With the increasing popularity of Vulcan Strength’s bars and the seemingly endless expansion of their barbell collection, it seemed about time for a comprehensive buyer’s guide. Questions, comments, and your own feedback is welcome in the comments section following the article, as your opinions are just as important as mine – if not more so.
How to find the right Vulcan Bar
In an effort to simplify the use of this bar 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 a section for power bars.
Pick the type of bar that you are interested, read about the available bars, then compare your top choice(s) to whatever other bars out there that you are considering. It’s much simpler than opening up every single product page on the Vulcan website, that’s for sure.
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 15 kg Olympic WL Bars
Women’s Absolute Stainless Steel Olympic WL Bar
Women’s Professional Olympic WL Bar
Women’s Elite Olympic WL Training Bar
Women’s 15 kg Mulit-Purpose (CrossFit) Bars
Women’s Training Olympic Bearing Bar
Women’s Standard Olympic Bar
Women’s One Basic Economy Bar
Men’s 20 kg Olympic WL 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
Power Bars
Absolute Power Bar
Elite Power Bar
Quick Reference Specification Tables
Knurl Guide
Vulcan Women’s Olympic WL Bars (25 mm, 15 kg)
Vulcan currently offers one of the largest selections of women’s bars; a number of them being high-performance Olympic weightlifting bars. The following bars all weigh 15 kg and have 25 mm shaft diameters – what varies from bar-to-bar is the finish, rotation 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 purposes 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 bar. 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, only without the rust or maintenance.
The Absolute is a level 100 bar that will never need to be replaced, and it’s arguably a better buy than comparably priced non-stainless bars like the Women’s Eleiko Trainer and Comp bars. Only American Barbell offers a women’s stainless steel Oly bar 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
This bar is not yet available for purchase
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
Price: $869; includes shipping
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 $800 without at least considering a stainless bar.
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Women’s Professional Olympic WL Bearing Bar
If you’re looking for a super whippy, competition-worthy Olympic weightlifting bar but you don’t want to spend the $869 it costs to own 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 whippy 195,000 PSI shaft, has aggressive knurling 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 real alternative to the more expensive Eleiko 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 really, were you planning to host a sanctioned meet? It’s also a lower-priced alternative to the chrome Rogue Olympic WL Bar ($635) and the AB Performance Bearing Bar ($599); both 190,000 PSI bars.
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 15 kg bar. This feature alone will seal the deal for many female lifters.
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Women’s Elite V3.0 Olympic WL Training Bar
The women’s version of the Elite Olympic Trainer has been announced, but is not yet released. When said and done, there is expected to be both a bushing and a bearing version of both the men’s and the women’s Elite. I will update as these bars are released.
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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 WL bars. It works out this way because multi-purpose bars don’t require professionally worked, highly-elastic shafts and precision needle bearings from Germany. They simply need to be strong, they need to spin reliably under moderate loads, and the 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 Training Bar is not as aggressive as the Pro, and the bar is dual-marked, but it’s still a hard chrome plated, 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, 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 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.
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Standard 15 kg Multi-Purpose Bar
The Standard is a bushing bar, and at its core it’s your typical CrossFit/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 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 the Cali 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 Standard should probably be on your short list.
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
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Women’s One Basic Economy Bar
The 15 kg 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 190,000 PSI shaft, yet it still sells for less than $200 (the black zinc version does anyway.) Of course keeping this price competitive with other economy bars does require some compromises, and one of them is a shorter warranty than all other Vulcan bars.
I’ve owned the One Basic so I can say with confidence that it’s a solid economy bar. It’s way better than any box-store bar like a CAP, Body Solid, or Troy, and I’d take it over most other economy bars found online, but it only takes about $50 to move into a 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
Black zinc 25 mm shaft, black zinc sleeves (chrome also available).
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: $198 (+$15 for chrome); 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 finish, rotation mechanism, knurl aggressiveness, and tensile rating of the shafts.
Keep in mind that the bearing bars in this section are expensive and are intended for seasoned Olympic weightlifters. Newcomers to the Olympic lifts will find that the Elite V3.0 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 finest 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 as a barbell shaft. Stainless steel won’t rust, it requires practically no maintenance, it feels spectacular, and it also happens to look classy.
This is a high-speed bearing bar – each sleeve contains four precision German needle bearings. The stainless shaft is heat treated and aged, and the final product has a tensile strength rating in excess of 240,000 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 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 (218,000 PSI stainless steel shaft @ ~$1100) and the American Barbell SS Bearing Bar (190,000 PSI stainless steel shaft @ ~$800). The Ivanko is solid competition for the Absolute, but clearly way more expensive. The American Barbell is also a great bar, and more affordable, but there is a pretty big swing in tensile ratings that may or may not matter to you. It’ll take a rich man indeed to side-by-side compare all three of these nearly $1000 barbells, so they jury may be out for a while.
Absolute SS Oly At-a-glance
This bar is not yet available for purchse
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
Price: $899; includes shipping
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 $800 without at least considering a stainless bar.
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Professional Olympic WL Bearing Bar
You can read an independent review of the Vulcan Pro on the WL Forums here. This image credited to author of said review.
Prior to the Absolute, the Professional Olympic Bar was Vulcan’s premier, elite-level Olympic WL bar. Even with the introduction of the Absolute, the Pro is still just as much bar as it ever was. Matter of fact, you would be hard pressed to find a bar that could match the 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.
For starters, the Vulcan Pro has the most impressive tensile and yield strength of any premium Olympic bar. The tensile strength is over 240,000 PSI and the yield is over 220,000 PSI. You read that correctly – it has a yield strength higher than the tensile strength of every other Olympic bar, including Eleiko, 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
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Elite V3.0 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 a very 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 most elastic Olympic training bars you can buy – bushing or otherwise. One of the features that make this bar so popular is the dense chrome finish on the shaft – it has a rather dull and milky look to it, but it offers a feel on par with bare steel.
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. 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 V3.0 to the Rogue 28 mm Trainer, the American Barbell Performance Trainer, and the Chad Vaughn Olympic Trainer, and I think the front-runner will be obvious.
Vulcan Elite V3.0 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.
Standard Olympic Bearing Bar (commercial)
The Standard Bearing is like the American-made, industrial cross between the Training Bearing Bar and the Vulcan Pro Oly. It is manufactured to very high standards to withstand the hostility of a multi-user facilities like CrossFit boxes and Olympic training centers. In other words, it’s a commercial bar.
The Standard has a total of 5 bearings per sleeve rather than the usual 4 (presumably for extra durability), 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, but I don’t see it as a garage gym (single-user) bar. $499 is too close to something professional to not just make that leap and get a high PSI shaft, aggressive knurl, and a chrome finish. If you own a gym and want some high mileage bearing bars, sure the Standard Bearing is a contender. But if you train at home, for this kind of money I suggest paying for performance features, not industrial durability.
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: $499; 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 you multi-purpose Olympic bars that also work well in the rack for squats and presses and such. Except for the bearing version of the Standard, they are all dual IWF/IPF marked.
Aside from being more versatile, Multi-purpose/CrossFit bars are also more affordable than professional WL 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 beautifully 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 of weightlifters.
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 feel that it’s important for them to own a bearing bar rather than a simple bushing bar. Beginner’s definitely don’t need bearings, but I suppose if you’re going to insist that you do, this bar makes that affordable.
Like the One Basic, this bar used to be 28.5 mm in diameter and it was finished in black zinc. After some recent upgrades, it is now a 28 mm barbell with a hard chrome finish. The shaft is rated at 190,000 PSI, it is dual-marked with moderate knurl, has no center knurl, and spins on four needle bearings per sleeve. The one advantage this 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
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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 bar is kind of similar to the Vulcan Elite 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, no center knurl, lower tensile strength, and a bright zinc finish instead of dense chrome.
To me these differences make the 28 mm Standard more of a high-rep CrossFit/Olympic bar than a true Olympic training bar – despite the lack of dual marks – and I believe that unless one or more of the differences that I mentioned are really important to you that you lean towards the only slightly more expensive Elite. The dense chrome of the Elite feels better than zinc, the knurl is more substantial, and the high tensile strength shaft has more elasticity.
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: $320; includes shipping
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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 & box settings. It’s manufactured to very strict tolerances here in the USA to offer a high level of performance, reliability, durability, and value. It sells for a very reasonable $279, making it a pretty solid contender for gyms to buy in bulk – and I’m sure that price gets much 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 nice bar [review]. The zinc finish looks great and has shown no sign of aging in the last year+, 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 and the Bomba, but for having Oilite bushings, no black zinc, and such a high tensile strength shaft, it’s probably 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: $279; includes shipping
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One Basic Multi-Purpose Bar
The One Basic is Vulcan’s economy 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 low $200’s category. The One Basic blows away other budget CrossFit bars like the Team, Wonder, 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: $229; includes shipping
Review: here (previous generation)
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20 kg Power Bars
This final section is for the power 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.
Absolute Power Bar
From what I can tell, the new Absolute Power Bar is the highest tensile strength power bar around at 221,000 PSI. That’s higher than Eleiko’s Competition Bar, the Rogue Ohio, the Texas Power Bar, and the Okie. The 29 mm shaft is aggressively knurled and finished in black oxide, while the grooved sleeves are unfinished, bare steel. Veteran powerlifters should feel right at home with the Absolute’s configuration.
It’s a beautiful bar, but it is currently unreleased, so I will update as more information becomes available.
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: multiple bushing system
Warranty: lifetime
Price: approximately $330
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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 being a more corrosion-resistant finish creates yet another option for us when trying to find a power bar, and that’s a good thing.
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, the GZCL Method, 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
$869
$579
N/A
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
$198-$213
Tensile Strength
191,000 PSI
195,000 PSI
190,000 PSI
Shaft Finish
hard chrome
bright zinc
black zinc or 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
$899
$579
$369
$499
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
bushings
bearings
Men’s Multi-Purpose/CrossFit Bars
Standard
Training Bearing
One Basis
Price
$279-$320
$319
$229
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
Absolulte Power Bar
Elite Power Bar
Price
$330
$295
Tensile Strength
221,000 PSI
196,000 PSI
Shaft Finish
black oxide
bright zinc
Knurl Depth
very aggressive
very aggressive
Whip
none
none
Center Knurl
yes
yes
Rotation
bronze bushings
bronze bushings
Markings
IPF
dual IWF/IPF
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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
<img class="wp-image-10780 size-full" title="Vulcan light to moderate knurling (One Basic pictured)" src="http://i2.wp.com/www.garage-gyms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/light-moderate-knurl-vulcan.jpg?resize=600%2C600" alt="Vulcan light to moderate knurling (One Basic pictured)" srcset="http://i2.wp.com/www.garage-gyms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/light-moderate-knurl-vulcan.jpg?w=600 600w, http://i2.wp.com/www.garage-gyms.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/light-moderate-knurl-vulcan.jpg?res