92" Mega Olympic Ox Bar

This product is similar in structure to a normal power/Olympic bar but it is a little longer and the inner collars are farther away from each other. My normal Olympic weights fit on this bar. The big difference, of course, is the "bow" of this "gently cambered" barbell. It arrived in less than 1 week from when I ordered it and the packing material was easily removed with a box knife, but protected the bar very well during shipping. I bought this bar because I was running into issues with my left shoulder while doing low-bar squats. So I thought I would be able to use the bow bar to take some of the shear off my shoulder and get my wrists straight so they were not holding the weight of the bar. Seems to have worked very well for me. My first workout with the bow bar was nearly painless for my shoulder. I was a little worried about whether the bar would take a lot of adjusting to, but it was really no big deal. Also it fit in my power rack fine and the normal hooks hold it without problems. (I have an F430 Power Cage.) Note that the knurling is little more abrasive than I expected an the bar has a wider than normal diameter (along the section you grip). Of course if you want a wider diameter bar, that would be a plus for you.

The sleeves of this barbell are not perfectly round. Our Uesaka bumper plates couldn't fit on one side due to the shape irregularity. It is slightly oval to the naked eye. Iron Grip plates fit fine, but only because they have a much looser fit. The knurling, which is far smoother than I would have liked, lasted only a few sessions where the barbell comes in contact with the j hooks. Overall the barbell seems sturdy and would have been an above average purchase for the price, but the poor sleeve quality ruins its functionality.

Overall finish of the bar is nice, but it ends there. Half quality of a bar is in the sleeves. Ader has dropped the ball in that department. No bushings, and no bearings = hardly no spin. I've bought other bars in the $300 range that have bearings and spin beautifully. Very disappointed.

Great barbell at an outstanding price. Next to no whip, doesn't bend, solid bushings with good spin, and a slightly thicker diameter makes this bar ideal for squatting. The only complaint I have with the knurling is fairly passive (not a deal breaker, but it's quite noticeable even when compared to most generic training bars.)

Bad shoulders and old ankle wounds had me convert to low-bar shoulder squats. This bar proves excellent for that, really take the pressure off forcing my shoulders back and for all my lifts. DL. Bench pressing and Military press. It has less curve than the regional Buffalow bar but is easily adequate in my opinion.

Awesome bar.

The right bar for the job. I like to grip out wide and it really takes a lot of stress off of the shoulders. I also have a Safety Squat Bar that works great too.

So far so good. The thicker curved bar feels great on my shoulders. Hopefully this will allow this older lifter to keep training.