Rogue Barbell Club

[DarthCholo]

Started the process of going 'Made in USA' this week, not to get too political but I'm dumping all my Chinese made equipment so the REP EX bar is getting replaced (Buddy Capps) and I'm selling my Equalizers for Rogue's deep dish plates. 700lbs on the way, got a pair of hundos while I was at it!!!

That would be cool. If rogue or somebody else made a revolver style grip plate made in USA, I'd be all over them. My six shooters are the only made in China product I have left.

Dang. Forgot about my bells of steel open trap bar and ironmasters

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Started the process of going 'Made in USA' this week, not to get too political but I'm dumping all my Chinese made equipment so the REP EX bar is getting replaced (Buddy Capps) and I'm selling my Equalizers for Rogue's deep dish plates. 700lbs on the way, got a pair of hundos while I was at it!!!

You won't regret your purchase, the Rogue deep dish plates are awesome and I like the classic black iron look when I purchased mine, also "Made in USA" can't be beat!

I been trying to get their pair of 5s and 2.5s to complete the DD set with matching suits (they haven't been available on their site since their release as far as I know) also planning to sell my Ivanko O2Bs.

[urbanlifter]

You won't regret your purchase, the Rogue deep dish plates are awesome and I like the classic black iron look when I purchased mine, also "Made in USA" can't be beat!

I been trying to get their pair of 5s and 2.5s to complete the DD set with matching suits (they haven't been available on their site since their release as far as I know) also planning to sell my Ivanko O2Bs.

That's great to hear! I'll be watching out for the 5's and 2.5's as well. Also put up ALL my Titan equipment for sale, so I nthe future I'll need to buy the Rogue Mono's and Rhino belt squat. Not so much 'Made in USA' but definitely NOT made in China from here on out.

[rpark]

That's great to hear! I'll be watching out for the 5's and 2.5's as well. Also put up ALL my Titan equipment for sale, so I nthe future I'll need to buy the Rogue Mono's and Rhino belt squat. Not so much 'Made in USA' but definitely NOT made in China from here on out.

Say what? This is a big philosophical change for you….

[urbanlifter]

Say what? This is a big philosophical change for you….

Have to draw a line in the sand at some point, seen alot of nasty rhetoric towards the United States come out of China this past year. Not only fitness equipment but whenever possible I'm going to try to avoid 'Made in China' products (even though it's nearly impossible).

Sorta bummed to just now be seeing this 'AGGRO' bar, Rogue is finally offering a better knurling which might be on par with REP's deep knurl.

[Murser]

Been with Mrs Flex for over 16 years and she has always been anti-China since I've known her. Sometimes it is unavoidable and sometimes we get duped but we do try to buy Canadian made and then USA made and CHina dead last.

The biggest issue is shoes. I don't think anyone makes shoes outside of china.

And be careful lots of companies that enjoy a Made in Canada or Made in USA reputation have started sourcing from China so make sure you read the small print.

I even bought some supposedly Italian shirts that had a tag that said "Made in Italy" but sewn into the collar was a tag that said "Made in China" so what was made in Italy? Just the actual tag with the brand name on it? That's some sneaky chit right there.

Also a couple years ago Mrs Flex bought some swimsuits for an upcoming vacation. The web site specifically said "Made in Ontario" which is where we live. Took them weeks to arrive and when they did sure enough they shipped from China. She didn't even open the package went straight in the bin.

Enjoy your new Rogue gear. I have tons of it. 2 racks, 2 bars, 2 benches, weight tree, monster bands, etc.

There are still a few companies that still make footwear in the US: Alden, White’s boots, and Nick’s boots. Be prepared to pay, but they are repairable and made to last.

[TolerantLactose]

Been with Mrs Flex for over 16 years and she has always been anti-China since I've known her. Sometimes it is unavoidable and sometimes we get duped but we do try to buy Canadian made and then USA made and CHina dead last.

Hockey equipment is mostly made in China and Mexico now. It makes me sad.

I'm putting together a home gym right now. Everything I bought so far is made in US, except maybe the change plates.

[urbanlifter]

And be careful lots of companies that enjoy a Made in Canada or Made in USA reputation have started sourcing from China so make sure you read the small print.

Well thankfully when it comes to equipment I already have a decent head start. Legend rack, York pulldown, Buddy Capps TPB on the way and then the Rogue plates. Even my MAG attachment and AB Barbell cable attachments are the 'Made in USA' versions. There are sites out there dedicated to listing US brands only, but eve if they are imported I'm fine with that as long as it's not China.

[TolerantLactose]

Well this is annoying. I have a set of Rogue deep dish plates headed my way and the shipment is delayed due to "train derailment". That's a first.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

I haven't used a Rogue bar yet and was really tempted to get that 2x aggro version but I have no complaints with my Rep PowerSpeed in stainless, so it's hard to justify buying another 29mm bar just out of curiosity, especially for several hundred bucks. At best, the knurl will probably be similar to Rep. At worst, I'll want to sell it.

While not the Rogue OPB aggro, or regular version. My girl recently bought the Rogue Ohio Bar in light green cerakote and it's a solid bar...but the only thing I kinda don't like are the ribbed sleeves, with that said I'm kinda spoiled with the butter smooth sleeves on my American Barbell Elite SS Power Bar, to be fair though it was the first Rogue bar I've used so maybe I'll adapt to the sliding noise lol.

[MajorTendonitis]

Well this is annoying. I have a set of Rogue deep dish plates headed my way and the shipment is delayed due to "train derailment". That's a first.

That’s gotta suck , sorry to hear this . I’ve ordered 5 different bars from them and they all showed up in a timely manner .
Order a lat bar and it took what seemed like forever . But it’s finally here !
It’s at the bottom




I’m liking the quality of the knurling on the bar also

[Sboarder1964]

Good. I heard that Rogue is starting to have some stuff made in China now to compete with Titan and others.

Rogue has ALWAYS had some items produced in China. Most notably nearly all their weights except DD and Hi-Temps.

[urbanlifter]

Rogue has ALWAYS had some items produced in China. Most notably nearly all their weights except DD and Hi-Temps.

Weren't their barbells early on all imported from China, the one's that basically built their reputation? LOL

[cwcmac]

While not the Rogue OPB aggro, or regular version. My girl recently bought the Rogue Ohio Bar in light green cerakote and it's a solid bar...but the only thing I kinda don't like are the ribbed sleeves, with that said I'm kinda spoiled with the butter smooth sleeves on my American Barbell Elite SS Power Bar, to be fair though it was the first Rogue bar I've used so maybe I'll adapt to the sliding noise lol.

The ribbed sleeves are part of the reason I don't get bars from Rogue. I don't buy the claim that it helps secure the weights. No need for ribbed sleeves to exist and I won't use a bar that them

[Greybird2]

The ribbed sleeves are part of the reason I don't get bars from Rogue. I don't buy the claim that it helps secure the weights. No need for ribbed sleeves to exist and I won't use a bar that them

I agree. I hate them..

[MajorTendonitis]

The ribbed sleeves are part of the reason I don't get bars from Rogue. I don't buy the claim that it helps secure the weights. No need for ribbed sleeves to exist and I won't use a bar that them

Your not wrong . I’ve had to start using collars after changing out all my bars to rogue .
But I find it’s easier to slide the bumper plates on now , so not all is lost .
I use lock jaw collars , and they are very easy to put on

[TolerantLactose]

The bar I favor at the gym has ribbed sleeves. The only reason I use it because it's one of the few where the knurling hasn't worn down to a decorative pattern.

[urbanlifter]

The ribbed sleeves are part of the reason I don't get bars from Rogue. I don't buy the claim that it helps secure the weights. No need for ribbed sleeves to exist and I won't use a bar that them

Honestly, I did notice a huge difference going from a TPB to REP EX barbell on the plates staying in place when not using collars. Not that it bothers me to use them because I do prefer smooth sleeves, but I can definitely live with the ribbing on the TPB . the other factor that I think comes into play with noise is how well the plates are machined. I didn't notice as much noise with the REP Equalizers on the TPB as I did with some of the lower quality vintage plates that did not have precision drilled center holes.

[radrd]

Ribbed is for her pleasure and my wife has no interest in lifting, so I really don't see the point.

[ncsuLuke]

Honestly, I did notice a huge difference going from a TPB to REP EX barbell on the plates staying in place when not using collars. Not that it bothers me to use them because I do prefer smooth sleeves, but I can definitely live with the ribbing on the TPB . the other factor that I think comes into play with noise is how well the plates are machined. I didn't notice as much noise with the REP Equalizers on the TPB as I did with some of the lower quality vintage plates that did not have precision drilled center holes.

I like the ribbing on my Texas deadlift bar far more than Rogue bars. I don't think it's necessary or helps at all but it doesn't bother me. I won't buy another Rogue bar as long as they don't have smooth sleeves as an option, I'd rather get another Texas bar or an American Barbell bar.

[cwcmac]

Why? What's the issue?

I use collars on all my bars, regardless of smooth or ribbed sleeves.

I just hate the sound of adding weights with ribbed sleeves. There is no functional benefit and the sounds is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

I use collars on everything except bench. My lock jaws take 1 second each to put on. The claim of ribbed sleeves being beneficial is just complete bull**** in my opinion.

I'm anti-ribbed sleeves. My bars are:

AB Elite PB - sleeves smooth as a possible
Ivanko rackable curl bar - nice and smooth
Ivanko bar for pulling - can't recall model - no ribbing
Axle bar - Titan maybe, just pipe for sleeves.
Edge slim football bar - just pipe
Transformer - super minor ribbing that you can't hear
Old Buffalo bar - ribbed but gets very little use
Kids aluminum tech bar from Rep - some ribbing but my kids aren't using a ton of weights and it's quiet

Using weights on my Rogue DL bar was loud enough to wake the neighbors.

[urbanlifter]

I like the ribbing on my Texas deadlift bar far more than Rogue bars. I don't think it's necessary or helps at all but it doesn't bother me. I won't buy another Rogue bar as long as they don't have smooth sleeves as an option, I'd rather get another Texas bar or an American Barbell bar.

When they offer a smooth sleeve 3X AGGRO bar, I'll think about Rogue again. My last stainless OPB was not impressive, haven't missed that Barbell one bit.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

Ribbed is for her pleasure and my wife has no interest in lifting, so I really don't see the point.

Hilarious and incidentally the night we were lifting she jokingly said the same quote about her bar, we both agreed that the sleeves are like nails on a chalkboard when sliding plates on and off...way more noticeable than on my previous TPB.

[TolerantLactose]

Why? What's the issue?

I use collars on all my bars, regardless of smooth or ribbed sleeves.

Sound of plates when loading/unloading. I also imagine there's a slight cost in manufacturing vs. smooth for no benefit.

[Deep-Voiced-One]

On the subject of Rogue equipment, the Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0 now has another pad option available which is supposed to be grippier and easier to clean with the Rogue logo stitched into the head pad portion for an extra $10.

Where they missed the mark unfortunately is that the nicer pad option is 11" as opposed to the vinyl stock pad on the 3.0 at the standard 11.25" (like the previous 2.0 version). They should've made the improved back pad 12".

[weisgarb]

On the subject of Rogue equipment, the Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0 now has another pad option available which is supposed to be grippier and easier to clean with the Rogue logo stitched into the head pad portion for an extra $10.

Where they missed the mark unfortunately is that the nicer pad option is 11" as opposed to the vinyl stock pad on the 3.0 at the standard 11.25" (like the previous 2.0 version). They should've made the improved back pad 12".

I'm not sure what to make of the new pad option. The logo isn't stitched--it's embossed. And there's no covering. It's made of a "self-skinning ... polyurethane foam". So it's a block of foam with some kind of skin, almost like a paint over it? I'm having a hard time understanding how that's more durable than having a separate vinyl cover.

[Mech6]

I'm not sure what to make of the new pad option. The logo isn't stitched--it's embossed. And there's no covering. It's made of a "self-skinning ... polyurethane foam". So it's a block of foam with some kind of skin, almost like a paint over it? I'm having a hard time understanding how that's more durable than having a separate vinyl cover.

It's not. It's cheaper and they're trying to justify it with some bs marketing. Same thing with the new Marss bar pad. Just inferior all around.

[urbanlifter]

Looks like that closed cell foam pad they used to put on the old Powerblock Bench. From what I remember those were incredibly durable and cleaned easy, people seemed to really like them.

[DarthCholo]

I'm more interested in it's firmness compared to regular pads. It actually may be more durable, but if you get a gouge in it or a cut, not sure if you could just replace just the vinyl cover like you would on a normal pad. There's no repair, only a replace option.

[weisgarb]

It's not. It's cheaper and they're trying to justify it with some bs marketing. Same thing with the new Marss bar pad. Just inferior all around.

I'm assuming it's similar to what they use for the Concept 2 rower seat and a lot of bike seats.