Pick the perfect bar for you

BEST BARS FOR FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

A bar for functional fitness endures a workhorse lifestyle, and as such has very special requirements. It needs to be strong enough to be dropped multiple times, but not too stiff that it has no whip during Olympic lifts. It needs to have a good spin to ensure there are low levels of stress going through the athlete’s wrists or elbows during those same Olympic movements, but not spin so quickly that it is unstable in compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. A strong knurl is also needed to ensure a good grip, but not so rough it quickly damages the hands or neck after a high volume of reps. See below for the bars we recommend for functional fitness athletes:

BLK BOX BAR

The BLK BOX Bar has been created with functional fitness in mind. Designed to last, its 200 kPSI shaft is one of the most durable of the BLK BOX offering. Despite this, it maintains a good whip during Olympic lifts, and the eight needle bearings offer a very smooth spin under heavy loads. No centre knurl ensures reduced grazes to the neck when lifting, and the dual knurl marks ensure consistent hand placement when performing powerlifting or weightlifting exercises. This medium 1.2 knurl also ensures good grip without being too cutting.

THE HYBRID BAR

A high-performance bar in your style, the Hybrid Bar is available in six colour options. This WOD proof bar has a lower tensile strength, but as a result, has a great whip. Its four needle bearings ensure a smooth spin, and a harsher knurl gives greater grip throughout a workout. Available in both 20kg and 15kg formats, the Hybrid Bar is similar to the other bars in this category in that it has no centre knurl and dual knurl markings.

THE BELFAST BAR

With over a hundred thousand sold, the Belfast Bar is a bar that has withstood the abuse of CrossFit boxes, independent gyms and other facilities for over half-a-decade. Its 190 kPSI shaft offers great whip and durability, and its soft knurl ensures limited damage to the hands no matter how many reps. Tried and tested, the Belfast Bar is a well-loved favourite of hundreds of thousands of athletes across the globe and is available in both 15kg and 20kg editions.

SUMMARY TABLE

	BLK BOX BAR	HYBRID BAR	BELFAST BAR
PRICE	£300	£275	£250
WEIGHT	20kg	20kg or 15kg	20kg or 15kg
WHIP	Good	Great	Great
STABILITY	Great	Good	Good
TENSILE STRENGTH	200 kPSI	190 kPSI	190 kPSI
SPIN	Great	Good	Good
BEARING/BUSHING	8 needle bearings + bronze bushings	4 needle bearings + bronze bushings	4 needle bearings + bronze bushings
GRIP DIAMETER	28 mm	28 mm or 25 mm	28 mm or 25 mm
KNURL	Medium 1.2 Diamond	Harsh 1.2 Diamond	Soft 1.0 Diamond
CENTRE KNURL	No	No	No
KNURL MARKS	Dual (IPF & IWF)	Dual (IPF & IWF)	Dual (IPF & IWF)

BEST BARS FOR WEIGHTLIFTING

BLK BOX OLY BAR

Designed and optimised for heavy lifts and one-rep-maxes, the BLK BOX Oly Bar ticks all the boxes of a competitive weightlifter. The bar is designed to the high standards of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) and is constructed from springy, high-tensile steel. The Bars 200 kPSI shaft can withstand the forces generated under the load of heavy lifts and is complemented by its great whip. Ten needle bearings ensure it has the smoothest spin under load than any other BLK BOX Bar and its single knurl marks, and centre knurl are to IWF standards.

	OLY BAR
PRICE	£390
WEIGHT	20kg
WHIP	Great
STABILITY	Good
TENSILE STRENGTH	200 kPSI
SPIN	Great
BEARING/BUSHING	10 needle bearings + bronze bushings
GRIP DIAMETER	28 mm
KNURL	Medium 1.2 Diamond
CENTRE KNURL	Yes
KNURL MARKS	IWF

BEST BARS FOR POWERLIFTING

BLK BOX POWER BAR

Powerlifting calls for a different beast of a bar. 210 kPSI steel coupled with a 29 mm diameter, the BLK BOX Power Bar is the strongest barbell BLK BOX has ever sold. Bearings are replaced by bushings for a further increase of stability, and a harsh 1.5 volcano knurl ensures maximum grip, removing it as a limiting factor in your lift. Meeting the specifications of the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), it features powerlifting knurl marks for consistent hand placement during workouts. The addition of a centre knurl ensures greater grip during squats, and its thinner flange increases the loading area of the sleeve. This means athletes can fit a greater volume of plates onto the Power Bar than any other in the BLK BOX stable.

	POWER BAR
PRICE	£370
WEIGHT	20kg
WHIP	Poor
STABILITY	Great
TENSILE STRENGTH	210 kPSI
SPIN	Poor
BEARING/BUSHING	Bronze bushings
GRIP DIAMETER	29 mm
KNURL	Harsh 1.5 Volcano
CENTRE KNURL	Yes
KNURL MARKS	IPF

BEST BARS FOR BEGINNERS

BLK BOX UTILITY BAR

The BLK BOX Utility Bar is the affordable entry-level barbell of choice for thousands of athletes of various abilities and experience A true all-rounder, it has dual IPF and IWF knurl marks, meaning athletes can learn and then keep consistent hand placement for both weightlifting and powerlifting movements. Its two roller bearings and usage of bronze bushings give it a comfortable spin without compromising on stability, and its softer knurl is not harsh on athletes new to barbell training. Available in both 15kg and 20kg, the BLK BOX Utility Bar also offers a soft centre knurl, to give athletes increased grip in back-based movements such as squats and lunges.

	UTILITY BAR
PRICE	£135
WEIGHT	20kg or 15kg
WHIP	Okay
STABILITY	Good
TENSILE STRENGTH	180 kPSI
SPIN	Okay
BEARING/BUSHING	2 roller bearings + bronze bushings
GRIP DIAMETER	28 mm or 25 mm
KNURL	Soft 1.2 Diamond
CENTRE KNURL	Yes
KNURL MARKS	Dual (IPF & IWF)

Shop our full range of barbells

TERMS (GLOSSARY)

TENSILE STRENGTH

The tensile strength of a bar is the amount of pressure that can be applied to a bar before it bends beyond repair. A bar with a higher tensile strength will perform for longer under large loads and is more durable to the stress of being dropped while loaded with weight. However, if the bar's tensile strength is too high, the bar will not bend at all. Not only does this not allow the occurrence of the whip, but if too high the bar could break. A barbell's tensile strength should lie between 170 kPSI and 220 kPSI, depending on the type of training it is being used for.

WHIP

Whip is the phenomenon where a barbell will seem to bend during an Olympic lift, and then snap back into its straight position. Usually occurring at loads above 80kg, it is a highly desirable characteristic of a bar when performing Olympic lifts. The whip allows the athlete to introduce momentum into the bar that is caused by the bar itself, and not by them. A lifter can use the whip of the bar to help propel the weight upwards, adding incremental gains to their lifts. With this built-in instability, whip is not a desirable characteristic for compound movements such as powerlifting lifts, which require greater control and stability. Whip is linked to the bar's tensile strength, length and diameter, too high or too low on any of these can reduce it.

SPIN

Barbells include either bearings or bushings to allow the plates to spin independent of the bar, and is essential for Olympic weightlifting movements, and highly desirable for most other lifts as well. If the sleeves did not rotate, an athlete would not be able to rotate the bar as they performed their lift, inducing a high amount of stress on the athlete’s wrists and elbows. A faster and smoother spin can be achieved with the addition of bearings; however, this increased spin will remove some control in the bar. A balance is required, and different bars use a differing number of bearings and bushings, with bars designed for weightlifting using a higher number than those designed for powerlifting.

KNURL

A bar knurl is the crosshatch pattern on the shaft of the barbell that increases the amount of grip an athlete has, by increasing the friction between their hand and the bar. A barbell's knurl is often described by its depth, shape and general sharpness. Usually, between 1mm and 1.5mm deep, a deeper knurl will feel rougher on the hands and induce more grip. A knurls shape has an impact too, with a volcano shape giving a sharper edge than a diamond shape, again increasing grip. Finally, a knurl can often be described as either soft, medium, or harsh, and is determined by its depth and shape. A harsher knurl gives an athlete a stronger grip but will wear away the skin on their hands much quicker. Whereas a softer knurl is more desirable for high rep ranges and heavy use, but won’t be as grippy.

KNURL MARKS AND CENTRE KNURL

Knurl marks are areas within the knurl that are left smooth. These small strips indicate where an athlete should be placing their hands for certain movements and allow athletes to keep consistent hand placement when returning to an exercise. Some barbells have knurling in the middle of the shaft, known as a centre knurl. This centre knurl is used to increase grip on the neck or upper back during movements such as squats and lunges, and is less desirable during functional fitness, where a high number of reps of Olympic movements can lead to grazing on the athlete’s neck.