Muscle Power barbell bars

With Muscle Power you do not have to choose between the bar you want and the brand you already own. There are four lengths of olympic bar, from 152 to 218 cm, in chrome and in a High Performance version, plus a women's bar, a junior bar in aluminium and an aluminium technique bar. If you want a setup that works straight away, there are complete sets in which the bar, the plates and the collars come together, from 90 to 200 kg. That saves you the hunt for matching parts and the risk that the sleeve diameters do not line up. And when you expand later, you stay inside the same brand instead of starting over.

The range runs from plain 50 mm olympic bars in four lengths to bars built for one job: a hex bar, two curl bars, a tricep trainer and a multifunctional bar with a cerakote coating in camo. Alongside those you will find fixed rubber bars with the weight already attached, a body pump bar for group classes, collars in both spring and quick lock versions, and a maintenance set for the bars themselves. Two things decide your choice: the length, because it has to fit your rack and your room, and the grip diameter together with the weight of the bar itself. Compare them with the rest of the barbell bars.

Read more about Muscle Power barbell bars below.

Why choose Muscle Power barbell bars?

In this category Muscle Power is the brand of choice in the literal sense. Thirty-four items, including four different lengths of plain olympic bar: 152, 183, just over 200 and 218 cm. On top of that come a High Performance line, a women's version, a junior bar in aluminium, an aluminium technique bar and a squat bar meant for studio use. You pick on length and on grip diameter without switching brands, which is exactly where people get stuck when they want a second bar and the maker of their first one does not offer that size.

There is one thing here that no other brand in this category does: complete sets in which the bar, the plates and the collars are supplied together. They run from 90 to 200 kg and you choose them in high black bumper, PU or rubber. Starting from nothing then no longer means making three separate decisions about sleeve diameter, plate type and collar type and hoping they match. One order and you can lift.

Be realistic about where the brand sits, though. This is solid training equipment for the home, for personal training, for company gyms and for studios, not calibrated competition gear with a certified weight tolerance. If you are preparing for an official meet, that is a reason to look further. For everything below that level it is more than enough. Also take a look at the other fitness equipment from Muscle Power.

The Muscle Power barbell bar range

The range covers the whole line, from a light technique bar to a complete 200 kg setup.

Olympic 50 mm bars in chrome: 152, 183 and 218 cm, your base bars for bench press, squats and deadlifts with loose plates.
High Performance and women's versions: a High Performance bar of 218 cm, a High Performance women's bar of 201 cm and a crossfit women's bar of 202 cm. The women's versions have a thinner grip, are shorter and weigh less than a men's bar.
Light and short: a junior bar of 170 cm in aluminium, an aluminium technique bar that weighs very little but keeps the full length of a real bar, and a squat bar in a studio version.
Bars for one movement: an olympic hex bar for deadlifting with your hands beside your body, a super curl bar and a High Performance curl bar that spare your wrists during biceps work, a tricep trainer and a multifunctional bar with a cerakote coating in camo.
Fixed bars and group classes: a rubber fixed barbell of 20 kg and a rubber fixed curl bar of 25 kg with the weight already attached, plus a body pump bar with spring collars for high repetition classes.
Sets, collars and maintenance: complete sets with bar, plates and collars from 90 to 200 kg in high black bumper, PU and rubber, a quick lock collar set, olympic spring collars and a maintenance set for the bars themselves.

Which Muscle Power barbell bars suit you?

Start with where the bar is going to live and with what you lift on it, and the choice usually makes itself.

You have a power rack with normal inside width: take the 218 cm, in chrome or in the High Performance version. That length leaves you enough room outside the uprights to load plates and to set the bar in the hooks. Do measure the inside width of your rack before you order.

You train at home in a tight space: choose 152 or 183 cm. Those fit a more compact rack and still turn in a garage or shed where 218 cm gets stuck. In return you give up some loading room and maximum load capacity.

You have smaller hands or 28 mm feels too thick: go for a women's version, either the High Performance of 201 cm or the crossfit bar of 202 cm. Thinner grip and lighter, which shows up immediately in the snatch and the clean.

You are learning technique or a younger lifter trains with you: pick the aluminium technique bar or the 170 cm junior bar. The technique bar keeps the full length so your movement stays correct, while weighing so little that you can do dozens of reps without loading your back.

You are starting from scratch and have no plates yet: take a complete set. First you settle on a weight level between 90 and 200 kg, then on the plate type, and the collars are included. If you only need to top up, look at the weight plates instead.

You teach classes or work in a studio: the body pump bar with spring collars and the squat bar in the studio version are made for this. Light bars, high repetitions, quick changes between participants.

What to look for when buying Muscle Power barbell bars

30 mm or 50 mm

50 mm is the olympic diameter, 30 mm the standard one, and a plate made for one will not go on a bar made for the other. Almost everything called olympic here, including the hex bar and the complete sets, is 50 mm. If you still have plates from an older set, measure their centre hole before you order a bar. This is the mistake made most often in the whole strength category.

Length against your rack and your room

This is where the brand really earns its place: four lengths side by side. A 218 cm bar assumes a power rack with normal inside width and a room where you can turn it around; 152 and 183 cm exist for smaller racks and for home use. Measure the inside width between the uprights and keep a few centimetres spare on each side. If you have not decided on the rack yet, look at the power racks and dip stations first and choose the length afterwards.

Grip diameter and bar weight

An olympic men's bar weighs 20 kg and has a 28 mm grip; a women's bar weighs 15 kg, is shorter and has a 25 mm grip. That three millimetre difference feels bigger than it sounds once you actually have to hold the bar. The aluminium technique bar turns it around: hardly any weight, but full length, so you can groove your form without the load getting in the way. Look at the maximum load capacity as well, because that is a separate specification from the bar weight and it starts to matter as soon as you lift heavy.

Needle bearings or bushings, and the maintenance that goes with them

The sleeves of a bar rotate on needle bearings or on bushings. Needle bearings spin more smoothly and matter in olympic lifting, where the bar has to rotate in your hands; bushings are simpler and are perfectly good for powerlifting and bodybuilding. Both need attention now and then, and that is why there is a maintenance set in this range: you clean the sleeves and oil them lightly, because otherwise they start to turn more stiffly and chrome can eventually rust. Five minutes every couple of months keeps a bar running smoothly for years.

A bar on its own or a complete set

A bar on its own makes sense if you already have plates and collars or if you are adding a second length on purpose. A complete set is the route when you have nothing yet: bar, plates and collars in one go, from 90 to 200 kg, in high black bumper if you drop the bar, in PU for a tidy and scratch resistant finish, or in rubber as the most affordable route. Do count in the space where all those plates will end up.

Our advice: settle the sleeve diameter first, then measure your rack and your room, and only then choose on grip diameter and weight. If you are torn between two lengths, take the shorter one that still fits your rack, because room to load and to turn the bar is worth more in daily use than the last few centimetres. And when you buy a new bar, add the maintenance set or a second set of collars from the strength accessories, since that is exactly the kind of top up you otherwise order separately later.

Who are Muscle Power barbell bars suitable for?

Home lifters with limited space: the 152 and 183 cm lengths make serious barbell work possible in a garage or room where a full olympic bar simply does not fit.
Anyone building a setup from scratch: a complete set from 90 to 200 kg puts a workable base in place in a single order, collars included.
Couples and households training together: a men's bar plus a women's version from the same brand gives you two grip diameters and two weights while the plates and collars stay the same.
Beginners and younger lifters: the aluminium technique bar and the 170 cm junior bar let you build the movement before any weight is added.
Studios and instructors: the body pump bar with spring collars and the squat bar in the studio version are built for high repetitions and fast changes.
Bodybuilding and arm work: the curl bars, the tricep trainer and the fixed rubber bars of 20 and 25 kg cover the isolation work you would rather not do on a straight olympic bar.

Less suitable if you compete at certified level or if you specifically want an exercise specific bar. Calibrated gear with a certified tolerance is not part of this brand, and a safety squat bar, a buffalo bar, a log bar or farmer's walk handles are not in the range either; for those, look at the other brands within the barbell bars. And if what you want is an adjustable barbell set rather than a bar with loose plates, this is not the category for you.

Need help choosing?

Would you like to buy Muscle Power barbell bars but are you not quite sure which diameter, which length or which type of bar suits you? We are happy to help. You can reach our fitness specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an email or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about Muscle Power barbell bars

Which bar length do I need?

Your rack decides that, not your own height. Measure the inside width between the uprights of your power rack or squat stands and add the room you need on each side to set the bar in and out of the hooks. If 218 cm fits comfortably, take it, because it lets you load the most weight and grip wide. If you stay under two metres, 152 or 183 cm are the logical choice, and if you lift from the floor without a rack, any length will work.

Will my plates fit a Muscle Power olympic bar?

Only if they are 50 mm plates. In this category olympic means a 50 mm sleeve, and that is the diameter you find on the plain bars, the hex bar, the women's versions and the complete sets. Plates with a 30 mm hole, the standard size, will not slide on. Measure the hole in your plates if you are unsure, because exchanging a wrong order only costs you time.

What does High Performance mean on these bars?

High Performance is a separate line within the range, available as a 218 cm bar, as a 201 cm women's version and as a curl bar. So it is not simply a different shade of chrome but a distinct version alongside the plain chrome bars. Which one suits you better depends on how heavy you load and how intensively the bar is used; check the maximum load capacity and the construction of the sleeves per bar for that. If you are unsure, our specialists are glad to put the differences side by side.

Why does a bar need maintenance?

Because the sleeves are moving parts. Inside them sit needle bearings or bushings, and sweat, chalk and dust get in there. Leave that be and the sleeves start to turn noticeably more stiffly, and a chrome bar can rust over time, especially in a damp garage or basement. With the maintenance set you clean the sleeves and oil them lightly, which is enough to keep a bar spinning like new for years. Simply wiping the bar dry after a heavy session helps too.

What is in a complete set?

An olympic bar, a package of plates and the collars to lock them down. The sets run from 90 to 200 kg and you choose between high black bumper, PU and rubber, depending on whether you drop the bar and what your floor can take. The benefit is twofold: sleeve diameter, plate type and collars are guaranteed to belong together, and per kilo you come out cheaper than buying separately. Storage is not included, so arrange a place for the plates before they arrive.