2019 Specialty Barbell Reviews
This year so far (Christmas is still upcoming…), I added two specialty bars to my garage gym arsenal: (1) a Titan Fitness SSB bar and (2) a Titan Fitness Hex bar (or trap bar). In this post, I’ll walk through that rationale for these types of bars, the decision to buy these specific bars, and my experience with these bars since their purchases.
Titan Fitness Hex Bar
Earlier this year, I was running a program I paid Brian Alsruhe from NeverSate to write for me. Brian’s power-building programs are very intense and tend to incorporate a number of strongman movements either at the start of the workout, incorporated into the giant sets he programs, or as a finisher. I was lacking in strongman equipment, specifically something I could load heavy and carry for 50 or 100 feet down the driveway.
In addition, I have at various times in commercial gyms used hex bars to deadlift and have always enjoyed being able to lift more with that variation, even though it has limited actual crossover to the conventional deadlift I am generally trying to get stronger at doing.
So, I thought adding a hex bar into the mix would be a good idea. Looking around online, there was no premium branded hex bar on the market that seemed to dominate (unlike other specialty bars like the SSB, Duffalo Bar or even straight deadlift bars). Having said that, major brands like Rogue will certainly sell you a trap bar for nearly $400. Kabuki strength has a very fancy trap bar that runs more than $600.
I have spent tons of money on my garage gym and I haven’t been too focused on cost control in the process, but for an incremental bar that will be somewhat versatile but not the centerpiece of a program, even I have limits. So, I went to the google machine and it brought me to the Hex bar I ultimately bought from Amazon for $113.
I don’t tend to buy big pieces of weight equipment on Amazon, but I have used it for cardio equipment, including a treadmill that still functions (5 years old), and a Concept rower that works fine. When it comes to outfitting the garage with barbells, racks and weights, I tend to use Rogue or some specialty shop online. I tend to use Amazon for small things like bands, slam balls, clips, boards for board presses, jump ropes, etc.
Experience Thus Far
The Hex bar was as advertised, its hard to screw it up too bad, and for the price, I am certainly not going to complain. I incorporated the bar into the program by using it for farmer walks, longer carries and a few other things. So far so good.
But the really cool part about having the bar is that my kids have found it to be much easier to use than a straight bar. I ran a deadlifting program for my 8 year old and 10 year old boys over 10 weeks and we started off using a 25 lb training bar, which was ok, but once we got up a bit in weight, they much preferred the hex bar, because its more intuitive (you literally just stand up). They probably also like that the range of motion was shorter, but I fixed that by having them stand on a 2 inch riser ;). Ultimately, my 10 year maxed out at just under 200 lbs with the hex bar.
Titan Fitness SSB Bar
Later in the year, I began itching to buy another bar to add to the variations I could throw into my training programs. Having already added a hex bar for deadlift variation and for farmers walks, I was mainly looking for a bar that would help add variation to my squat or press movements.
I had just finished incorporating front squats into my training. I struggle with the awkwardness of that lift, but I recognized that if I wanted to be able to deadlift or back squat more, my core would need to get much stronger, so front squats or similar movement was going to be mandatory. An SSB bar seemed like it would allow me to do something like a front squat without needing to master front squat form. An SSB bar could also be used for a couple of other variations as well (like moving the bar around to the front with the handles pointing behind you. But let’s be real, it’s not too versatile a piece, it’s definitely a luxury specialty bar.
I did consider two alternative barbell purchases: a football bar for bench press or a smaller diameter deadlift bar, but dismissed both of those ideas. The football bar or some variation of a bar with neutral grips would allow for a bench press variation, but my bench press progress had gone better than other lifts and I wanted to bring up the other major lifts (including lagging OHP, deadlift and squats). The deadlift bar was dismissed because I couldn’t justify adding another deadlift-focused bar so soon after buying the hex bar.
Also, over on my business Twitter account (3,000+ followers), I ran a poll on what bar I should buy. The SSB bar won going away.
Anyway, back to the SSB bar. I decided I would buy one, next step was to review the different alternative models.
Rogue is often my go to spot for gym equipment, they have such high quality equipment and selection. I have a standard power bar from Rogue that has been great. But obviously high quality comes at a high price, and the Rogue SSB is listed at $395, which seemed very high. In this case, I was also familiar with the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar and it appears to be the gold standard for SSB bars (and costs $425 plus shipping). A quick google search came up with a few cheaper alternatives, and the Titan one looked very similar to the pricier bars, similar design.
SSB Experience Thus Far
I have very much enjoyed having the SSB bar to incorporate a different squat variation to my training. I squat low bar for my main squat movement and (like most people) the front squat is hard to add weight to and is generally uncomfortable. So, I used the SSB beltless as a variation in my last 12 week program, and in the current 12 week program I’m running, I have put the SSB in as my main squat movement with a weight belt. It’s been hard, but in a good way, and I think it is going to help with overall core strength that will carry over into other lifts.
The bar quality has been fine for a garage lifter like me. It looks just like the other, more expensive models. I’m sure the pads or handles are better with the EliteFTS or Rogue ones, but for double the price, I don’t care much about it.
The biggest pain in the ass, honestly, is just how big it is and how awkward it is to pull off my wall and maneuver into the rack to get it set up. I usually get out to the garage the night before to set everything up if its going to be a squat day, but that’s no big deal. I use it with the Rogue Monolift arms and the thickness of the bar is fine for those arms, too.
Closing Thoughts
So, in summary, I would commend the Titan Fitness SSB bar, totally worth the $200. I would also commend the Titan Hex Bar I bought on Amazon as more of just a beat around hex bar to change things up or to add the ability to go really heavy on farmers carries.
Bonus recommendation: would not recommend the Titan adjustable bench. It too tall and too unstable, despite looking awesome and having high quality adjustment mechanisms.
