Hex bar suggestions??

[zGwild]

Looking for combo Hex bar suggestions.

It will mainly be used for deadlifts but I would like the raised handles for weighted carries.

Looking for something under $200

So far all I have found is the Cap 2-Inch Zinc Plated Mega Hex Bar Olympic. Just wondering if there is a better option?

[EHC1228]

I've had my mega hex bar for about a week. After using it my initial impressions are the grip diameter is thicker than I expected, and the knurling is very rough. For $124 though I'm happy to have it.

Hope that helps!

[zGwild]

thanks for the info

[LarryPendur]

Can't claim it's "the best" or anything, but I am happy with this one and it is cheap:
inboxfitness DOT com/xmark-fitness-xmark-chrome-olympic-shrug-bar-with-raised-handles-xm-3686.htm

I notice it is on back-order. When I ordered mine it was on a free shipping promo.

[zGwild]

Any other suggestions?

I am somewhat concerned with the quality of the cap hex bar. I seems like there a quite a few complaints about the grips/handles not being straight.

[turbolsxstang]

You can get one from bwtg for $50 over your budget. Any of them under $200 your going to sacrifice some on quality unless you find a used one.

[zGwild]

Yeah, I am seeing that now.

I would not be against spending up to $300. I just picked up a rogue power bar and was under the impression I would be able to find a good hex bar for less.

[dieselmike]

I have the Cap Mega Hex. Here's my thoughts on it (posted last year at time of purchase):

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...post1439797591

If you don't feel like clicking link, I agree with EHC1228's post about: Large diameter grips and rough knurl is being kind. If you like a cheese grater, this has that!

Overall for the price, I am very happy to use it for accessory work.

[lsi1]

I have the mega hex bar and I like it.

[heckofagator]

Titan just posted this on their ******** account

http://www.titan.fitness/pair-of-hd-...-platform.html

[Cleveland33]

Titan just posted this on their ******** account

http://www.titan.fitness/pair-of-hd-...-platform.html

50" long? That's too short for farmers handles.

[heckofagator]

50" long? That's too short for farmers handles.

well, at least they're longer than the Spud straps that many seem to use and like

[Cleveland33]

well, at least they're longer than the Spud straps that many seem to use and like

Yea but the Spud straps don't have your legs banging into the plates

Doz you even farmer walk?

[lsi1]

considering that a lot of use a hex bar for farmers walks then I would assume the titan unit has enough clearance to walk inside comfortably.

[heckofagator]

Yea but the Spud straps don't have your legs banging into the plates

Doz you even farmer walk?

I have never. I really just wanted to sharez some info I saw on ******** that might be beneficial to OP.

[Cleveland33]

I have never. I really just wanted to sharez some info I saw on ******** that might be beneficial to OP.

all good - just seems awfully short to me. I have the Spud handles - they're a great way to get into it on the cheap - also they come very handy if you buy/flip a lot of gear as a convenient way to carry multiple plates.

I upgraded to a full size set of top loading handles that another member here made, they're a full 6' long and I don't know how people would make due with a shorter handle than that.

The other thing, and only negative about the Spud handles I can think of, is that the shorter the handle, the easier it makes walks if you incorporate a turn - which I highly recommend as making a turn with farmers taxes your core - by keeping the weight closer to you.

[KBKB]

Looking for combo Hex bar suggestions.

It will mainly be used for deadlifts but I would like the raised handles for weighted carries.

Looking for something under $200

So far all I have found is the Cap 2-Inch Zinc Plated Mega Hex Bar Olympic. Just wondering if there is a better option?

I've been very happy with my Hampton Hex Bar. One of its features are "kickstands" which make it easier to load and unload plates.

See:

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=134913711

[zGwild]

I've been very happy with my Hampton Hex Bar. One of its features are "kickstands" which make it easier to load and unload plates.

See:

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=134913711

I think we may have a winner. $300 shipped, good weight limit, has high and low grips and i like the kickstand idea.

How sturdy are the grips/handles though? It looks like they will lock themselves in place do to the weight on the bar when lifted. Is there any movement?

Also will regular collars fit the shaft?

[KBKB]

I think we may have a winner. $300 shipped, good weight limit, has high and low grips and i like the kickstand idea.

How sturdy are the grips/handles though?

I think they're sturdy enough to handle whatever weight you put on it. I'm guessing that your real question concerns possible movement of the handles. I'll address that below.

It looks like they will lock themselves in place do to the weight on the bar when lifted. Is there any movement?

The high handles are very stable. If you work at it, you might be able to move them outward, but if you really load the bar up, it'll be pretty hard to do this.

When using the low handles, the high part of the handle is rotated outward away from the wrist. If you use a hook grip on the handle in which the handle starts out situated in the hook formed by your fingers, there will not be much if any rotation of the high handles toward your wrist. If you attempt to grip the bar so that you're trying to hold it by the calluses at the base of each finger, it's likely that the bar will migrate downward which will also rotate the high handles toward your wrists. It's best not to try to grip the bar this way. You can also intentionally rotate the high handles toward your wrists if desired. Placing the high handles against your wrist does lend some additional stability.

But, regardless, I've never had much of a problem with handle rotation.

Also will regular collars fit the shaft?

The sleeves hold Olympic plates. Most Olympic collars should fit.

That said, the sleeves are not really very long. Using narrow collars will leave more room for plates.

I usually don't bother with collars on my bar unless I have so many plates on it that I'm worried about some coming off.

[zGwild]

I went with the Hampton.

Thanks for the info guys, especially you KBKB. Your review and answers were very helpful.

[horsediente]

I recently bought the CAP hex bar. The price is great, I think I paid 83$ shippen on Amazon. I agree with others that the quality is ify at best. One of the handles seems lightly bent inward, setting off all my OCDs. I keep trying to convince myself it is the poor lighting in my garage. The welds are ugly and were already rusti g away when I unwrapped it new. Functionally it works just fine, however I did touch up the welds. Perhaps I was expecting way too much from an 80$ bargain bar, but I would agree with everybody above, spend a few more pennies and go with the xmark or Hampton, I wish I had.

[keyboardworkout]

Walmart was offering the CAP hex bars.

Can you use the store pickup option and inspect the bar prior to taking it?

[Hardgains88]

I've been very happy with my Hampton Hex Bar. One of its features are "kickstands" which make it easier to load and unload plates.

See:

https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=134913711

I know op already made purchased and went with the hampton. Its a slow news day and im having my coffee break so i wanted to add my thoughts for future searchers.
I did the mega hex at a amazon steal deal below any reasonable price any other bar could e competitive, it was about $115 shipped, the shipping alone had to be close to half that for a 75 # bar.
I have no complaints in terms if getting my money worth but would have gone another route if buying again.
The mga hex good:
Heavy and built like a tank
Upper& lower handles are nice
Regular collars work on sleeves
1.25" ? Maybe a bit more even thick handles ( i am in the manority and prefer 30mm -35 mm grios over the standard 27-30 mm most seem to prefer even for pulling.
Knurled grips also function as very effective exfoliant for hands! Lol some soecialty bars do not have knurling, so even a cheese grater is a plus here

Mega hex bad:
Finish? I thought that was a shipping coating that wipes off once unpacked! Loll
Handles are set a little too wide for me.
Its so friggan heavy it doesn't make it back into the bar holder spot all too often
No kick stand
Not rackable

I cant say enough, if your on a tight budget and Amazin is running a sale on these, theres no better deal. I was orginally thinking that i would only do occational shrugs and deadlift and that fir the rare usage i would be more then happy.
What i found though was that i liked the form factor and use it at least once a week, but would use it more often if i made another choice. A lit of us equipment forum guys firget how damn spoiled we are and how good our training experiance is compared to most lifters. Its not just the underwear dress code and the extended hours either. This was the first non rackable bar that i purchased in years. For deadlifting that wasnt a huge deal, but shrugs its a pain in the but to deadlift in place, then shrug... i know, i know,sounds ridiculous, but i just find my tolerence for any gym inconveniance is very very low! I hate having to use any bar from anything but the optimal starting pisotion, optimum set up fir any lift for me has become mandatory fir enjoyingthe movement.
I also remember reading KBKB's review and thinking "a kickstand is nice, but for $200. More ill pass!" Then i actually had to start messing with lifting the end of the loaded bar and realized "$200. Isnt that high a price". If not getting a rackable version, this is an essential feature.
That brings me to rackable. There arent too many out there, and fewer still woth all the features. I dont believe the hampton is rackable, and at that price i would have to have it fit in a rack. The BWTG and Many others are mising something from my prefered list:

Rackable
Knurled grip
High low handles
Heavy duty construction
1.25" grip
Kickstand

This york seems similar to the hampton, and i think its rackable:

https://www.amazon.com/York-Barbell-.../dp/B0015UK9TG

This is probably the only bar that has all my prefered features.
If i had to give up the kickstand, as long as the bar was rackable, i probably would be able to deal with it, so that leaves a number of choices:
Rogue comes to mind.
http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-tb-2-trap-bar
Theres probably several more, but once yor looking at rackable, the high grip option is not common.
Now, to totally derail thread..l what would i buy if doing it over again? Probably some sort of dedicated piece of equipment like a rickshaw that offered adjustable grips amd heightsthat allowed deadlifts and up amd doesn't need a rack. But baring that, the rogue probably.

[Sboarder1964]

I bought the Chrome X-Mark Dead/Shrug bar for $146. It's essentially the cap bar with hi/low handles, but a bit cleaner and chrome finish. Fantastic value, only downside is the handles are 1" diameter so farmer carries can get a little painful.

amazon.com/gp/product/B004NQM8ZC/

50" long? That's too short for farmers handles.

Considering most Farmer's implements are ~36" between the collars, I would think that'd be fine. Haven't personally used that one though.

[zGwild]

I just got the Hampton bar today. I tested it out and really like it. No complaints


The kickstands work great and are easy to use. Standard spring collars slide on easy and hold well. All weld look good and no splatter. The matte finish looks good and should hide scratches and imperfections better than the shiny finishes. I weighed it and came up with 59.8 lbs.

Overall l could not be happier with the purchase.

[dieselmike]

I weighed it and came up with 59.8 lbs.

Overall l could not be happier with the purchase.

Did all 59.8 pounds come crashing down on your camera and break it?

[AttyGuy]

Why not buy a hex bar that costs more than most guys spend on a rack?

[KBKB]

I know op already made purchased and went with the hampton. Its a slow news day and im having my coffee break so i wanted to add my thoughts for future searchers.
I did the mega hex at a amazon steal deal below any reasonable price any other bar could e competitive, it was about $115 shipped, the shipping alone had to be close to half that for a 75 # bar.
I have no complaints in terms if getting my money worth but would have gone another route if buying again.
The mga hex good:
Heavy and built like a tank
Upper& lower handles are nice
Regular collars work on sleeves
1.25" ? Maybe a bit more even thick handles ( i am in the manority and prefer 30mm -35 mm grios over the standard 27-30 mm most seem to prefer even for pulling.
Knurled grips also function as very effective exfoliant for hands! Lol some soecialty bars do not have knurling, so even a cheese grater is a plus here

Mega hex bad:
Finish? I thought that was a shipping coating that wipes off once unpacked! Loll
Handles are set a little too wide for me.
Its so friggan heavy it doesn't make it back into the bar holder spot all too often
No kick stand
Not rackable

I cant say enough, if your on a tight budget and Amazin is running a sale on these, theres no better deal. I was orginally thinking that i would only do occational shrugs and deadlift and that fir the rare usage i would be more then happy.
What i found though was that i liked the form factor and use it at least once a week, but would use it more often if i made another choice. A lit of us equipment forum guys firget how damn spoiled we are and how good our training experiance is compared to most lifters. Its not just the underwear dress code and the extended hours either. This was the first non rackable bar that i purchased in years. For deadlifting that wasnt a huge deal, but shrugs its a pain in the but to deadlift in place, then shrug... i know, i know,sounds ridiculous, but i just find my tolerence for any gym inconveniance is very very low! I hate having to use any bar from anything but the optimal starting pisotion, optimum set up fir any lift for me has become mandatory fir enjoyingthe movement.
I also remember reading KBKB's review and thinking "a kickstand is nice, but for $200. More ill pass!" Then i actually had to start messing with lifting the end of the loaded bar and realized "$200. Isnt that high a price". If not getting a rackable version, this is an essential feature.
That brings me to rackable. There arent too many out there, and fewer still woth all the features. I dont believe the hampton is rackable, and at that price i would have to have it fit in a rack. The BWTG and Many others are mising something from my prefered list:

Rackable
Knurled grip
High low handles
Heavy duty construction
1.25" grip
Kickstand

This york seems similar to the hampton, and i think its rackable:

https://www.amazon.com/York-Barbell-.../dp/B0015UK9TG

This is probably the only bar that has all my prefered features.
If i had to give up the kickstand, as long as the bar was rackable, i probably would be able to deal with it, so that leaves a number of choices:
Rogue comes to mind.
http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-tb-2-trap-bar
Theres probably several more, but once yor looking at rackable, the high grip option is not common.
Now, to totally derail thread..l what would i buy if doing it over again? Probably some sort of dedicated piece of equipment like a rickshaw that offered adjustable grips amd heightsthat allowed deadlifts and up amd doesn't need a rack. But baring that, the rogue probably.

Some excellent info there. Repped!

As you surmise, the Hampton bar that I got is not rackable. This is okay with me because it's easier to maneuver around the tight space in my workout room than a longer bar would be. OTOH, I do sometimes which that the sleeves were three inches longer or so, so that they could accommodate additional plates.

I also think that you're correct about the York being rackable w/ "kickstands" too. I think the sleeves are longer too, meaning that it can be loaded up with more weight.

[zGwild]

Why not buy a hex bar that costs more than most guys spend on a rack?

I did look at that bar but could not justify the price. Especially since I am planning on getting a SSB soon.

[AttyGuy]

A lot of us equipment forum guys forget how damn spoiled we are and how good our training experience is compared to most lifters. Its not just the underwear dress code and the extended hours either.

Jeepers, you wear underwear when you workout at home? All you really need are some dirty Chucks and a towel.