Rogue Ohio Bar – Black Zinc

Rogue Ohio Bar – Black Zinc

The Rogue Ohio Bar is one of the most popular multipurpose bars on the market and it comes in multiple variations. This particular version uses a black zinc shaft and bright zinc sleeves.

Equipped with a 28.5mm shaft, dual knurl marks, and bronze bushings, the Black Zinc Ohio Bar is built for a variety of lifts, ranging from Olympic lifts to power lifts.

Here are some further details about the bar:

Knurling

The knurling on the Ohio Bar naturally has a medium-depth, low-surface profile. This creates a balanced-feel that works well across the entire lift spectrum, but especially for higher rep & volume ranges. It’s not going to offer much of a bite, so on heavier lifts, chalk or straps may be needed. Most users report very favorably on the knurl pattern, although some find it to be too mild with the black zinc.

With black zinc being an applied coating, it will tend to fill in some of the knurl depth. Compared to a bar with no coating (stainless, bar steel, etc..) or a conversion coating (black oxide, etc..), Black Zinc will make the bar feel slightly less aggressive.

The Ohio Bar does not come with center knurl, which makes it comfortable in a variety of positions. On the other hand, it won’t provide any tactile feel when performing a back squat, for instance. Dual knurl marks indicate that this is a true multi-purpose bar.

Shaft

This bar has a 28.5mm shaft, which is a very common diameter for a multi-purpose bar. This creates a shaft that isn’t too rigid and also not too whippy, making it a good hybrid between powerlifting and weightlifting. The Ohio Bar offers a 190,000 PSI tensile strength, putting it right in the wheelhouse for a multi-purpose bar.

The black zinc shaft will provide a good-not-great feel and you’ll get the same when it comes to resistance to oxidation.

Sleeves

The sleeves on the Black Zinc Ohio Bar are grooved and they’re finished in bright zinc. Bright zinc is a fairly common sleeve finish since it’s cost effective and it’s overall a pretty durable finish. The benefit of grooved sleeves is that they tend to keep plates in place better than smooth sleeves if/when you’re not using collars. The downside is that they make a loud zip noise in comparison when sliding plates on and off.

The sleeves rotate using bronze bushings, which differs slightly from the composite bushings on the Cerakote and Stainless Steel versions of the Ohio Bar. Still, this bar will offer a smooth and steady spin.

Aesthetics

Aesthetically, the Black Zinc Ohio Bar will look very nice early on in its life. As time goes by, however, black zinc has a tendency to lose some of its finish. It’s a good idea to oil this bar from time-to-time with 3-in-1 oil or similar, especially if you train in a humid environment. This will help keep the bar looking good for longer.

Bright zinc sleeves are nice-looking but, again, you should use oil on occasion to limit the onset of oxidation.

The end caps on the Ohio Bar are classic, and I think they’re one of the best in the game. The outline of Ohio with “R” in the center is a refined look, and it pops on the red background.

Features & Highlights

• Black Zinc – Black Zinc is a cost efficient plating that does an OK job at fighting off rust. You won’t get the same feel as you would with a non-plated finish like bare steel, stainless steel, etc… but you get a good blend of feel and rust resistance without the larger price tag.
• 28.5mm Shaft – The 28.5mm shaft on the Rogue Black Zinc Ohio Bar is comfortable in the hands and provides a nice balance between rigid and whippy, making it ideal for a variety of lifts.
• Grooved Sleeves – The grooved sleeves will tend to keep the plates on the bar better than a smooth sleeve when not using collars, but they will also be louder.
• No Center Knurl – The Rogue Black Zinc Ohio Bar does not offer a center knurl, which is useful on high rep training sessions and/or in cases where a lifter wants a more comfortable bar.
• American Made – This bar is 100% made in America.

What They’re Saying at Roguefitness.com

The Rogue Black Zinc Ohio Bar receives very positive feedback from users. With an average rating of 4.9/5, here are some of the things they have said at roguefitness.com:

Positive

• “Looks and feels great. Solid, durable, and well balanced. Highly recommended.”
• “I bought the Black Zinc barbell from Rogue fitness and I absolutely love it. It’s the best barbell I’ve ever used.”
• “Good quality bar, great price. The knurling is aggressive enough to maintain a good grip, but it doesn’t tear you up. The black zinc looks good.”
• “This bar is tremendous. The knurling is perfect as I feel like I can grip just fine without shredding my hands. The bar just feels great across a variety of barbell movement, I would definitely recommend this bar.”
• “Love the bar. Great spin. Great construction. Perfect for OLY lifting. Highly recommend….O – H – I – O”
• “I’ve been doing CrossFit and Olympic Lifting for 2 years now, and just using the bars at my gym, which has an array of Rogue bars. I figured it was time to invest in my own, and the Ohio Bar, was worth the investment. The grip is impeccable, the thickness of the bar is just right, and the spin is perfect for squat cleans, snatches and a variety of movements. I would highly recommend investing in a barbell.”

Critical

• “I bought this during the pandemic and wish I would have bought a stainless version with center knurling. The black zinc scratches easily but looks great. No center knurling makes squats a little more dangerous.”
• “The black finish has already started to wear, revealing the silver underneath. It’s a shame, but of course not a big deal.”

Garage Gym Lab Review

The Rogue Ohio Bar was a winner in the Garage Gym Lab 2022 Best Barbell Awards.

Other Options

The below barbells were picked as alternatives to the Rogue Black Zinc Ohio Bar.