The Original ATX Ram Bar

ATX produce so many great bars, and at exceptional prices, the difficulty is choosing the one for you. The truth is that you'll be happy with any of them, but the bar's features make them better-suited to certain ways/ types of training than others. In short, the Ram Bar is an out-and-out powerlifting bar with deep knurling and black oxide shaft. The Power Bars are for those predominantly performing static lifts - powerlifting and bodybuilding gyms - but suitable as multi-use bars. The Power Bearing Bar is a bit more of a hybrid and probably the bar of choice for an all-round trainer - traditional olympic lifts alongside static lifts. The Bulls Bearing Bar is leaning more toward your weightlifter, but does also features dual-ring markings, so an ideal CrossFit bar, too.

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.