The Rep Delta bar is the lowest-price bar I’d recommend buying. And in this price range, it stands out. Most bars at this price have terrible knurl, bar spin, and finish. The Delta delivers in all 3 of those areas. Why power bars and not Olympic lifting bars? I wrote an entire article about that, but the short version is that most folks shouldn’t be doing Olympic lifting movements at home, alone, without a spotter. All home gyms should start with a power bar and go from there. Barbell sets can adapt into almost every gym program. Allowing you to perform multiple amounts of exercises, including squats, chest press, lunges, curls, and more. They are very flexible pieces of equipment that help you meet your goals. I’m a big believer that “how you do one thing is how you do everything”. If a bar manufacturer can’t even apply their bar finish well, what other shortcuts have they taken? What About Specs?

There are other squat stands that are cheaper if you’re in the market for a bare-bones squat stand.

Barbells and Barbell Sets

This is where “sleeve play” comes in. If you go up to a cheap barbell and try to wiggle the sleeve, you’ll notice it has a ton of play in it. It will move side to side and sometimes even rattle up and down. The more play there is, the more unwanted movement and wear. That said, you're going to want to spend your hard-earned cash on a barbell that's *actually* high quality. Wondering what that might look like? "The barbell should match your strength needs, should be strong enough to resist bending, and have a finish that will last and won't rust over time." Then, you should decide whether you're looking for a standard barbell or an Olympic one. FYI: If you're used to lifting a barbell at the gym, it's most likely an Olympic one.) So just because someone advertises their bars as having “the highest tensile strength on the market”, that doesn’t mean those bars are good. Our IPF Spec, Stainless Steel Chewy Bar is the newest addition to our line of best-in-class Power Lifting Olympic Barbells. Why Chewy? It’s our take on a more aggressive knurl without chewing up your hands. We are paying homage to the powerlifting bars of the past but adding our innovations and wealth of expertise.

N. Travis Triplett, professor of exercise science at Appalachian State University, phone interview, June 30, 2020 It also has IPF-standard knurl markings to help you get into the proper position for your lifts, and it features smooth sleeves for easy loading and unloading of the plates. The Delta Basic Bar is a high-quality, powerlifting/mixed-use barbell for lifters looking for great value and versatility.

Weight Barbell Sets

You want your bar to be able to flex without bending. That’s important. So some tensile strength is important. But if you make it too high, then the bar stops flexing at all and instead risks breaking.

This power bar has a stiff 29mm diameter, which complies with International Powerlifting Federation standards. Bronze bushings allow for consistent rotation while ensuring incredible strength and stiffness to withstand heavy loads. In fact, this bar can handle up to 1,500lbs. At Powerhouse Fitness, we offer all you need for barbell training. Sets of Olympic weights, regular weights, and studio barbells are all available. When you’re working in a small space, your gym may not be able to accommodate a minimum height of 96 inches.

Free weight sets such as barbells are regularly used in gyms and are a superb choice for home weight training. They make an ideal solution for anyone aiming to gain muscle or lose weight, all with one bit of kit.