reviewed positively.
That aside, I’m glad Vulcan has done a better job of making you happy.
Cook up some liver and put it in the refrigerator. Overnight it can get a tint of green on it. Makes it look like it’s moldy. But it’s perfectly fine. Chemistry can be funny like that.
My main question: What does 190,000 PSI mean in terms of weight limit. How many lb/kg can the One Basic hold? Is there a conversion chart somewhere which I can use for reference in the future? Couldn’t find one with a google search.
There is no chart, no. I wish it was that easy, but it is not.
But ok, the short answer is that you need to factor in steel quality, shaft diameter, yield rating, and price to get a real feel for a bar’s potential. The only two of these commonly offered to customers is the shaft diameter and the price. In some rare instances (high-end Vulcan bars, for instance) we are given the yield rating as well, but steel quality is almost always a mystery – especially with economy bars. I’ve been at this a while so I get a pretty good feel for a bar based on tensile rating, price, experience, and company reputation, but I realize how confusing it has to be for most other people.
I don’t want to say ignore tensile strength, but you almost could. My best advice is to do research and just use common sense. A 215,000 PSI bearing bar for $600 seems reasonable or “normal”, yes? Or a basic 190,000 PSI bushing bar for $225-$275 seems reasonable. What doesn’t sound reasonable is a 210,000 PSI bearing bar for $200, or a 256,000 PSI Olympic bearing bar for $300. In other words, if it looks too good to be true, you can bet that it is. Regardless of tensile strength, if the shaft is high quality steel, you won’t bend it. Regardless of tensile strength, if the shaft is low quality steel, you ultimately will bend it. 200, 400, 600-pounds or more – doesn’t matter.
The Vulcan One Basic is an economy bar, so I wouldn’t recommend it for a 1000-pound deadlifter, but it is a high-quality steel bar versus a low-quality steel bar.
I will never buy anything from Vulcan again. Cheap plates (competition) and a defective bar (sleeve) that they would not replace, refund, or fix.
Think twice before u purchase Vulcan.
Cheap competition plates? What makes them cheap? I have both versions of Vulcan Comp Plates and they aren’t different than any other brand.
What was wrong with the bar sleeve, and what reason was given for not replacing/fixing it?
Anyone looking for an Elite, Vulcan has some closeout bars slightly used for $295. They look brand new and unlike Rogue and AB they have a warranty for bending/breaking.
Good eye!
Just got one of the closeouts and the bar is immaculate. No scratches, dings or any other signs of use. The website says that they only have 3, but they still are in stock. Love the fact that they are still under warranty and that they didn’t put a different end cap on.
Looks like only one ladies bar left. Was a good deal for sure.
If you had to recommend one bar mainly used for crossfit which one would you recommend? Really think I’m going to go with a Vulcan Plates + Bar package. The package comes with a 20kg One Basic – garage gym 28mm bar or I can upgrade to a Vulcan Standard 28.5mm Mix use – Olympic Bar for an additional $46.50 or I can pay and $84.63 for to (upgrade?) a Vulcan Standard 28mm Olympic Training Barbell?
Was wonder what you would do from a value $ perspective. Just want a good crossfit bar that I can train everyday with, would bend, and won’t rust up. (I’m from the midwest so it gets mildly humid in the garage gym during the summers but not quite miami or anything). If you have any tips I’d appreciate it. Thanks. Also great review guide!
The truth is that all three of those bars will get the job done. The easiest way to pick one is to decide if you have a preference when it comes to knurl depth, then if you care what finish is applied, and then how much you are comfortable spending. You can also refine your options if you care about the shaft diameter. Of course, how much you even notice a .5 mm difference has more to do with your hand size and experience than anything else.
The One Basic is a really good bar for the money – it’s imported, and that’s why it’s less than the Standards even with the chrome finish (all Standards are USA-made), plus it has the shorter warranty, but in terms of actual steel and bushing quality, the One is a fine bar. Personally I’m kind of a bar snob, and I do think that the Standard (even just the 28.5 version) is worth the difference, but I’m not sure that the $85 difference is worth it, as you get into closer proximity of stuff like the Elite 3.0.
End of the day, you won’t bend any of these bars short of doing something negligent that would bend any bar. Vulcan uses good bushings, all self-lubricated, and the manufacturing tolerances even on the budget bars is tight. None are bare steel or oxide, so maintenance will be minimal – you won’t see rust unless you damage the finish, which is unlikely.
Good stuff. Thank you very much!
Which bar did you end up purchasing? I’m in the same boat and trying to decide between the Standard (28.5) and the Elite 3.0 for my home gym. Can’t wait to pull the trigger on the Alpha bumper + bar set.
jburgeson, I was just reading the comments on the power rack and saw you say Vuclan Discounts orders if they 45lbs. bumpers are out and you pre-order them? Do they just randomly select a few orders for discount?
Nvm sorry, just read the following comment.
haha yeah sorry about that… I probably confused a lot of people!
Tried to email this to you yesterday, it was returned undeliverable.
Hi,
I love your reviews, and they are what led me to purchase all of the
equipment I now use.
I purchased a Vulcan elite a few months back, and have been using it in my
garage. I gave it a really thorough cleaning about once a month, otherwise
just wiping it down. It was fine over the winter, till about June. Then I
noticed that the knurling was literally covered in rust where I hold the
bar for cleans and snatches. See the attached pictures.
IMAG0163.jpg
IMAG0164.jpg
IMAG0165.jpg
IMAG0166.jpg
IMAG0167.jpg
The only thing I can think of is that the humidity greatly increased since
the winter, often it is over 80% and sometimes (like today) it is 100%
humidity.
I also have a Bella bar in the same garage, and it has not oxidized at all.
I have cleaned the bar as best I could with an ammonia solution, followed
by wd 40 brushed into the knurling with a nylon brush, and it looks much
better, but I can’t get all the rust off, and I’m afraid to take a brass
brush to it because it’s already shown a propensity to rust. A few days
after cleaning the bar the rust was back and spreading. The only way I have
found to keep the rust off it is to brush wd 40 onto it after EVERY use,
otherwise it will literally rust over a weekend.
The only other problem I am having with the bar is that it doesn’t seem to
be spinning as well as it did when it was new. This is a more major problem
than the rust, in my opinion. I noticed the difference about the same time
as the rust and I’m wondering if the humidity could be to blame for this as
well.
I’ve contacted Vulcan about the issue and they said to try a few drops of 3 in 1 inside the sleeves (I haven’t done it yet). They also said the oxidation on the bar was normal, and sent me a few pictures of old elites they have. They are turning brown in color, but it doesn’t look the same as my bar.
I am at a loss of what to do, as I don’t want to keep oiling my bar after every use. I also would like to know if I should avoid the brass brush to remove the existing more stubborn rust, and if there is a way to remove it at all?
Sincerely,
Andrew
I’m getting with you via email so you can attach those images.
Received your email and replied with the original message. Let me know if you got it.
I did not… that is peculiar. Perhaps your attachments are too large? At least in total size for the batch? I really don’t know I’ve never had an issue receiving mail.
Tried sending an email with links only. Also trying to post them here:
Google says the recipient server did not accept our attempt to connect.
drive.google.com/file/d/0B134gCNvNibzSlhFZlFqQmxVUlE/view?usp=drivesdk
drive.google.com/file/d/0B134gCNvNibzb0tUSzI2UExzdTA/view?usp=drivesdk
drive.google.com/file/d/0B134gCNvNibzMjNSazZBSDlKMUE/view?usp=drivesdk
drive.google.com/file/d/0B134gCNvNibzNmhvalZ5M19KTU0/view?usp=drivesdk
drive.google.com/file/d/0B134gCNvNibzdnBGVjFwNUxpZ2M/view?usp=drivesdk
Regarding the spin, what Vulcan told you about 3-in-1 is indeed the solution. Bushing bars need oil from time-to-time, it’s just the way it is. Dust, humidity, chalk, storing vertically, and all kinds of things play a part in how often this needs to be done. If there was something wrong with a component – a busing issue or bend, etc – you’d know it.
Regarding the rust, that’s a little perplexing. This rust is where your hands are typically touching the bar, right? The un-knurled areas and the center look super clean. In any case, not even bare steel should rust up over the weekend, especially after being treated with oil or WD-40. WD-40 is a much better cleaner than protector by the way, but still it would help reduce oxidation greatly for at least a little while. Your storage conditions sound brutal though being consistently over 80% humidity – I’m not that surprised to see some rust. It’s definitely a combination of the humidity and sweat/oils from your skin. I think that if you can get it under control (and it’s not that bad) 3-in-1 over those areas will keep the rust at bay.
There are better brushes out there than nylon. Nylon actually doesn’t do much more than remove dirt and chalk. It’s not so good at taking down the oxidation. You can’t use a standard stiff steel brush on chrome for the obvious reason that you’ll take the chrome off along with the oxidation, but there are very thin metal wire brushes that would probably do the trick. I used one of these (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Forney-3-in-x-1-4-in-Hex-Shank-Coarse-Crimped-Wire-Wheel-Brush-72735/206472313) to clean rust off of a Klokov, which is not a bare bar. It took off the rust, but not the finish. You gotta go easy with it… don’t give it all you’ve got, but it does work. Then once you get that under control, oil will prevent further outbreaks in those areas.
Thanks. The rust is where my hands usually are. Regarding rusting over a weekend, maybe it is just the old rust showing through, since I never was able to get it completely off. I’ll give that brush a try. It is indeed very harsh storage conditions, almost tropical. Maybe I’ll have to invest in a dehumidifier for one room in my house, and store my bars there, as I have other items that could benefit from storage there as well. The most perplexing thing to me is that the Bella bar stored under the same conditions and used just as often doesn’t exhibit any signs of oxidation. What are your thoughts on this?
It looks like you haven’t got any of my emails at all. Do you want me to post the error message google sent me?
Thanks again for your help,
Andrew
I’m not surprised the Bella isn’t oxidizing. Black zinc is extremely effective while it’s present. The issue with black zinc is that because it’s really more of a paint than a sacrificial metal (like real zinc is), it can be rubbed off just with the hands. If the Bella isn’t a daily bar, it’ll look almost new for a long time. If it gets a lot of use, you’ll see the most commonly touched areas of the bar start to fade, turn green, and eventually disappear entirely. When that happens, you’ll get rust.
Keep in mind that the Elite is not engineered (hard) chrome, but rather a dense chrome. It protects, but it’s more about the feel – like a raw steel with at least some kind of protection. I don’t have even a hint of rust on my Elite, and even though we get the brutal 80-90% humidity here in Central Texas, it’s not all day every day. I do get rust on bars more prone to it though, but not this particular bar.
No I have not received a single email and I think I figured out why.. I’m checking with my hosts to verify. Sorry about all those wasted attempts on your part =/
I think I fixed it!
I’m trying to decide on the Vulcan elite 3.0, Standard 28.5 bushing or the Matt Chan bar. I’m new to oly lifting (about 10 months) and need something reliable with a better knurl, not soft/fine/light.
I’ve read you’re review of the Chan bar and am concerned about the black zinc wearing away; it’s currently the only option. I’m hoping the you’re able to provide some insight if the Standard 28.5 bushing bar and Chan are similar enough when describing the knurling? It’s difficult to make a decision without putting a bar through it’s paces… If this was the case I’d take the standard 28.5.
If the Elite is a far better bar than the standard/Chan, I would be willing to shell out the extra cash. The price difference in Canada between the Elite and Standard 28.5 bushing is about $120… I’m not sure that it’s worth this cost?
Thanks in advance,
Brent
All three have at least moderate knurl, with the Chan being the most aggressive. For Olympic lifting though the Elite is way better than the other two. It’s 28 mm instead of 28.5 mm, has a grippy finish, and moderate/aggressive knurl. It’s also a whippy bar, which means you can grow into it rather than away from it. The Standard is offered in 28 mm as well, and that’s cool, but it is probably the softest knurled of the three, though I wouldn’t say it’s mild. Still pretty solid grip.
The Chan is a great bar, but with only black zinc or raw steel offered for that bar (you can request no finish), it’s not my favorite anymore. It’s still a very popular bar among friends, but none of them are snatching with it, just benching, squatting, and deadlifting.
Thanks for the input… I’ll look at the elite bar for future purchase.
Brent
I’ve been looking start building my home gym. Been looking everywhere from Rogue, Vulcan, Fringe, to used equipment on Craigslist. From what I’m gathering is that Vulcan is comparable if not better then Rogue equipment in terms of bars/bumpers but doesn’t have the name recognition or same branding yet. I’ve talked to a few people who have had home gyms for a while and they say at least go with Rogue for the squat rack because its quality and if you ever want resell the equipment on craigslist you can get 80-90% the original price there. I don’t plan on selling my equipment maybe fdown the road I will if I want to upgrade one day. Haven’t found any vulcan equipment on craigslist and I’ve seen Rogue equipment on craigslist but it usually sells within a day or too and it isn’t cheap or anything like some other brands of equipment on craigslist. Rogues definitely quality.
I was also trying to find a rogue squat rack or even power rack on craigslist but I can’t find one within driving distance of my area. I saw one on a R-3 rack that was like $50 off the original price new one. It just wasn’t a great deal in my eyes considering the distance I’d have to drive to get it. I’m thinking about looking into Rogue’s blackfriday “sale” but I’ve heard for the most part its just free shipping (which isn’t nothing). Do they ever actually have real deal like 10-20% off Racks for their blackfriday “sale”?
Other then that I’m look at a few used craigslist racks but its pretty tough to find a decent brand rack at a fair used price? I see a lot of junk on craigslist like the Marcy, CAP. Then see quite a few Body-Solid and Weider racks ranging from $135-250(I’ve heard mixed reviews on the quality of those brands). Then I’ve seen a few older Tuff Stuff and Parabody Racks, which I’ve heard a few more positive things about, but they cost a bit more and at that point I may consider paying up for a brand new rogue. Have you heard anything positive about Tuff Stuff and Parabody?
Tim you’re right about Vulcan lacking the branding and marketing power of Rogue. Vulcan puts out many superior products, but they do not offer nearly as much variety as Rogue does. I think Vulcan excels in the core equipment like the bars and plates, but Rogue is still generally the go-to for the accessories and even racks. Now Vulcan has racks too and the prices are pretty good, but they are still high-quality and expensive racks. You wouldn’t save any money there really – well maybe a little because I think Vulcan ships racks for free right now. But yeah, with racks you have very few long-term options in the retail market, and short of finding that steal on Craigslist, you can’t expect to shave much off the price.
Rogue does have racks on sale during black friday, but you cannot reasonably expect the rack you’re interested in to be included, and you cannot expect the discount to be much more than 10%. It will ship for free but only if you buy 4 other items. Most people add T-shirts or other small things with big purchases, but if you only need a rack and one other product, you just paid that shipping again by adding on those small items you didn’t really need. It can still be cheaper of course, and it works out well if you need a rack and a bar and plates and all kinds of things at the same time – big shipping savings then.
Tuff Stuff and Parabody are commercial dealers. Well, kind of commercial dealers. They may have some equipment out there you can get for a reasonable price, but based on their retail prices I can’t see them being a viable option even used. Honestly, most commercial equipment leaves a lot to be desired – they are not designed for real lifters, they are designed for well-decorated, fancy looking residential fitness centers and global gym facilities. You wouldn’t find that stuff in a professional or collegiate training center, but you’ll find it in a hotel or apartment complex gym. If the price on a rack is right, then it’ll still work, but stuff like 4″ spotter spacing instead of 1-2″ and plate storage horns intended for scaling rubber coated plates (45 big, 35 smaller, 25 smaller still, etc.) just makes them less than ideal for true garage strength training. If you do find a good deal, check the height on commercial equipment like that – some of it tends to be 8-9′ tall or more, and that may be a problem in your home.
Thanks for the quick response. I appreciate it.
But yeah the Tuff Stuff and Parabody Racks don’t really look “commercial” grade in my opinion. It definitely looks more like Home use or hotel/apartment facility quality, but it has those name brand recognition. Both racks look similar to some weider or body-solid racks I’ve seen quite a bit.
Tuff Stuff Rack: http://images.craigslist.org/00x0x_4QR3VIrHLah_600x450.jpg
Parabody Rack: http://images.craigslist.org/01616_7wVg6HD5oHc_600x450.jpg
I think I could probably negotiate the Racks down somewhere between $150-$225. They look like the standard height between 80in-84in racks (not quite ideal for kipping pull ups for 6 foot guy I guess). I’m looking to use these racks for crossfit workout 5-6 ays a week and probably strength training a couple days a week. Really have no clue on the weight capacities on these models. I’m making an uneducated guessing between 400lbs- 500lbs. weight capacity, many the lesser quality racks are between are 300 lbs. capacity I believe. Thanks again for the help.
Oh I think I was only aware of their commercial lines. I didn’t know either of them had that box-store stuff. My bad. Yeah both of those look pretty cheap, and your guess on weight capacity is probably accurate, if not a little optimistic.
Well $150 is a huge difference between $600+ of a Rogue or Vulcan unit, and while I find most people who experiment with the cheap stuff end up replacing it within the year, you aren’t out anything but time really. You’ll recover your $150 if you re-sell it probably, unless you actually break it. I also realize that not everyone is comfortable dropping a couple grand on a gym right out of the gate. My own personal gym started with an R4, an original B&R, and Rogue bumpers probably four or five years ago… all of that equipment is still 100% in-service. I’ve modified my rack, but the core unit is still there, rust-free, and good as new. There is something to be said for going with the real gear if it’s feasible to do so, but again, $150 is almost nothing for a rack, and probably tempting.
Haha yeah that was my thought exactly. I was think maybe I could pay $150 for one of these racks and use it for a couple months and make sure to treat it well and then flip it on craigslist in November and go for a Rogue Rack around blackfriday and fingers crossed get a little $ off and be happy with a quality rack.
I’m a little bummed Rogue doesn’t offer a discount for buying a Rack/Bar/Bumper combo like some other brands do. I believe Vulcan has the Vulcan Standard and bumper package that saves you a little $ on a discount when you buy both and with rogue they don’t give any discount for the bars with purchase of a rack. I actually think they sell Hi-Temps set at a reduce rate $436 for 260lbs set if you buy them with the Rack which is a little something.
I actually really like the Hi-Temps that I’ve used at a friends Home gym but the bounce is pretty insane, but I can deal with that. As far as bumpers I think I’m going to go with the Vulcan Alphas (currently out of stock) with bar package. Your Bumper Plate guide really sold me. Do the Rogue Hi-Temps compare well in durability to the vulcan bumpers? I just really want bumpers that will be durable and last, so might as well pay a little more for quality in my mind. I was also talking to a crossfit afilate owner who recommended Wright Equipment package. He told me he stocks his CF affiliate with their bars and bumpers and he says they are solid. He says he loves their Wright CF Bar V.2 20kg – Black Zinc Shaft, Bright Zinc Sleeves – 28.5MM Bar with Dual Knurl. But I’ve never used them or no one I know personally other then him has recommended them.
I’m not a huge fan of crumb rubber myself. The bounce is tolerable like you said, but insert separation is more likely. HI-Temps are better than the Diamond Pro/Wright’s bumpers if you were gonna that route, but Alpha beats both of them and for not much of a price difference (if any, compared to HI-Temps.) Durability is definitely higher with Alphas. I can’t comment on the Wright’s bars though – all I know of them is hearsay.
For what it’s worth, with Rogue the prices are pretty good already considering domestic manufacturing and the high quality. I don’t think they can afford to give away discounts and too much free shipping and still maintain margins. I never feel like I’m being gouged by them, and I pay all the same prices as everyone else.
I had a real quick question for you. I was wondering if you think the savings from vulcan’s blackfriday/cyber monday would be significant enough to wait till then to get a bar and bumper package? Or bumper set on sale during BF/CM?
It looks like the bar and bumper packages are already discounted because they are out of some of the bars and 45lb. plates but do you think the savings will be much more or less then blackfriday/cyber monday if I wait? Someone told me vulcan has had things like 15% off bars in the passed.
I’m looking to put together a new garage gym and I’ll also being getting a rack or half rack, and was thinking on waiting till Rogues blackfriday or cyber monday to get free shipping ($5 if you order 5 items deal) anyways. Have you ever seen Ohio Bar on sale for BF or CM? I know I’m going to either go with the Ohio bar or Vulcan Standard for Crossfit workouts and I’m just a stickler for deals and can be patient. Can’t find either bars on craigslist used.
Well personally I don’t know if I’d wait three months for the possibility of saving 10%. Generally speaking, you have to be willing to compromise on what you want to get the best deals because retailers also utilize BF to clear out things that don’t sell as well regularly. If you are flexible on the particulars you might save a few bucks – that is, willing to take any number of bars depending on which are on sale. It’s your call though, of course.
As far as Rogue, they usually have new release bars on sale, and the Rogue Bar 2.0. Sometimes they’ll throw in a limited number of unique finishes on bars that don’t normally have that finish, but it is unlikely (though not impossible) that the Ohio will be on sale. Last year it was again the Rogue Bar 2.0, and the Burgener & Rippetoe (the new one). I want to say they have a galvanized Ohio in limited quantity, but I’m not even positive that was this last year sorry =/
Free shipping on the rack can be a deal if you have other items you intend to order. That is, you aren’t adding four other items you don’t need just to get free shipping… that kind of negates your savings.
If you’re a deals guy and you’re not happy unless you know you saved some money, then sure keep paying for the gym for a few more months. You may not get everything on your list, but you’ll save something.
I was wondering if you had any recommendations a bar that is somewhere in between a crossfit bar/olympic lifting bar? I’ve been doing crossfit for a couple years and I’m pretty solid at olympic lifts and I’m a beginner but I’m sort of getting the itch to get more into Olympic lifting the last few months.
I’ve only ever used bushing bars (rogue 2.0/rogue ohio/wonderbar), other then the occasional time I get my hands a bearing bar when a couple people brought their own personal bars to the box a couple time. I’ve tried an eleiko once and wow it felt like night and day. But eleiko is far out of my budget. (one day maybe haha)
Everyone I’ve talked to mentions you have to get a bear if you want to be serious in oly lifting which is understandable. I’m building out the garage gym to hopefully save some $ down the road but unfortunately I don’t currently have the funds for 2 bars when I factor in all the other expense in starting the home gym.
Would you happen to have a recommendation for a bar that is a healthy mix between olympic bar and crossfit bar? I was reading the vulcan guide and you mentioned the Standard Olympic Bearing Bar is in that awkward place between CF and beginner level oly bar, but I think I’m advanced enough to upgrade to a “better” oly bar. I feel bad saying better because I’m sure its a good quality bar. I’m just worried that a standard oly bar will tear up my hands pretty good if use it for CF workouts because I’ve heard they tend to have more aggressive knurling. I’m pretty much open to any brand or suggestions. Just looking for a solid performing bar that is durable. I might also might try and get bar + plates package from the same company if I could save a little $. Any advice would be great! Thanks ahead of time. Your site has been an awesome resource.
Ben if you’ve got some experience under your belt from a couple years + of CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting, the Standard Bearing shouldn’t be too aggressive to you. The Vulcan Professional would probably be a bit much for CrossFit, but not the Standard so much, and probably not even the Elites. That whole Standard line pretty much was developed because of CrossFit.
It is probably in your best interest to go with bearings though if it is within budget. However, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. If you do stick with bushings, just try and stick with one of the 28 mm Olympic training bars rather than the standard, stiff CrossFit bars – Vulcan Elite, American Barbell Performance or Precision Training, or perhaps even the Rogue 28 mm Training Bar. Hell even the 28 mm bushing Standard is a good mix of Oly and WOD. With this line of bars you get reliable spin, a true 28 mm shaft, and they actually offer some flex – they’ll take your Oly training farther than stiffer, thicker WOD bars.
The best feeling knurl for your situation would be the AB SS Precision Training because it has a lighter knurl overall, but a raw stainless steel shaft. You get a good grip from the stainless without the sharpness. You pay handsomely for stainless though.
I can attest to the elite (bushing) being a great bar for combination oly/CrossFit lifting. It’s practically a budget price for a single bar that will feel right whether you’re doing fight gone bad or a max clean. The knurl is perfect, and very grippy even without chalk, I’ve actually held it covered in oil and it still felt secure. It’s by no means aggressive either. Just make sure to clean the bar well and take care of it, especially if you live Inna humid area, like me. When I spoke to Vulcan about bars, they actually talked me out of the professional, as the knurl would have been too aggressive for CrossFit.
However, if I had it to do over again, I would have purchased two bars, one for Olympic lifting and one to beat up doing WODs. The sold out AB SS WOD bar would have been perfect, in combination with the elite bearing (which was not available at the time).
Hi JB,
I just purchased a discounted Vulcan Elite 3.0 20 g found in the closeout section. Thank you for all of your assistance.
How would you compare the Vulcan elite to the B & R bar. I’ve been doing the starting strength program and am looking to get a better bar – these fit my price point. Really appreciate your site, keep up the good work!!
Are you referring to the Elite 3 Oly bar, or the Elite power bar?
The B&R has always been a very good bar for that program. 29 mm, bare steel, solid knurl, and plenty of rigidity in the shaft. The only genuine drawback of the B&R versus zinc/chrome bars with similar specs is the need to maintain the steel with oil and the occasional brushing. The steel will always feel better in the hands than an applied finish, but it will rust if it’s neglected.
Was referring to the Vulcan Elite Power Bar that you discussed in this article. I see it is zinc which may be better since I live in a more humid environment.
Yeah it will hold up to that moisture a lot better. Other than that, the most noticeable difference between the two will be the knurl. The Elite will be sharper; firmer. The B&R is more on the average side, but it does have the advantage of that raw steel feel. I don’t think that you’d be disappointed in either so I’d just base your decision on price and knurl preference – and well the humidity factor in your case.
Hey I dig your reviews,
Question for you, I’ve been doing crossfit for over a year now and I’ve really found myself enjoying the Olympic lifting aspect of it. I’ve been debating between two bars and don’t know which one to pull the trigger on. After reading your review on the Vulcan elite it sounds perfect for what I’m looking for which is some crossfit as well as a focus on training my Olympic lifts, but then I read your review of the rogue ss Ohio and that stainless steel sounds so magical and I’m worried a more Olympic focused bar would rip up my hands for the high rep portions of crossfit as well as mess with my big 3 lifts. With those concerns in mind, which bar would you choose of the two?
The Elite is much more of an Olympic WL bar than the SS Ohio, and the Elite is just as good for your other lifts as the Ohio really. I think if I were you I would favor the 28 mm, slightly whippier Vulcan Elite if you really do enjoy Olympic WL and aspire to improve those two lifts. Also the ‘moderately aggressive’ knurl is somewhat overstated, which you can confirm in the many reviews of Elite on the product page. It’s tacky and secure, and more aggressive than Vulcan’s multi-purpose line, but certainly not sharp or coarse like a power bar or stage Oly bar. The SS Ohio is also a very nice bar, but it’s stiffer, and you’re paying for the stainless – which is okay, but with the Elite you’re paying for that chrome moly 220k PSI whippy shaft. End of the day, you’d probably be pleased as punch with either, as they are both lifetime bars.
Having owned a Vulcan Elite and Rogue WL 20kg bar (not the SS Ohio), I can say with certainty that the Elite is not sharp and would not rip up your hands during a high rep WOD or big 3 lifts. The knurl on the Elite is far superior (moderate knurl depth, not sharp like a true powerlifting bar) to my Rogue WL bar, which is supposed to be one of Rogue’s most aggressive knurl. Unfortunately it’s SO PASSIVE that it’s laughable to call it a “firm knurling.” For my money I would go with the Elite…
Well I’m sold on the elite, I guess this years tax return is being turned into a barbell and some vulcan alpha bumpers. Thanks for the prompt response. I’ll let ya know what I think.
Do you have a preference between the Vulcan Elite Power Bar, and the Rogue Ohio Power Bar with zinc finish?
Actually not really. I’m one to prefer bare steel over zinc so I guess in that sense I prefer the OPB. If I was looking for a power bar with a zinc finish for that oxidation protection I would probably lean on the Vulcan because I like Oilite bushings more than I like cast bronze. When it comes down to it though I do not think one stands out above the other though in any significant way. I like both companies a lot too so that doesn’t help either haha
Vulcan’s new gear look sweet. The new adjustable bench, curl bar, hex bar and bar holder look top notch
Agreed. They are adding lots of stuff this year it seems.
Have you put your hands on a SS Absolute Power Bar?
I have not. Are they finally shipping those?
I guess so. I have the SS OPB so I wasn’t really planning on getting one. However, saw a great deal on a B side. Apparently a return because of a minor discrepancy in the thickness of one outer bushing. Received the bar today, and it’s flawless. Have to be pretty picky to notice the bushing issue. No scratches. Perfect knurling. However, it has IWF markings! Just weird. The product page for it doesn’t specify if it’s IPF or IWF marked but the regular Absolutes have the normal IPF markings and the Elites are dual marked.
Normally I would assume this was the B side issue, but I know it was a return which should mean this is the normal knurl marking for this bar. Anyone else have one yet?
and it’s not the Absolute Oly by accident or something?
That’s what I thought too. The end caps are the same for the two. I don’t have calipers but the shaft feels closer to my OPB than to my Eleiko Oly Bar. Just got it today so haven’t lifted with it yet.
I sent Vulcan an email. Their customer service is great so hopefully they’ll help me out. I’ll let you know what they say. If it is, in fact, the power bar I’m in love with the 240K steel and all stainless construction but hard to get past the off markings.
Yeah that’s kind of a big deal, sadly. I’ll be curious to know what you hear.
It’s always something! I thought I hit the jackpot. It’s a beautiful bar though and the knurling feels amazing. Aggressive and very grippy but a little less sharp compared to the OPB. Where do I put my hands though, haha?!
Talked to Vulcan. Apparently the first run they did of these has IWF markings. Guessing that was a mistake on the production side, but they’ve ultimately got them priced lower than intended as a result. The next run will have IPF markings but sounds like will be more expensive.
The incorrect markings really do bug me a bit but for no other reason than that’s just how I am. I don’t compete, and I can’t remember a time I’ve ever referenced those markings when setting my hands on a barbell. It’s just muscle memory at this point.
They were very accommodating but I think I’m going to keep the bar for now. I got a great deal given that it was a heavily reduced B side that is otherwise like new plus I had some store credit. Planning to sell it locally when they release the second run depending on the updated price I guess. Will be hard to let go of my SS OPB because I really like it a lot as well but easier to find a buyer given the name recognition.
So you’re saying the $550 is a generous price?
The bar probably really should say no IPF marks in the product description. I can see that being problematic for some
Haha, I’m definitely not saying that. Just relaying what I found out. I’m saying I received a generous price on the individual B side that I bought that was returned not because of the markings but for a barely imperceptible cosmetic difference regarding the appearance of the two external bushings. Pricing was actually incorrect on site but they honored it. Perfect bar otherwise. So close to being one of my best deals ever.
Hopefully they’ll update the description though.
Oh no, sorry, what I meant was that the $550 price for new is lower than the price will be when the markings are corrected? That’s how you understood that? Or were you only referring to the B-side pricing? Sorry for confusion
Gotcha! I see what you mean now. Yes, that’s how I understood that but it’s certainly not official. Hard to pin Vulcan down at times.
Can’t imagine it would be a huge increase. Guessing it would be right at the Kabuki price point.
Is the Stainless steel Elite V2 made in the USA? This info is not in the description. I asked this on the website, but have not received any response yet.
They responded. It is not. Bummer, but I’m sure it’s still an amazing bar.
Yeah sorry haha
Does Vulcan make their “US Made” bars themselves or are made by another company?
They don’t make them themselves. Not many do – really only Rogue and American Barbell now that MDUSA is gone. It’s pretty expensive to tool up for that.