Intro to the OPB
I purchased this bar a month in the past and have been utilizing it solely since.
For those who’ve carried out any informal searching for energy bars, you recognize about this one. Ever because the Ohio Power Bar – now known as merely the OPB – appeared in 2014 it’s been the favourite of numerous lifters and is Rogue’s flagship energy bar. Regardless of that, I had by no means given it a attempt.
An influence bar like this has all of the little options designed for powerlifting actions: squat, bench press, and deadlift, plus any accent workouts. Not a lot any of the lifts involving grip transitions, entrance squatting, or high-rep Crossfit exercises.
As an alternative of the traditional black zinc or newer e-coat, I opted for no coating, ie: naked metal. Extra on that under.
Unpacking
The plastic finish caps on bar transport tubes notoriously get knocked out from the pressure of a 45lb bar slamming in opposition to it in transit, letting the bar slide out and get marked up. These heavy gunned-in staples on Rogue’s tube held the steel finish caps securely. Nothing was going to maneuver. The tube was thick too. It took me a while to pry these staples out to interrupt my means in.
Contained in the tube, Rogue protects the entire bar in a heavy plastic sheath. I haven’t run into some other firm that does that. Most have the bars sitting proper contained in the tube with no additional safety.
After unpacking, I regarded the bar over good, and I discovered no notable defects. Assuming that is typical, it explains one motive folks purchase Rogue. I’ve acquired just a few scratched up bars of different manufacturers, even ones that seem to haven’t damaged out of the tube. The standard management right here is good.
Knurl and Really feel
While you casually seize this energy bar to really feel out the knurl, you’d assume it’s really fairly average, if a bit of sticky. No. It’s important to load it up and really feel that knurl dig into your pores and skin below load, significantly one thing heavy sufficient like deadlifts. It seems I wouldn’t need something extra aggressive than this. It’s excellent.
That is what is called a volcano knurl pattern, with the concavity in every peak between the cuts. With this being an influence bar, Rogue minimize this volcano knurl fairly deep, for a really feel on the aggressive finish of the spectrum as volcano knurl goes. Practically all of Rogue’s different bars even have the volcano sample of knurl however not as aggressive.
As a consequence of many causes, folks like totally different ranges of knurl, from totally different coaching sorts to pores and skin thicknesses and no matter else. I put one in every of my little skinny microfiber cloths over the middle knurl to guard the entrance of my neck from the knurl. For again squats and each different train I do, I feel it’s improbable. Not the bar to be doing cleans with, with that middle knurl that’s simply as critical as the remainder of the bar.
For those who’ve by no means used an influence bar with aggressive knurl, you’ll be shocked how significantly better this type of knurl feels for bench presses than passive knurl. It isn’t only for heavy squats and deadlifts. It sticks to your fingers whenever you do presses in a safe feeling means, whereas passive knurl is liable to slipping sufficient to make you grip it more durable, limiting your effectivity and skill to press extra weight.
For these of you who’re loopy, Rogue goes additional with their Ohio Power Bar AGGRO.
The “normal knurl” above is the common OPB that I’ve. The center has deeper cuts that end in taller volcano peaks. Then lastly a mountain peak knurl that’s decidedly sharp.
Naked Metal vs Coated
So far as the shaft coating, I needed a great grip. Naked metal is at all times going to have essentially the most aggressive and efficient knurl in comparison with any coatings. Chrome, zinc, e-coat and Cerakote all fill within the knurl to some extent, making it really feel extra slippery. Whereas this is usually a good or unhealthy factor, relying on what you need, personally I needed the complete impact of the knurl, and naked metal is simply cool.
Black oxide is so skinny that it arguably doesn’t fill within the knurl, however it’s additionally so skinny that its corrosion safety is proscribed and also you’ll see it begin disappearing out of your bar with common abrasion simply out of your fingers and physique, leaving you with areas of uncovered naked metal.
I don’t dwell within the form of humid local weather the place metal is liable to rust, and the bar is sitting security in my again room gymnasium as an alternative of a storage. In one other scenario it might make sense to pony up for the stainless-steel model with its higher corrosion resistance and similar really feel because the naked carbon metal of this one.
Sleeve Building
The sleeves spin nice, higher than another bars I’ve used with bushing sleeves.
There’s a small quantity of up-down and in-out play on the sleeves. For those who’re going to be dropping it and also you’re involved concerning the banging steel noise that occurs partly because of the metal-on-metal contact of brass bushings like this, I’d counsel getting one other bar, one thing with the quieter composite bushings.
I want producers would cease placing these grooves on all their bar sleeves, that are put there to assist maintain plates and collars safer however do make a racket whenever you slide iron plates on. I discovered that the particular form of bar I needed was inconceivable to seek out with easy sleeves, and I had to surrender that requirement and hope for one of the best. I discover it to be a sufficiently small annoyance that I’ll dwell with it.
The top cap is secured with a single heavy-duty snap ring.
Upkeep on a Naked Metal Bar
That is what I used instantly upon receiving the bar to scrub and defend it.
For any/all of those wiping steps, you want these skinny, easy microfiber cloths that you’d use to wipe glasses, a pc display screen, or digicam lens. Some other kind, from cotton to any thicker microfiber, is begging to depart horrible items of itself all around the knurl, particularly on this bar. Even such a material can go away some lint, the way in which the knurl actually pulls at it, however it’s pretty much as good because it will get.
First, wipe it down good with a material to do away with mud and to evaluate how a lot oil is on it.
If it seems to be oily, get that manufacturing facility oil off. It’s too soiled. Wipe it with a moist material soaked in a lightweight answer of soapy water, being cautious to not get any water below the sleeves, then dry with one other material. My OPB was pretty clear, with the great means Rogue packages it, so I didn’t have to do that.
Subsequent, get mineral oil or 3-in-One Oil on the second material and wipe it all around the bar shaft and sleeves. The sleeves on this bar are naked metal too. Go away the oil on for an hour or so (I don’t understand how lengthy, actually) to let it penetrate into each crevice, after which wipe it down good with a dry material till you don’t really feel an oily residue. Sufficient oil will probably be left on it to guard it.
Lastly, brush the knurl with a stiff bristle nylon brush to do away with any lint. A brass brush is ok too. Brass gained’t scratch naked metal.
This and different issues are detailed in my barbell maintenance guide.
