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REP Fitness has been making a reputation for themselves for a while now. But when the house gym equipment company launched a recent line of barbells in the summertime of 2023, we were excited to see how they improved upon their predecessors.

After training with the Double Black Diamond Power Bar for several weeks, we are able to truthfully say that it’s considered one of our favourite powerlifting barbells. We accomplished dozens of squats, bench presses, and deadlifts with it and even used it for lifts like overhead presses. On this REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar review, we’ll share our experiences and break down the associated fee, construction, knurling, and other details of this premium powerlifting barbell.

Key Takeaways

• The Double Black Diamond Barbell retails for around $329.99 to around $449.99.
• As this can be a power bar, it features aggressive mountain-style knurling to make it easier to get a secure grip for deadlifts.
• The barbell is on the market in three options: a Cerakote shaft with Duracout sleeves, a chrome steel shaft with hard chrome sleeves, or a chrome steel shaft with chrome steel sleeves.

REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar

4.5

• Material: Steel or chrome steel
• Weight: 20 kilograms (44 kilos)
• Weight capability: 680.2 kilograms (1,500 kilos)
• Tensile strength: 200k PSI
• Loadable sleeve length: 16.3 inches
• Knurling: Very aggressive
• Warranty: Lifetime

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REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Pros

• The Cerakote version of the barbell will be ideal for home gym owners who train in non-temperature-controlled basement or garage gyms. The coating may also help prevent rust and corrosion from developing quickly.
• The Double Black Diamond Power Bar comes with a limited lifetime warranty. You’ll be able to rest assured that REP stands behind the bar’s quality and can rectify any issues which will arise. (For the record, though, we don’t think that’s likely.)
• This Olympic barbell has a high tensile strength of 200,000 PSI. Even for probably the most elite powerlifters, it should find a way to handle any weight you load on it.

REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Cons

• The Double Black Diamond bar is an influence bar with aggressive knurling and just isn’t meant for dynamic lifts like snatches and power cleans. CrossFitters, Olympic weightlifters, and functional fitness athletes should consider a multi-purpose barbell as a substitute.
• All of REP’s barbells are made overseas, so lifters preferring to purchase American-made products will want to take a look at other brands.
• The worth of the Double Black Diamond Barbell is affordable for the standard you get. But for athletes on a decent budget, a cheaper power bar just like the Bells of Steel Powerlifting Bar 2.0 could also be a greater option.

REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Specs

Price	$329.99 to $449.99
Weight	20 kilograms (44 kilos)
Tensile strength	200,000 PSI
Weight capability	1,500 kilos
Loadable sleeve length	16.3 inches
Shaft diameter	29 millimeters
Knurling	Aggressive deep mountain knurling; IPF knurl rings
Coating	Cerakote or chrome steel shaft; Duracoat, hard chrome, or chrome steel sleeves
Rotation system	Bronze bushings
Warranty	Lifetime warranty on the fabric, functionality, and workmanship

REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Rating

Our expert product testers, who include certified personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, CrossFitters, and competitive powerlifters, have tested over 80 barbells. After training with them for all the pieces from squats to bench presses to CrossFit Workouts of the Day (WODs), we used a proprietary scorecard system to rank them. Categories that we scored the barbells on include price, tensile strength, knurling, and sturdiness.

Here’s how the REP Double Black Diamond Power Bar scored.

Factor	Rating (out of 5)
Price and Value	4.5
Delivery	5
Construction, Materials, and Coating	4
Knurling	4.5
Tensile Strength	4.5
Rotation System	4
Versatility	3
Durability	5

REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Overview

The Double Black Diamond bar is a newcomer in REP’s barbell lineup. It replaces REP’s Deep Knurl Power Bar EX. The name pays homage to the state of Colorado, where REP’s headquarters are positioned, and the state’s strong winter sports culture. “Double black diamond” refers to probably the most difficult ski slopes and can also be representative of this barbell’s intensity and toughness.

Unracking the REP Double Black Diamond Bar

Like its predecessor, the Double Black Diamond barbell is an influence bar meant for the three powerlifts: squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. As such, it features aggressive mountain knurling and International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) knurl markings. You’ll be able to select from multiple finishes, which supply various levels of durability. And like other reputable fitness equipment brands, REP offers a limited lifetime warranty on this top-tier barbell.

REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar In-Depth Review

While we’ve loved lifting with the Double Black Diamond Power Bar, we realize that it is probably not the very best barbell for everybody. As mentioned, the aggressive knurling may not suit all forms of lifting, and it’s not the most cost effective power bar available. Depending on which finish you get, it is probably not completely proof against rust or corrosion. But its high tensile strength means it could possibly handle super heavy loads, and we predict it’s still a superb value considering its high-quality construction and the way well it performs for powerlifting training.

Price and Value

The REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Barbell costs around $330 for the Cerakote options, around $400 for the chrome steel and hard chrome model, and around $450 for the all-stainless steel version. It’s not too far off in price from the Rogue Ohio Power Bar, which costs anywhere from about $275 to about $415, depending on the finish. Nevertheless, the Double Black Diamond bar is dearer than a solid budget barbell just like the Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0, which costs around $220.

That said, REP Fitness offers free shipping on all orders as of this writing. Considering that shipping a barbell can cost $25 or more, the Double Black Diamond Bar generally is a cost-efficient option. Plus, with the sturdiness and excellent performance quality it offers, we predict it’s an honest value. We rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars for the worth.

Delivery

I’ve bought near two dozen pieces of home gym equipment through the years and have also received complimentary items resulting from my job as a fitness author. Most products arrived perfectly packaged with none damage. Nevertheless, I’ve received two barbells whose packaging was damaged upon delivery. The bars had knicks and chips on the sleeves and shaft before I even had a likelihood to make use of them.

I used to be blissful to listen to from our product testers that the delivery of the Double Black Diamond barbell to our warehouse in Springfield, MO, went far more easily. The barbell arrived in a cardboard tube with plastic end caps that had remained intact during shipping. The bar was also wrapped in foam and plastic to further protect it from dings and scratches. We scored the delivery process 5 out of 5 stars.

Construction, Materials, and Coating

The Double Black Diamond Bar has a 29-millimeter shaft. This diameter is common in power bars. Some, just like the Original Texas Power Bar, have a 28.5-millimeter diameter. But in response to our product testers, 29 millimeters is the gold standard.

When ordering the Double Black Diamond Bar, you’ll be able to select from three finishes: Cerakote (which is available in black, blue, green, or red color options), chrome steel with chrome sleeves, or chrome steel with chrome steel sleeves. The Cerakote bars have Duracoat sleeves, which makes them harder, more corrosion-resistant, and fewer prone to scratches and scuff marks from plate inserts.

No matter which finish you select, you’ll get a bar with smooth sleeves. I generally prefer barbells with ribbed sleeves because I don’t use collars often, and the ribbing helps keep my weight plates in place. But after I trained with the Double Black Diamond Bar at our testing facility in Springfield, MO, I did appreciate how easy it was to slip plates on and off it. I also loved how the top was beveled. The beveling made loading plates a breeze because I didn’t should perfectly align the plate inserts with the top of the sleeve.

One thing I really like in regards to the Double Black Diamond Bar is the endcap design. The black endcap boasts raised silver lettering with the REP name and a double diamond outline. It’s a small but unique touch that provides the barbell a high-end aesthetic. Similarly, REP also added etching with its logo and the bar’s name to the inside the collars. These characteristics may not look like much, but the standard craftsmanship and a spotlight to detail help this bar stand out from its competitors.

The endcap on the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Bar

All in all, this barbell gets 4 out of 5 stars for its construction quality.

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Knurling

As this can be a power bar, the Double Black Diamond Bar features powerlifting knurl marks as specified by the IPF. This implies it has single knurl rings and a small area of center knurling. The knurl rings act as a reference point for where to position your hands when bench pressing, while the middle knurl helps keep the barbell in your back for back squats.

The knurling itself could be very aggressive. It’s a mountain-style knurling, meaning it has a diamond-shaped pattern with sharp, pointy peaks. Mountain knurling is common in power bars since it offers a superior grip for deadlifts. Nevertheless, power bars with mountain knurling aren’t probably the most comfortable to lift with, especially for brand new lifters, due to how aggressively they dig into the hands.

On the point of train with the Double Black Diamond Bar at our testing facility

However, should you’re already used to lifting weights and have calluses built up in your palms, the knurling on the Double Black Diamond Bar may not hassle you as much. I even have calluses on my hands from years of lifting weights and doing pull-up bar exercises in CrossFit WODs. After I trained with the Double Black Diamond Bar, I definitely noticed the stickiness and grippiness of the knurling, but I wasn’t in a ton of discomfort.

As well as, REP uses higher teeth per inch (TPI, the variety of visible teeth per inch on the barbell) than other corporations use on their power bars. The mountain pattern can also be less pointy than what you’d find on other power bars. Essentially, you get a solid grip but don’t should worry about tearing your skin during every deadlift workout. For these reasons, we rated the knurling 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Tensile Strength

Tensile strength refers to how much weight a barbell can hold before it fractures. It’s measured in kilos per square inch (PSI). A high tensile strength is significant in an influence bar, especially for lifters who can squat, bench press, and deadlift a whole lot of kilos. Normally, the upper the tensile strength, the more abuse a barbell can handle.

REP’s Double Black Diamond Bar has a tensile strength of 200,000 PSI. Other barbells we’ve tested and reviewed have higher tensile strengths. As an example, the Rogue Ohio Power Bar has a 205,000 PSI tensile strength. However, the tensile strength of the Double Black Diamond Bar is higher than more economical barbells, just like the Performance Series Power Bar from Titan Fitness. Titan’s power bar only has a tensile strength of 165,000 PSI.

For these reasons, we rated the Double Black Diamond Bar 4.5 out of 5 stars for its tensile strength.

Rotation System

The rotation system refers back to the mechanism a barbell uses for its sleeve rotation. Some barbells use bearings to rotate their sleeves, and others use bushings. Bushings are more common in powerlifting bars because they don’t spin as quickly or easily. For slower, more grindy lifts just like the squat, bench press, and deadlift, slower rotation is helpful since the barbell will feel more stable.

The Double Black Diamond Bar utilizes bronze bushings. The bushings offer some spin, nevertheless it’s not as significant as what you’d find on an Olympic weightlifting bar, like REP’s Alpine Weightlifting Bar. But since a low amount of spin is precisely what we’d hope for in an influence bar, we scored the rotation system 4 out of 5 stars.

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Versatility

As mentioned, the Double Black Diamond bar is an influence bar. It’s not a multi-purpose bar like REP’s Colorado bar or Rogue’s regular Ohio bar. While it’s great for powerlifting, it wouldn’t be suitable for the dynamic movements you’d find in CrossFit. The aggressive knurling won’t be comfortable in your palms during movements where the barbell may rotate in your hands often, like thrusters or push presses.

Also, since the barbell only has single IPF knurl marks and doesn’t conform to International Weightlifting Federation (IWF standards), it’s not ideal for Olympic weightlifting (snatches and clean and jerks). We only gave it 3 out of 5 stars for versatility since we don’t recommend using it for anything aside from powerlifting. A high-quality, all-purpose bar with medium knurling and dual knurl marks could also be more suitable for strength sports that utilize more explosive barbell movements.

Durability

We’ve only had the all-stainless steel Double Black Diamond Bar at our testing center for a few months. To date, it has held up well. But in our experience, REP’s chrome steel bars are likely to rust quickly. We’ll should let more time pass to see if the Double Black Diamond Bar starts to rust or if it continues to look pristine.

Even so, we rated the bar 5 out of 5 stars for durability. As mentioned, the barbell can also be available with a Cerakote finish. Other Cerakote barbells we’ve tested, like Rogue’s Cerakote Barbell, have lasted for greater than six months without rusting. That is despite every day use and being stored in non-temperature-controlled rooms. Plus, REP also offers a limited lifetime warranty on all of its barbells. An organization wouldn’t offer any such guarantee if it didn’t truly stand behind its products.

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REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar vs. Rogue Ohio Power Bar

By way of specs, the REP Double Black Diamond Bar and the Rogue Ohio Power Bar are similar. They each have a 29-millimeter shaft diameter, a middle knurl, and IPF knurl marks. Their total length and loadable sleeve length are nearly similar. The chrome steel versions of each bars boast a 200,000 PSI tensile strength, but among the Ohio Power Bar versions have a 205,000 PSI tensile strength.

The Ohio Power Bar is barely cheaper. The most cost effective version starts at around $295, whereas the Double Black Diamond Power Bar starts at slightly below $330. REP offers free shipping on all purchases while Rogue doesn’t, but depending on where you reside, the Ohio Power Bar should still find yourself being cheaper.

Like REP’s power bar, Rogue’s Ohio Power Bar is available in multiple finishes. There’s a Cerakote shaft coating (which is on the market in black, blue, red, or green), black zinc, bare steel, chrome steel, or e-coat. In our experience, Rogue’s chrome steel doesn’t rust as quickly as REP’s. For those who desire a chrome steel power bar, it’s possible you’ll need to go together with the Ohio Power Bar.

However, if knurling is more essential to you, we’d recommend the Double Black Diamond Power Bar as a substitute. Considered one of our expert product testers, who’s tested a whole lot of pieces of gym equipment, says he prefers the knurling on the Double Black Diamond Power Bar. For him to say that may be a big deal. Up until recently, the Ohio Power Bar’s knurling was his favorite out of all the ability bars he’s trained with.

Rogue Ohio Power Bar

• Material: Steel or chrome steel
• Weight: 20 kilograms (44 kilos)
• Weight capability: 680.2 kilograms (1,500 kilos)
• Tensile strength: 200k to 205k PSI
• Loadable sleeve length: 16.25 inches
• Knurling: Very aggressive
• Warranty: Lifetime warranty against bending

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REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar Customer Reviews

For the reason that REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Bar was just released this past summer, there aren’t many reviews on it yet. The purchasers who’ve left reviews have been satisfied with the development quality. Those that bought Cerakote versions of the bar noted how vibrant the colours look in person. Customers are also pleased with the knurling; many have said that it’s grippy and sharp but not overdone.

Buyers who selected the chrome steel barbell left comments about issues with corrosion. Nevertheless, it seems that REP has fixed these issues and offered to exchange those barbells.

Final Verdict: Is the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Power Bar Price It?

All in all, we consider the Double Black Diamond Power Bar considered one of the highest power bars available on the market. For those who’re a powerlifter who has some extra money to spend and also you’re in search of a top-notch barbell, this one might be for you. It’s made to IPF specifications and boasts IPF knurl marks and a 29-millimeter diameter. We loved the sensation of the knurling, as we found it sharp and grippy but not as uncomfortable as other power bars we’ve tested. That said, we still wouldn’t recommend it for CrossFit or Olympic weightlifting. For more of an all-purpose barbell that may handle more explosive and dynamic lifts, you’ll must look elsewhere.

FAQs

Are power bars for squats?

Power bars just like the REP Fitness Double Black Diamond Bar are excellent for squats. They’ve a middle knurl that helps keep the barbell in your back. Plus, their low whip (meaning they don’t bend or flex much under heavy loads) means they won’t wobble much as you come out of the outlet when squatting.

What’s the very best bar for bench presses?

REP Fitness’s Double Black Diamond Bar is a terrific barbell for bench presses. It has IPF knurl marks to act as a visible reference for where to position your hands. Since it uses bushings as a substitute of bearings, the sleeves won’t rotate as much. The reduced spin may also help the barbell feel more balanced in the course of the bench press.

What bar is utilized in powerlifting competitions?

The Eleiko IPF Powerlifting Competition Bar is usually utilized in powerlifting competitions. The IPF dictates the specifications for competition-grade powerlifting barbells.
You likely won’t see the REP Double Black Diamond Power Bar at a global powerlifting meet since it’s not IPF-certified. Nevertheless, it does conform to IPF standards. For those who train with this barbell, it should feel much like a barbell you’d use in a contest.