Bastard Power Bar With Nickel Plated Shaft

Squats, bench press and deadlifts, that's exactly what this barbell was designed for. With a 29cm shaft diameter and a medium sharp knurling, this bar sits comfortable in your hands and on your shoulders for squats. For quick orientation for your set up, the Bastard Power Bar has the 81cm grip marking common for powerlifting. The sleeve diameter is 50cm and is slightly grooved for a better fit of the plates on the barbell. Made from super sturdy high quality steel and fitted with bronze bushings, the Bastard Power Bar is very durable. Since the bar is relatively stiff, we would recommend using primarily static lifts. SPECS Weight: 20kg Total length: 220cm Loadable sleeve length: 415mm Centre knurling: yes Grip markings: 81cm | Powerlifting Shaft diameter: 29mm Shaft material: nickel plated alloy steel Plating: nickel-phosphorus Shaft length: 131cm Sleeve diameter: 50cm Sleeve type: Bronze bushings Knurling type: medium 205K PSI tensile strength

Buying guide

Best Barbell for Your Home Gym — July 2026

What is a Barbell?

What a barbell is

The barbell is the center of a strength gym — the bar you squat, press, deadlift, and clean with. A men’s Olympic bar is 20 kg (44 lb) and 7.2 ft long (15 kg / 6.5 ft for women). The specs that matter: knurl (the grip texture — aggressive for pulls, milder for high-rep work), shaft diameter (28–29 mm for barbell lifts), sleeve rotation (bushings are fine for slow lifts; bearings spin fast for the Olympic lifts), tensile strength (~190k+ PSI resists bending), and coating (bare steel grips best but rusts; stainless and Cerakote trade grip for corrosion resistance).

Which one to buy

For general lifting, a multipurpose bar (28–28.5mm shaft, dual knurl marks, no center knurl) does squats, bench, deadlifts, and the occasional clean off one bar — this is the right first barbell for most home gyms. Choose a dedicated power bar (29mm, stiffer, aggressive center-knurl grip) only once you know you’re training squat/bench/deadlift specifically and want the stiffest, grippiest tool for that job. A dedicated Olympic weightlifting bar (needle bearings, more whip) is worth it only if you clean, snatch, or jerk regularly.

Beyond your main bar, specialty bars solve specific problems rather than replacing it: a safety squat bar shifts load off sore shoulders, a trap/hex bar takes stress off a cranky lower back on pulls, and a curl bar’s camber reduces wrist strain on isolation work. Add them once you know which problem you actually have.