American Barbell Chewy - The Perfect Barbell?
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Today we take a look at a very special bar. Mostly b/c it wouldn't have been possible to be made without the drive of a lot of people like you and me in the Home Gym Discord. Not only does this bar check the box with specs, but it's made by one of the best manufacturers of equipment there is, American Barbell. Let's take a look at this one and see if it lives up to the hype.
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Just wanted to say thanks for dropping content consistently. I've been a follower for years, and vids like these really influence my spending habits lol. Side note: Texas Power Bars continues to refuse to acknowledge me, any time I ask about the 29mm bar. If they continue to ignore us, I can't say I'll give them any more money.
Thanks dude. If it makes you feel any better they still don’t respond to me either 😝
Ditto TPB, radio silence.
You might have the legit best home gym in the world lol. Home gym as in legit garage/basement sized. Not some of these mega barn gyms people have.
I mean I would love a barn but not enough room in Rhode Island 😝
Alexandre Tremblay - check his out.
@@BasementBrandon basement Brandon do you prefer 20 or 25 tpi and you don’t like the American barbell elite knurling? Too mild for you? I think it’s fantastic. How much more aggressive is the chewy compared to the elite?
@@TRANSAMF4N I like a lower TPI in most cases as I like a deeper chunkier knurl. The Chewy is quite a bit better than the Elite IMO. Elite reminds me of my SS ohio bar.
I was def taken back by how much better this bar sounded over the Eleiko on your IG vid. Quite impressive and given the price point for the offering, seems like a great deal. "Likes discussing Shafts" and Teeth on Shaft! 🤣
I was quite surprised too
Haven’t seen you this positive over a bar since the Luxiaojun power bar review. I’d love to get my hands on this. I’ve always wanted more American Barbell stuff in my gym but their offerings never fit in well based on my needs and what I already have. I’m guessing that’s similar to your situation prior to getting the Chewy. However, I got an American Barbell multigrip bar over the weekend and the craftsmanship is outstanding, especially the details in the sleeves like you pointed out.
Yeah the passive knurl always turned me off. Only got the mammoth bc I got a good deal on it. I still like the LXJ bar but one of the reasons I’m hyped on the Hansu version is it seems they fixed the tooling issues LXJ had.
Look into the American barbell T-Grip (with rolling sleeves, full length version). In my eyes the mest multi Grip barbells 😍
@@PronatorsaurusTricepsus that’s the bar I picked up! Angled T-Grip with Olympic sleeves! May like it more than my Kadillac Bar.
@@jamestonbellajo yeah, it's fucking awesome 😍💪
Do they still do a powerbar at luxiojun? I can’t find it
I always love a good power bar review, and that drop test!!!!! I honestly was not expecting it to be that quiet and devoid of rattle. Phenomenal bar and great review, Brandon!
The drop test is so dumb but I do think it can give you an idea on overall tolerances.
I also got the Mammoth bar and felt the regret of the purchase. The Chewy just arrived, and yes, it's a far superior feel. Thanks for putting some attention to a premium brand that not enough talk about. Love their stuff.
Glad to hear you dig the new one. I need to figure out what to do with my mammoth.
I have the original Chewy with 25 tpi and the name is spot on Soooo chewy. I just got it on the used market. It’s “vintage”. Great review as always, brother.
Lot of love for the 25TPI, I'm still holding out for the 16-18TPI version which I'm campaigning the name of Chunky lol.
Got the chewy because of this video, zero regrets.
Glad to hear!
I'm the proud owner of a 25TPI mountain Chewy bar and an AB SS precision training bar. I have other bars from Rogue, Eleiko, and Uesaka - but they don't get much use unless I've got guests in the gym. AB bars are just that good, and an incredible value compared to similar bars. They've really got their tolerances dialed in. I haven't used the kabuki that it's inspired by, or the 20TPI, but I'm very happy with the 25!
Agreed, this could be bad for my wallet if they keep making knurl like this.
How’d you get a 25 version?
@@mikep1584 had to send an email inquiry and place the order through a sales rep instead of the website
@@liftsalty is it basically like the kabuki bar? How do you like it overall compared to possibly a 20 version or less tpi?
@@mikep1584 similar knurling but much nicer bar overall. Better build quality and stainless steel shaft.
I really wanted an American barbell but because they lacked aggressive knurling, I never pulled the trigger. Maybe they will make it even more aggressive with a V2 when they see that lifters will flock to V1 but I'll wait to see. Also, I like the nod to the 35lb plates on the spin test.
We're trying to get them to make a 16tpi almost full mountain, fingers crossed.
Another bar review... brilliant.
Looking forward to your Aggro 2X review. Most specifically, how it compares to the SS OPB. Struggling to decide between the two and have no way to grip and rip prior to purchase.
There's another SS bar on the market that goes on sale frequently but no one covers. Gorila Fitness CEROS bar (Canadian company, Chinese made bar). It looks decent, and sometimes goes on for $350 CAD ($200 off ish). But, no one has reviewed to my knowledge.
From what I hear most who have used the 2x call it the Goldilocks bar.
@@BasementBrandon None of those matter until Basement Brandon gets his hands on it... 🤣
It's easy to spend someone else's money.
@@BasementBrandon It totally is! I ultimately sold mine for a 3x, but the 2x was what I would want in a power bar. I'll probably buy another one, when I change into my next (higher paying) job lol. The Goldilocks bar is exactly right
Thanks for the thorough breakdown on this bar. I think it may slide in nicely between my OPD, KPB. The construction quality on this looks second to none.
I know a lot of people love the KPB, but I don't find myself reaching for it too often.
FYI I just ordered a blemish American Barbell Elite power bar and what I got has Chewy end caps and feels an awful lot like some of my Kabuki bars. So if you’re in the market for one maybe give customer service a call to see if that’s what they are at the moment. Given that they’ve gone to free shipping this is roughly the same price as a Rep power bar. Especially since I left it in my cart long enough to get a 5% off code.
Nice!
I have the American Barbell Elite power bar and love it. I haven't got to use a really aggressive bar so IDK how I would feel about them. But my first bar was a Rep Excalibur. and the AB Elite blows it away. Its weird the knurling is so fine, but with the stainless its insanely grippy. Its like sandpaper or grip tape. I think the coating on the mammoth would ruin the grip. And the non existent sleeve clack is amazing. You can then wrap something around your sleeves to remove plate to sleeve clack and get really quiet deadlifts. At least on plates that have slop.
Yeah the mammoth bar is pretty passive due to the cerakote!
How does it compare to the Rogue Ohio Power Bar? Do you like the knurl better? Is it quieter on a drop test?
For knurl, it’s more personal preference, both these are great. However the AB is leaps above rogue when it comes to construction.
Was going to order right now. But decided I will sleep on the idea, and if I still want it tomorrow, then I’ll order it.
Oh, you want it 👹
You can’t spell Chewy without Massenomics.
So? Did you order it? 😂
As a 35 pound plate lover myself I can appreciate the spin test with the 35 🥲
Got to work then in every chance I get
Great review as always
Thanks my dude!
Dude every time i watch one of your videos, I immediately wanna buy something lol. Thanks for the great review!! I’d probably go with the 20 TPI personally, like it rough 😅
Sorry about that 😅
Thank you very much for the review! I love my Mammoth bar. It's my daily driver. I'd love to pick this bar up...but the wife would kill me if I bought yet another power bar.
What she doesn't know won't hurt her!
My S/S OPB from Rogue is good enough for me. Awesome on overhead press and incline bench. If I'm spending that money on a bar, it's for sweet bearing bar for my power cleans, clean and jerks.
Right on
Yep, I have this same bar…I really like it! However, I’ve turned into a SS snob through the years and don’t really like any other finishes so I can’t properly compare with many bars. I will say against my AB Super Power bar the Chewy has a much better powerlifting knurl in my opinion. And AB quality on both is fantastic!
I hear ya! SS is my finish of choice if possible.
I'd be interested to see more on how this compares to the Rogue OPB and Eleiko IPF Training bar. Is the knurling on this one more aggressive than the Eleiko bar?
Feels more aggressive to me, but it’s still relative as neither I would say are overly aggressive. However the volcanoes are smaller than on the eleiko, thus making it feel a bit more biting
Wow, in the drop test there's almost no rattling.
Yeah this and the ivanko are more of a thud to everyone else’s clanks
The thud caught me off guard. Sounded like a dense log hitting the ground.
@@philsgaragegym me too!
Jesus the sound on the Kabuki was really not great. Kinda sad considering it's still the stiffest and hardest, but i heard a lot of people complaining about how much slack there is. For my ears the difference compared to the eleiko was not that big, also the comp. raw steel powerlift eleiko i owned had VERY TIGHT sleeves, but then again, huge price difference of course.
Tensile strength does not equat to stiffness from what I can tell!
@@BasementBrandon Would be interesting to see what happens it you load both the Kabuki and the ABB with a lof of Weight and make a pull from Blocks or something so see if there's a difference.
@@importantstuff1130
People have already done that with different bars. But it is unnecessary anyway because all steel alloys have a very similar Young's modulus of elasticity (stiffness) irrespective of heat treat. In other words, all 29mm shafts flex the same amount because they are steel.
Hm just checked the tensile strenght, to be fair, 190k is more on the lower end. I know the Kabuki level is kinda unnecessary, but there are stainless steel shafts with way above 200k!
There's more factors than just tensile strength however.
Yo whats up with the metal wire attached to the bar when doing DL's??
Looks like a tool to measure bar speed. There are quite a few different versions on the market these days.
I’ve been messing with the rep one velocity tracker.
Thanks for the video and keep up the great job!
Appreciated!
Another great, informative video, Brandon. Say, where does a guy get one of those sweet “Bar Don’t Lie” shirts?
I have them on occasion. I should have a few black ones up in the coming weeks.
Thanks for the video! I’ve got a Rogue SS OPB and I’m considering switching to this bar. My wife has a Mammoth bar and loves it, but like you I found its knurl too passive. Would you say the knurl on this bar is noticeably less aggressive than the OPB or would you say they’re ultimately pretty similar?
They’re different but I would still put them in a similar category of grippy. I think what it would come down to is do you care about the overall construction of the bar (Ab wins) and if the almost $200 price increase is worth it. I love the OPB SS and would have a hard time picking between the 2.
@@BasementBrandon Thank you for the reply! Very helpful. Appreciate your responses as always!
Looks like a Great bar and the drop sound test was fantastic and really made me want one but $625 for a barbell is gonna be too much for me to pay for a barbell as I don't compete and I can't justify that much money for just another barbell to go into the gym. I have high quality bars and to me expensive bars between $300-$400 but $700 to my door will never be something I pull the trigger on.
I do enjoy seeing what's out there though and U always come through with these type reviews.
Very Cool
Yeah anything above $400 is a reach for most, even me a lot of times.
Look into the American barbell T-Grip (with rolling sleeves, full length version). In my eyes the mest multi Grip barbells 😍
I've heard good things!
@@BasementBrandon give it a go! You will never go back to any other multigrip. Most bang for buck, best quality, and most versatile
I don't see it on their site. Must not be available anymore? Or is T-Grip the manufacturer and American Barbell carried it? I''m confused.
@@gaberoo9099 tried to look it up now and it's removed! Not sure if it's a website bug or if it's discontinued
@@PronatorsaurusTricepsus Yeah...not sure what gives. Thanks for checking. Looks like a useful bar and now that my shoulder has been acting up, I could use one of these style bars.
Does anyone now why AB didn't make an aggressive knurled bar like the home gym discord asked for? That was the original request as I remember it. Great comparison and no question AB has the best quality welded sleeves/ bearing fitment. Thanks for the review B.
I believe Phil (the owner) didn't think it was necessary. I think you have to remember they're more of a commercial facility provider.
@@BasementBrandon I always wondered why, that makes sense. cheers!
I have the Kabuki Power Bar in Nickel finish and absolutely love the knurling. I’d like another power bar and have been eyeing the Rogue SS OPB but now this Chewy bar has peaked my interest due the quality construction you pointed out. If I wanted a bar noticeably different feeling from my Kabuki, which would you recommend? If I wanted a bar that would be used in competition (USAPL).
I'd say a SS or Bare OPB would give you a comp bar feel as Eleiko also uses a volcano pattern. The exception would be if your local USAPL meets use a TPB.
@@BasementBrandon thank you. Would you be getting the Rogue Hybrid Power Bar? Thoughts on it? Seems like a better quality Texas Power Bar.
@@LONGFITNESS Prob not, if they come out with a 29mm version with the better sleeves I may.
When I saw the clip on Instagram of the barbells being dropped, I thought you had slowed the video down for the American Barbell with how it sounded lol
Def more of a thud than a clank.
Very good review. I am sure there is a market for this, but I do hope they don't go to this knurling on everything. There are a lot of fans of their regular knurling. I love my Grizzley Power Bar. Plenty of grip, but does not rip up the hands at all.
I think they'll have this as a standalone!
Adding it to the maybe List.
Nice!!
In terms of pure "grippyness", would you say the Chewy bar is on par with or better than the OPB? In other words, without using chalk which could you pull the most weight with?
I don't see a difference in top end weight. The OPB is grippy b/c it has some big holed volcanoes. The Chewy is also grippy but b/c it has more smaller higher peak volcanoes. Just depends on the feel you prefer.
Were you surprised by the fact that they didn't use the 210,000 psi steel from the Super and the Mammoth bars? The description says 190,000. Not that it makes a real world difference. Just find it odd.
Not really, as long as they hit that 190k mark I don't think it makes much difference.
Thanks for the video. Very interested in this barbell. I just wonder about one thing, as I've heard from one reviewer of another AB power bar that their composite bushings produce more spin than what is optimal for a power bar. Have you found that the spin on these sleeves is so much that it creates wrist instability when benching like a weightlifting barbell would?
I haven't found that to be the case. Care to point me to the video in question?
@@BasementBrandon Sorry for the late response, it was a video titled "American Barbell Grizzly Power Bar Review" by As Many Reviews As Possible, 3 minutes in. It seems I wasn't able to link it here.
@@biglifter Ah Joel is a good dude. I haven't experienced that myself with any of their bar.
@@biglifter I have the Grizzly bar and love it. Have not noticed an issue with the spin. Though maybe I don't move enough iron for it to make a difference.
Wow this bar seems to check all the boxes. Just wondering: what other stainless steel power bars have smooth sleeves?
Rep deep knurl ex is full stainless with smooth sleeves
REPs do.
I don’t understand why bar dropping sound matters… can anyone explain what I am listening for or why it would matter?
I would speculate that it's an indication of how tight the components fit together, which is an indication that a manufacturer would be using higher machining and fitment tolerances, which generally indicates that more effort/care, and thus cost, may be put into the product. Over time, excessive slope in machined and assembled parts under the right conditions can lead to excessive wear/get worse. Some people just like tighter, less clangy things in general. Rattling and clunking doesn't exude quality at times.
Sleeves on a barbell can float some, which can also give you an idea for tolerances and overall build quality. I could just say there's less slop on the sleeve on this bar compared to others, but I think being able to hear it really conveys how much the difference is.
Really well put response.
@@ExpeditionaryRanger thanks!!
@@BasementBrandon But it seems like the quietness may be due to the fact the bushings are composite (plastic) vs the bronze bushings, which would normally make more sound cause it’s metal on metal on impact. Not sure, but that’s what it seems like it could be. The question is whether composite bushings are as durable as bronze bushings.
Basement Brandon you don’t like the American barbell elite? The knurling I think is fantastic, is it too mild for you?
Yes. I like more bite.
Basement Brandon do you prefer the knurling on the Ohio power bar or the kabuki?
@@TRANSAMF4N Personally between those 2 I'd prefer the SS OPB. It's just super grippy and more affordable.
Can you really use drop sound as an indicator of quality when AB uses composite/plastic bushings while the others are probably use metal bushings? Of course metal on metal contact will sound different.
Yes b/c it's about the tolerances.
@@BasementBrandon and perfectly even drops. Ordered the Chewy bar though just waiting for it to arrive, hopefully the knurling is better than the Mammoth bar. Although, I'd say the original Super Power Bar with the purple shaft was one of their best.
Also, how would you say this compares to the knurl of a stainless steel ohio power bar? Would you say the production quality of American Barbell is better or worse than Rogue? I was considering buying a stainless Ohio Power Bar, with the black finish on the sleeves, but might save up for this or a Kabuki Power Bar, if it's that much greater.
I show some SS OPB pics here when I talk about the volcano type. I like both knurls but some tell me they think the regular OPB is t aggressive enough, so smallcanoes would prob seem like an improvement. AB construction is much better than Rogues in my experience
Do you have a Rogue OB 2.0S with the quiet sleeves to compare it to? I wonder if it would be similar in tolerance and play.
I do not but I would assume so since they give float numbers on it. I know those sleeves will be on the new hyrbrid power bar, would love to see them on a 29mm one.
@@BasementBrandon Thanks B! Interesting they share the same sleeves.. agreed should be 29mm.
Hey B. What are your thoughts on Rogue doing a 28.5mm version of the Ohio Power Bar?
It's an interested bar. They talk about using it for cleans, which I don't think many people would want aggro 2 for. I do get that some like a thinner diameter for better grip or whip on deadlifts though. What I'd like to see is they use the tighter tolerance sleeves on this on one of their 29mm bars.
If they have factory seconds I’d be interested….until then I’ll be looking at boneyard stainless steel OPB.
They did. They sold them though!
The specs look exactly like the Elite power bar with a more aggressive knurling.
Yep pretty much!
Bro when do I get to buy one of those “Bar don’t lie” t-shirts? :)
I think some more printed this last week
How's the aggressiveness on the knurl compare to a Texas Power bar and Ohio power bar?
My bare steel 29mm Texas feels a bit more gritty. Rogue OPB is not aggressive but grippy.
Torn between this and the Ohio power bar with stainless steel sleeves. Price aside. What should I get?
The AB is the better built bar, but Rogue recently updated their OPB sleeves so that they're almost smooth, and their tolerances as well. So it's a lot closer than it was a few months ago.
@@BasementBrandon I’m leaning towards rogue for the full stainless. I plan to use it on a darko hook in an fm6 monster rack to keep it in the rack for bench and squat. I prefer deadlifting with my kabuki trap bar or Ohio bar(non power bar version) as the trap bar is a bit easier on my body after 25+ years of lifting and the Ohio bar can be used for my CrossFit movements which is great if I want to deadlift into overhead or other movements.
Anyway for bench and squat. Do you recommend full SS power bar or chewy bar price aside?
Also thank you for your help and contributions to the community. I appreciate everything.
What attachment is that on your rack holding the SSB ?
Darko Lifting Barbell Anchor. I have a video on it.
How much different is the knurl on a eleiko IPF powerlifting training bar and the chewy? Same TPI?
Chewy is a tad higher, but feels better to me.
Thanks for the reply. I had a zinc rogue ohio bar and didn't even think about getting a new bar. I go to a 24 hour fitness on vacation, and they had some eleiko bars out of all places. tried it and knew I had to get a new bar.
Went with the chewy bar and i'm liking the decision. Knurl is a bit more bite, but it feels great; especially with chalk; and i'm liking the bar quality. Thanks for the vids.
@@BasementBrandon
@@derrickj925 I will say I think the AB bars are the best built overall. A bit pricey, but not as pricey as eleiko 😅
Very cool back store.
And even better bar!
@@BasementBrandon that knurling might be lost on my fragile hands
Out of all the barbells you’ve used, which is your favorite?
It’s like trying to pick my favorite kid, can’t do it 😝
@@BasementBrandon And just like my kids, they're all little monsters!
Basement Brandon do you prefer 20 or 25 tpi version of this bar
20. The 25 is similar to Kabuki, which is good, but I like a chunkier tread.
apprecaite the answer. One last question, I have a OPB SS, does the knurling on the chewy feel significantly different from an OPB or is there crossover?
and what about kabuki vs OPB, I'm assuming they feel very different?
@@TRANSAMF4N To me it does. It's hard to explain but the OPB has those big super deep volcanoes so it feels super sticky to me. The Chewy has smaller volcanoes (higher peak) but not as deep, so feels more gritty. Both are worthy of a daily driver.
Which bar is your daily driver at this point?
I still use multiple bars but the ones i use most right now are this one, the 29mm texas power bar, and a mix of Hansu/Eleiko/LXJ comp bars for deadlift.
Wonder if there is a 20 TPI or 25TPI ? Or both ?
So this is 20 smallcano , discord was 25 mountain.
Which do you prefer the 20 or 25
@@TRANSAMF4N I think 25TPI personally but I won’t know until mine gets here. I love my Kabuki knurling
Nice Carp’s gym. I’m torn, would love to try both knurling before I could pick. I love my American barbell elite.
Would you choose it over the Kabuki bar?
I'd choose several bars over the kabuki.
@Basement Brandon Me too
Why don’t we have more bars that also have stainless steel sleeves?
FWIW, straight from the lead engineer at AB, he says they prefer hard chrome sleeves because its a “tougher” finish. So, SS on the shaft because it feels better in your hands, hard chrome on the sleeves, to stand up to years of hard metal on metal contact.
In addition to the other response, it's just not needed. SS is used to help corrosion and since your hands aren't on the sleeves as much as they are they shaft, it makes more sense from a cost/function standpoint.
I think I definitely want this. Wish it came in 45lb version as well.
Close enough I think!
*Disclaimer* the barbell is not chewy whatsoever. It’s not even edible
Not with that attitude.
I despise ribbed bars. If it was $450 I'd bite. I don't have the finance to go buy a barbell of these pricings unfortunately.
REP deep knurled power bar may be up your alley.
Rep Deep Knurl has been my daily driver since it came out 2-3 years ago. Love it!
Wow that sounded quiet!
Maybe I should use it more when The kids are napping. 😝
Super disappointed in this bar and AB - was really looking forward to it based on this review. Knurl etc is great, but one of the collars is blemished. I have an Elite PB that's ~3 years old and sees a lot of use - it looks a lot better. I compare these bars side by side - one collar looks like it was refinished or sanded. Lots of back and forth with AB; I do think they made a good faith effort to review, but ultimately came back with "we changed our process, its in spec" and "don't worry, won't affect function or longevity." Huh? The entire point of paying ~40+% more than a similar Rogue bar is to get a higher quality product. Premium price = premium product and service. So now I can keep this, and always be disappointed, or pay return freight and maybe a 20% restock fee. I left a 2 star review, which they didn't allow to post, which is cool.
I actually think I saw Phil the owner talking about you (or at least I assume), he posted this on the discord, "FYI Chewy knurl ON FIRE, a customer thought there was a problem with the sleeves because he could see grain (polish) lines VS a prior bar with a more mirrror like finish. The bar amazing as you can see by these photos. What we've done is changed to a coarser grain VS a high polish to mitigate rejects. The sleeves are perfect but under a high magnified camera AND bright lights it looks scratched similar to a Black car in the sun. Smooth to the touch and no ribs. Just so everyone knows please don't compare a prior bar looks to current. Always will e amazing but finishes vary. Look at this knurl, ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And on another note, sorry that it's not what you expected and they gave you a hard time. The sleeves don't bother me (I actually prefer a ribbed sleeve anyways).
I'd be super annoyed that they mixed the two sleeves. Personally, either finish is fine but both on the same bar makes it look like a discounted second when the OP paid top $$$. It'd be like the door on you car being a slightly different color - not OK at full retail.
For 625, nope. Maybe if I made a living with that.
I don't think that's a bad price.
Great content Brandon! However American Barbell jacked the price minutes before it went "on sale" lol, great product but joke brand
Looks like they fixed it.
@@BasementBrandon Yea they actually got back to me saying there was a glitch
FWIW the kabuki bar knurling isn't far off from my mammoth bar.
🤷
Should be a night and day difference!
Brandon what is the TPI on the rogue OPB? If you don't know, sorry to ask such a technical question! Figured if anyone would it'd be you
I'm not really after another power bar since I got a stainless during rogue black friday, but would like a new bar without center knurl. Would be cool to get an aggro without center knurl.
We think around 16 TPI
@Basement Brandon thanks!
Seems like nothing special. The new rogue Ohio bar is pretty quiet. I don’t see a difference between this and the Ohio bar.
If you went with the new rogue hybrid power bar you’d have a better argument.
First
My man
FYI for 5% use code ALMOSTFORGOT
Nice