Speciality Gym Bars - Hex, EZ Bars & More from BLK BOX

Q: What is the difference between Olympic, powerlifting, and standard barbells?

Olympic barbells (20kg men’s, 15kg women’s) have rotating sleeves with bearings or bushings for dynamic movements like snatches and cleans. Powerlifting bars are stiffer, feature aggressive knurling, and have minimal sleeve rotation for controlled lifts like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. Standard barbells (often non-Olympic) have different sleeve sizes and are less common in professional gyms.

Q: How do I maintain and clean my barbell?

Regularly brush the knurling with a stainless steel brush , wipe down the shaft with a light coat of oil , and store your bar in a dry environment to prevent corrosion. For more information on Barbell Maintenance please read more here >>>

Q: What is the difference between a 20kg and a 15kg barbell?

The 20kg barbell is thicker (28-29mm shaft) and designed for heavier loads, while the 15kg bar has a thinner shaft (25mm) for better grip, particularly for Olympic weightlifting.

Q: Are your barbells and weight plates competition-approved?

Our Competition Bumper Plates and Power Bars meet the specifications required for competitive weightlifting and powerlifting. If you're training for competition, we recommend checking out our calibrated plates and bars.

Speciality Weights Bars

Speciality bars are great for training specific areas of the body and can help you improve certain movements. We offer a range of speciality bars including; Safety Squat Bar, Hex Bar, Swiss Bar, Open Hex Bar and a Curl Bar. Our squat bar sleeves have been lowered slightly helping stabilise your centre of gravity, giving you more control when squatting. The handles help reduce strain and relieve pressure on the wrists, compared to squatting with a traditional squat bar.

The padded shoulder pads on the squat bar offer increased comfort when squatting with heavier weights. A great bar for improving your squatting technique. Our hex bars (also known a shrug or trap bars) are great for performing movements such as deadlifts, farmers walk and shrugs. These trap bars are an extremely useful weightlifting bar for beginners, as well as athletes dealing with back issues or rehabbing from other injuries.

The BLK BOX swiss bar is great for targeting specific muscles and can be used for multiple exercise such as; overhead press, hammer curls and more. The multi grip swiss bar has numerous handles allowing you to quickly switch up your grip positions, which is great for adding variety to your training.

The BLK BOX curl bar has been designed to reduce stress on the wrists and elbows when curling. Some of the best curl bar exercises include; bicep curls, tricep extensions and more. Curling bars are great for building tricep and forearm muscles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Olympic, powerlifting, and standard barbells?

Olympic barbells (20kg men’s, 15kg women’s) have rotating sleeves with bearings or bushings for dynamic movements like snatches and cleans.
Powerlifting bars are stiffer, feature aggressive knurling, and have minimal sleeve rotation for controlled lifts like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.
Standard barbells (often non-Olympic) have different sleeve sizes and are less common in professional gyms.

How do I maintain and clean my barbell?

Regularly brush the knurling with a stainless steel brush, wipe down the shaft with a light coat of oil, and store your bar in a dry environment to prevent corrosion.

For more information on Barbell Maintenance please read more here>>>

What is the difference between a 20kg and a 15kg barbell?

The 20kg barbell is thicker (28-29mm shaft) and designed for heavier loads, while the 15kg bar has a thinner shaft (25mm) for better grip, particularly for Olympic weightlifting.

Are your barbells and weight plates competition-approved?

Our Competition Bumper Plates and Power Bars meet the specifications required for competitive weightlifting and powerlifting. If you're training for competition, we recommend checking out our calibrated plates and bars.

Do your bars and plates come with a warranty?

Yes. All BLK BOX branded equipment is covered by a limited 12-month warranty.