CAP Barbell “The Boss” Olympic Bar

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) I have been using the Olympic 7-Foot Barbell for the past three months, and I am incredibly pleased with its performance and quality. This barbell has become an integral part of my fitness routine, and here's why I believe it deserves a glowing review: Knurling: The knurling on this barbell is outstanding. It strikes the perfect balance between providing a secure grip without being overly aggressive. Whether I'm performing heavy deadlifts or precision snatches, the knurling ensures I have a confident hold on the bar throughout my lifts. It has truly enhanced my lifting experience and prevented any slips or discomfort during intense workouts. Weight: The weight of this Olympic barbell is spot on. At 7 feet long and standard weight, it feels substantial and substantial in my hands. The 20 kg (44 lbs) barbell provides the right amount of resistance for my strength training, and I appreciate the consistent weight distribution along the entire length of the bar. Build Quality: The build quality of this Olympic barbell is exceptional. It feels robust, durable, and capable of handling heavy loads without any sign of bending or warping. The sleeves spin smoothly, allowing for fluid movements during exercises like cleans and snatches. I have complete confidence in its durability, making it a reliable piece of equipment for my long-term fitness goals. Price: Considering the top-notch quality and performance of this Olympic barbell, the price is incredibly reasonable. While it may seem like a significant investment initially, the barbell's construction and long-lasting nature make it a valuable addition to any home or commercial gym. I believe it offers excellent value for the price paid. Versatility: This Olympic barbell's versatility is worth mentioning as well. It accommodates various weight plates, making it suitable for a wide range of exercises. Whether I'm doing squats, bench presses, deadlifts, or Olympic lifts, this barbell proves to be a reliable and versatile companion. Maintenance: After three months of regular use, the barbell's appearance and functionality have remained intact. Proper maintenance, such as wiping it down after use and storing it appropriately, has helped preserve its appearance and performance. In conclusion, the Olympic 7-Foot Barbell has exceeded my expectations in every aspect. The exceptional knurling, appropriate weight, impressive build quality, and reasonable price make it a top-tier product in the world of barbells. It has undoubtedly enhanced my strength training experience and allowed me to progress in my fitness journey. I highly recommend this barbell to fitness enthusiasts and athletes of all levels who are seeking a reliable and high-performance Olympic barbell for their workouts.

Amazing barbell for the price range; good knurling, smooth sleeve rotation, and overall great feel during heavy compound movements (squats, DLs, ohp, bench, rows). Overall I expect to use this bar for many years of lifting. Would definitely buy another one if the need arises.

I bought this bar in 2015. Wanted a bar that had a unique look and the black bar and steel sleeves looks great with my black rack (see pic #1). I also wanted a strong bar (1,000 lb. capacity), even though my max weight has been 350 lbs, I did not want any excessive bar issues that I read about with lessor bars. I did add white paint (see pic #2) on the center and hand position rings so I could see them better and they also added to the look of the bar. Although I have missed a few workouts due to working out of town over the years, I love this bar. My base workout is the standard 5 X 5 and this bar works great for all sets. The knurling is just right and does not hurt my hands. Nor does it have any slivers. The sleeves spin easily and have grooves on them that help keep the weights in place (see pic #3). Let me be clear, if you are looking for a great bar at a great price, this is your bar.

This is awesome, exactly what I was looking for.

I’ve been using a Texas Power Bar (TBP) in my home gym ever since I set it up over a decade ago. It still works great and has not bent at all. However, the knurling is worn down, probably mainly due to putting Power Hooks on it. As a result, I was having a hard time holding onto it for deadlifts. That was affecting all of my deadlift training, as I was concentrating so much on holding my grip that I wasn’t focusing on the pull itself. As such, I began looking for a new power bar. My main concern was that it had good knurling for deadlifts. But I would probably also use it for squats and maybe bench workouts, so it needed to have center knurling. After some searching, I found this Heavy Duty Power Bar. Reading the specs and reviews, it sounded like it was just what I wanted: aggressive knurling, including center knurling, and at a reasonable price. But there was one aspect of the specs that had me a little concerned, which requires a bit of explanation. My TBP has a 28.5 mm diameter. Most powerlifting federation rulebooks indicate that a regular power bar at a contest must have a diameter of 28-29 mm, so my TBP was within that requirement. However, feds that allow specialty bars for squats and deadlifts say the squat bar can be up to 35 mm, while the deadlift bar can be as thin as 27 mm. But I would I say the squat bars I have used at contests have probably only been about 32 mm. But even that amount of difference can be noticed. Meanwhile, this Heavy Duty Bar has a diameter of 30 mm. That would make it closer in diameter to the squat bar I would probably be using at contests and thus better prepare me for doing so. But it would also make it significantly thicker than the deadlift bar. But still, with the aggressive knurling, I thought I would not have a problem holding onto it for deadlifts, so I ordered it. When it came, I can say it looked like a very nice bar, perfectly straight, with aggressive and center knurling. But when I laid my TPB beside it, I noticed a difference in the lengths of the knurling and smooth parts. The knurling on this bar extends a little more inward and the center knurling was a little longer, thus making the smooth part shorter. I first used this bar for squats, and it felt great. It stuck to my back with no slippage, and the thicker bar just felt better on my back. I thus knew I would always use this bar for squats. Then I did a bench workout with it, and it worked very well. The extra thickness was noticeable, but it felt good in my hands, and I had no problems with my hands slipping. But it did have a minor problem. With bar being black, and with me lying on the bench with the light over my power rack shinning downward, I was looking at the dark side of the bar. As a result, I could not see where the knurling ended and the smooth part began. I thus had to feel my way to get my grip. But I fixed that by putting a chalk circle around the ends of the knurling, so I could see better where it ended. But then I used this Heavy Duty Bar for deadlifts, and with them, I ran into problems. First, part of the reason the bar did not slip on squats and benches is there is a “tackiness” to the entire bar, both on the knurling and on the smooth part of the bar. That is great for squats and benches, but it made the bar “stick” when it hit my thighs on deadlifts. And the extra thickness did make for a problem with holding onto the bar. I tried it for a couple of deadlift workouts, but it made the lift too difficult, so in my third workout, I switch from the Heavy Duty Bar to my TBP after my warmups. I dealt with the difficulty of the worn-down knurling by chalking not just my hands but also the bar before every work set. With doing that, I have been having no problems holding onto the bar. But I still would like to get a better bar for deadlifts. If I can save up the money, I will probably get a specialty deadlift bar, while I will continue to use this Heavy Duty bar for squats and benches. Thus my recommendation would be to get this bar for squats and maybe for benches, but if you need a bar for deadlifts, look elsewhere.

I want to start with the cons because there aren't many. Actually, I have only one so far. A few other reviewers have mentioned that the packaging is insufficient. I completely agree. I don't know what all happened during shipment but the packaging looked like it had been rolled over by a tank. On the plus side, the bar survived completely undamaged. (To be completely fair, I received a cambered squat bar and a 60-pound slam ball in the same condition.) Now for the pros. This is a solid, beefy bar. It feels exactly like the ones in the gym. The sleeves turn freely but don't spin on their own. I don't know how other reviewers got a 4-second spin. Mine don't turn a full revolution. BUT...they do turn quite well with weights. I used a heavy band and a 45# plate to do some wrist rollers, and the sleeve was very smooth. The knurling is exactly right for me, just a little on the too rough side. It makes the bar very easy to grip. I don't use straps or chalk and the grip is amazing. I like the fact that it isn't knurled in the center. I didn't get a "squat rash" on the back of my neck. I don't usually pay much attention to how things look as long as they work. And appearances should be the last thing you care about when buying an Olympic bar but I have to admit that the black anodized center and the polished steel sleeves give it a garage gym vibe. "The Beast" is a great name for it. I haven't had any problems with metal splinters but it's only the first day. I'll write another review if anything changes. So far, I am very happy with the purchase.

After buying it Monday morning, it got here 24 hours later as I literally just received the bar about an hour ago and straight to the point it is more than I expected. This is NOT a toy, as in the quality of it. I'm not exactly new to weightlifting, though this is the first time that I will have owned my own bar, will be doing anything serious with weights and at age 30. I actually plan to do powerlifting and follow one of the two main programs available for new lifters. That said you all can take my thoughts for what they're worth but they are pretty much the same as other recent reviewers. *First off a tip to future buyers before my review: PAY FOR 1 DAY SHIPPING IF YOU CAN!* I know we want to keep it as budget friendly as possible BUT I say this because of all the comments about the bar coming with slight damage to the sleeve on one side of the bar. The less time it's in transit, the less amount it's handled and hopefully the less chance there is for damage or extreme damage to the sleeves. That said and I won't withhold it, my bar did come with a very very very small chip on one of the sleeves as it had busted through the taped end. This is in NO way "Ed Fex's" fault, it is however the fault of Amazon or who ever tapes up the tubes before they ship out. Absolutely, without a doubt UNCALLED for with the way these bars are being shipped out! The tube is excellent for shipping them but they literally just put a few pieces of tape at one end, with a plastic cap at the other and expect a 45lb barbell to be shipped without the possibility of it breaking through! As they say, common sense doesn't seem to be so common these days! FFS use your head Amazon, come on! That goes for other companies that sell bars too! As for the barbell: For at least 2 months I was trying to decide on which budget bar to go with. The OB-86B, OB-86PB or a "beater bar" from another company. I also thought about going with one of that companies mid priced bars just to be on the safe side which would have been close to $300 and really was out of my budget. After talking with a few people, seeing and especially hearing the quality of the Beater Bar when dropped on a YT video and from the constant positive feedback from this bar I finally pulled the trigger and couldn't be happier, even with the extremely small chip on the edge of the sleeve which I quite frankly sort of expected to happen anyway. The bar is a beautiful piece of metal. The whole thing is machined extremely well for only being the price they are asking for it. The polished sleeves are flawless with the ridges on them, the oxide finish on the bar is very cool feeling. Feels like it provides a lot of protection from the elements and from rust and it also feels like it would grip well for squats seeing as it doesn't have a center knurl on it and feel great for deadlifts. Some quick points: 1.) The bar weighs in at 45.2 lbs. Weighed it twice on an electric scale and I trust it a lot. The .2 is probably from the grease in the sleeves lol. Also measurements are 86" long, 51.5" between the sleeves and the bar is 28.8mm. 2.) The bar is extremely straight. I rolled it back and forth to test for straightness and both the sleeves and bar are perfectly round and straight as an arrow. 3.) The spin of the sleeves seems very nice. I only spun them by hand without plates but I heard no odd noises or clunking, there is VERY little play or slack, both C clips are in place at the end, centered and feels solid. Obviously it's not like a bearing bar I'm sure but I can feel how freely the bar spins when doing a simulated clean (with no weight plates) and I feel no play in the sleeves when doing the lift. Compared to the clank like rattle from the beater bar that I heard and comparing the quality from pictures of both, this bar destroys that bar in terms of quality. The other is just a thicker bar with pinned sleeves. Simple, cheap design and way way over priced IMO. This bar would be an awesome bar for a beginner in olympic lifts if they can handle a 20kg or 45lb bar. 4.) The knurl. It is flawless from one end to the other. None of the cuts are odd or off looking and the markings for hand placement are perfect too. Compared to the cheap chrome curling or oly bars you get at big box stores, I immediately felt the difference when I grabbed onto it pulling it out of the cardboard tube. Just an awesome feeling. IMO of course and with non calloused hands, I feel like it's a perfect medium between extreme knurl on powerbars that I've seen and pretty much non knurl cheap chrome bars. Paired up with the great feeling oxide coating and it makes it a beast of a budget bar! 5.) The oil. Not excessive but there is a good amount on there, sleeves and bar both. Which is great but probably not needed as it's not a bare metal bar. Nice thought to do it but just a tad too much. I wiped it down real quick and that helped take some of it off. So I think that's it. Not bad for a first time owner of a barbell right lol? Long review I know but I couldn't wait to get a bar (tbh this bar), have it turn out great and help others to be at peace when thinking about ordering this bar. I can't wait to get started and to progress up in weight with this bar but tbh it's almost too purrty to use lol!! I know it's going to take care of me as I will it for some time to come!

Bar looks and feels great. It was obviously dropped during shipping and dented and scratched one end

Solid bar for the price. Knurling is great. Love that it is black steel.

Muy contento

This bar has lived up to my expectations perfectly so far. I have only had it for a week or so as the UPS shipping was incredibly slow but customer service was very helpful to deal with. The bars grooved sleeves seem as though they would wear most plates down or be worn down themselves after enough usage as my weights seem to grate along when being loaded. The bar has amazing knurling that provides a great grip and the bar appeared just as shown. The snap rings on the end are a huge upgrade from most box store hex bolt bars as they will not need to be re-tightened after use. This bar is perfect for beginners as it has a large weight capacity that cannot possibly be reached by anyone new to weightlifting and I can see this bar lasting a very long time. My bar came with a slight chip on the end and I would recommend looking it over if you decide to purchase this. Edit: wrote this in 2016 and it’s now 2021. Bar is still going strong! Very slight bit of rust starting to show through but I live in a very humid place. Be sure to read more recent reviews to see if quality has changed but I can still see mine lasting years to come. My bar definitely doesn’t do this shaving thing that other people are apparently seeing so either theirs are defective, they’re incredibly rough when putting on plates (just lift them up slightly so they don’t grate, boom easy fix) or the material has changed. This was the best buy I could have made at the time! Was somewhere around $160-180 at the time, well worth it but the price is beginning to rise enough to compare to other products. May still be worthwhile but make sure to keep your eyes open

Pretty Good barbell, hasn't warped from Deadlifting. Solid bar. Pretty happy with it so far.

Buena barra practicamos powerlifting unos nuestros mejores competidores la probó con 280 kgs en Sentadilla, 200 kgs press de banco. en peso muerto 300 kgs, sus medidas de agarre son oficiales para competencia, el único detalle es mejorar moleteado