T Nation

Olympic Lifting Home Equipment

#1

I have a home gym, and am starting to add olympic lifting. Thus, to do it right, I want to add a good oly bar and solid rubber training bumpers. Obviously budget is an issue, but I don't want to skimp either. So, on to the questions:

1) Eleiko training bar vs. York training bar. Long term joint health is important. Is the Eleiko bar really worth the extra $$? Or will the cheaper York bar be fine for a non-competitive lifter?

2) I was considering a lb set vs. a kg set of bumpers due to smaller increments jumps, and would microload with existing iron plates. Are the lighter lb. bumpers (10lb & 15 lb) too narrow to take abuse? Or so long as I don't beat the snot out of them will they be fine? Or would I be better served with kg bumpers?

Any and all comments are appreciated.

#2

After much thought I decided on an Ivanko bar. Price wasn't really an issue as I was willing to purchase a competition line Eleiko, but I was willing to forego the knurling difference the Ivanko has, and the less-than-awesome spin it has too for the fact it is made of a much stronger stainless-steel.

Not to sound like a pitchman for the company, but I have seen even Eliekos chip and rust. Add to this the phenomenon of hydrogen imbrittlement which could lead to a potential bar snap (although I have never ever personally heard of such a thing) more than likely the bar would bend.

They now have a bar with needle-bearings (which kind of pisses me off, I could have waited a few weeks and gotten one of those instead) that should spin much better than their standard design. I think they are priced about the same as the York bar.

For the use you say you'll be doing, I think the Kraiburg bumpers would do great. Any bumper will wear-out with abuse, but if properly used these will give the longest and best bang for the buck. I bought the Werksan bumpers, and I suggest giving the good folks a call and talk to them about the deals they are having currently.

#3

If you can afford it, Eleiko is well worth the money. You will never have a problem with it. Plus, I believe the knurling on the York is a bit rougher and not exactly the set up for O lifting. I have an Eleiko (got a hook up) and absolutely love it.

As for bumpers...I got mine through BFS. They were running a special. The inserts are brass, not steel but I have never had an issue with them. I have had an issue with the 10 pound plates bending and consequently cracking a little, but honestly don't care.

Only rarely has the bar been loaded with the 10's only. Glenn Pendlay has a good deal on bumpers...you can find them by googling either him, Wichita Falls Weightlifting or Zhangkong (the brand).

#4

Thanks for the input. Sounds like the bumpers shouldn't be a concern.

Any other inputs on bars? Also any tips on where to find good prices for bars would be appreciated.

I know you can look in classified's and such, but I figure to get a new one so I know how it's been used/abused.

Thanks again!

#5

Here's Gill's website for bumpers
http://www.gillathletics.com/gillCatalogItem.aspx?subItem=574

#6

I second Galvatron's post.

I obsessed for WAY too long about which bar to buy. I have confidence in IVANKO. I really like it.

#7

ok... I am obsessing too... way too much. I have an additional factor that is what confuses the issue for me. I'm not very strong! I do some Olympic Weightlifting but at my age/ability etc will doubtfully ever C&J over 150#. So heavy loads are not going to be a problem here... but I'd still like a bar that "spins pretty nice" etc. But buying an expensive bar would probably be pretty silly for someone like me me.

So I have few questions, I am hoping someone can comment on:

1) Do you think at these lighter poundages even a cheap $60 CAP bar would suffice or would its bearings still not stand up to dropping it, etc?

2) If not, is there some mid-range bar $150-$200 with good spin that you could recommend?

3) Finally, I saw an add in a paper here someone selling a used 1980's York bar w/ collars and a few plates in good shape for $250. Is that potentially a good deal? Or would a bar that old tend to have spin/bearing issues even if it is York?

Thanks,
-phil

#8

Galvatron- does the stronger stainless steel Ivanko bar have less whip than the Eleiko? My understanding is the beauty of a good oly lift bar is that it's lively, where a cheaper bar is stiff. Not to say the Invanko is a cheap bar.

I think I will contact Ivanko to see the price of their needle bearing bar - they don't list it on their site :frowning:

From what I have found price-wise, the Eleiko training bar and Ivanko stainless steel bar are about the same price.

#9

Check out this thread from last year:

I have a semi-detailed comparison of the York and Eleiko bars (from hands on experience).

http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=792601

Regards,
Mark

#10

The only time I have ever felt any bending or whipping is when squatting heavily, say over 200kgs. I am not currently lifting near that much, so I can't really say. I see you have found the Ivanko site, their technical articles are a great read. Even in those the author/owner praises Eleiko, but I was still sold on Ivanko when looking at the pertinant facts.

#11

Try this thread from Werk-San.

http://www.werksanusa.com/onlinecart/agora.cgi?cart_id=282248.3230*cx2UM0&xm=on&product=2_TRAINING

The Pendlay bar at the bottom of the page was developed with input from Glenn Pendlay. He has written some reviews about the product and says it compares well with most other bars. It's not in the league with Eleiko, but it sounds like a good bar for the money at $399.

You can also Google Chapman Powers Systems. They make a bar with a similar price that has had good reviews.

I can't speak from experience. I use a cheap bar at home and go to a gym a few times a month to enjoy the better equipment. I just splurged for some bumper plates. A better bar will have to wait.

#12

Okay, as an FYI, here are the prices I've found:

Eleiko training bar $639 & $49sh
Ivanko stainless steel needle bearing bar $800 & $39sh
Ivanko stainless steel bar $625 & $0sh
York training bar $480 & $39sh
York elite comp bar $? (haven't gotten a response regarding price)

The new Ivanko bar sounds really sweet, but that's quite a bit more than even an Eleiko bar. At this point I am deciding between the Eleiko training bar and the Ivanko stainless bar.

I like the idea of the stainless steel, and Ivanko's tech articles really do a good job of selling their technology (not to mention I'd be buying US). As even they say Eleiko make the best bars, it's tempting to go that route at well.

Anyway, I may flip a coin, but either way should get a nice bar that will last a lifetime.