Reviews

Some people say "weight is weight," but I kinda disagree. Sure, the point in all this lifting stuff is to load up weight and lift it repeatedly, and you can certainly get strong regardless... But not all weight is created equal. There are, among others, different sizes, different materials, different bounces, and different weight tolerances. All of these variables have an impact to...

Squats, and bench, and deadlifts, oh my! Whether you're a competitive powerlifter, an aspiring powerlifter, or just someone who wants to build total body strength centered around the main three lifts, having the right equipment is paramount if you want to make real progress. A great way to do that? Build a powerlifting gym at home. The problem that arises for powerlifting-minded people...

Picking a power rack... it's overwhelming, right? There are just a ton of options out there, which I elaborate on in The Ultimate Guide to Building a Powerlifting Home Gym. When I was first in the market for a rack, I did an exhaustive amount of research trying to find the perfect balance between price, performance, and footprint. I got googly-eyed looking at...

True of False: The Rogue Ohio Power Bar is the best value power bar currently on the market. While there are some really nice power bars being introduced, some of which provide excellent value, it's hard to argue that the Rogue Ohio Power Bar doesn't at least belong in the conversation. It's well made, it has great specs, it looks awesome,...

You can officially add Vulcan to the stainless steel power bar club, joining companies like American Barbell, Rogue Fitness, Ivanko, and Rep Fitness, among others. And boy did they enter with a bang. Their recent release of the stainless steel power bar attracted quite a lot of attention, and rightfully so. This bar has some unique qualities that the majority of...

If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of specialty bars. The very first specialty bar I purchased was a football bar so I could give my shoulders a break from straight bar work and so I could also add some variety to my training. There are a lot of good options out there when it comes to picking a football/swiss...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Rep Fitness is making the best benches out there. The quality is top-notch and the prices are great, making them practically unbeatable in terms of value. In the past year, they released and refined their FB-5000 flat bench, which I positively reviewed here. In my opinion, that flat bench is easily the best...

Fringe Sport is beginning to really make a push into the barbell scene with more specificity in terms of lifting styles. They've recently launched the weightlifting bar, the hybrid bar, and the power bar, and they are doing so at very reasonable prices. In this review, I'll be taking a look at the weightlifting bar, which comes in at under...

Looking for some new competition bumper plates? Don’t want to pay typical competition bumper plate prices? Fringe Sport just may be the answer. Over the last couple of years, particularly the last 12 months or so, Fringe Sport has been introducing some nice products at great prices. From specific-purpose barbells like their weightlifting bar and power bar (reviews here and here) to these...

You know that feeling you get when you realize that you just discovered the best ______ (insert thing) you've ever had/used/tasted/etc...? Feels pretty cool, right? For me, I knew: That my wife was the greatest woman I had ever met when she showed up to take me to the airport after a couple days of knowing me with a bag of...