Different Powerlifting Bars
Texas Power Bars
There are numerous brands of powerlifting bars on the market. Many have started to enter the scene over the past decade since the sport of powerlifting has exploded. There are many great options out there, but the one we carry the most of at Tucson Strength are the Texas Power Bar line. We have been involved in the sport of powerlifting for over a decade and many of the bars on our floor have been around since the beginning of our Tucson Barbell Club, and continue to perform at the highest standards.
The Original Texas Power Bar is tried and true. It sits just over 7 feet long. Has an aggressively knurled shaft that offers a great grip to connect with the bar, and a center knurl that is needed for big squats. The shaft diameter of the bar is 28.5mm which offers enough strength for a big squat, and great grip for deadlift or bench.
The bar weighs 20kg or 44lbs, since kilograms is what is used in all powerlifting competitions. So those 3 plates on each side is only 314lbs not 315.
Texas Squat bar
The Texas Squat Bar is a monster. This bar is built for big weights. It sits over 8 feet long and weighs a whopping 25kg or 55lbs. So if you grab one of these bars at Tucson Strength you may think, “Holy Crap”, Im getting weak, this bar feels heavy”, well, it is. Besides the extra length it also has a 31.75mm diameter which is over 3mm thicker than a standard bar. The bar is built for big squats, when you have massive loads on the bar it prevents the bar from whipping during the squat. It the longer shaft is also designed form bigger lifters to be able to widen their grip so they can get nice and tight under the squat. You will also notice that nearly the entire bar is knurled minus only a few inches so that the aggressive knurling will grip to your shirt to avoid slippage. ย The Texas Squat bar is used in USPA Powerlifting federation as well as many others. USAPL ย , and the IPF use a standard 20kg power bar for all 3 lifts.
texas Deadlift Bar
The Texas Deadlift bar is a specialty bar used in many powerlifting federations. If you have never lifted on one you should get some practice before stepping on a competition platform that uses one. These bars span just under 8 feet long. Unlike the the Squat bar with fat diameter shaft, the deadlift bar offers a smaller shaft diameter than the standard power bar. The deadlift bar has a 27.5mm diameter which allows those with smaller hands the ability to grip the bar easily. It also is easier to hook grip compared to a standard bar. This bar is also designed to whip, meaning that it will start to bend when pulling heavier loads. So when you see these monsters pulling 700+lbs the bar is literally bending. The tensile strength is 190k so the bar won’t stay permanently bent, but it will whip. It is important to ONLY DEADLIFT with this bar. The easiest way to tell a Texas Deadlift bar apart from the others in a powerlifting gym is that it doesn’t offer a center knurling. It weighs 20kg(44lbs), but if you go to bench or squat on it, expect the bar to whip and it will make for an unpleasant squat or bench session.
Final Notes on Texas power bars
These bars are the best bang for your buck when it comes to powerlifting. Even with all the crazy inflation out there they have done an amazing job of keeping the price reasonable for a very high quality product. They come in numerous offerings now from bare steal, to zinc or cerekote coated, and even a chrome option. My suggestions is to at a bare minimum get the zinc coated with Chromed sleeves. They are only a few dollars more and will prevent any rust from accumulating on the bar. I you are into flare and want some great color options, then go with a cerekote bar which adds about $40-$50 to the price tag. These bars are resilient and last a long time, but I strongly suggest to not do heavy rack pulls with them unless you know how to control the lowering of the bar. Slamming the bars on the shaft with large loads can lead to a bending of the bar. We recommend getting a beater bar for rack pulls. I have only bent one of these bars in over a decade of use and we have over 20 Texas Power Bars on the floor at Tucson Strength. There was a squat accident where the bar was dropped on the safety pins with close to 500lbs on the bar.