IGX

http://www.jesupgym.com/products.php?cid=12

I know a bunch of guys here have experience with this bar and have had positive experiences with it so I thought I'd start a product review thread on it.

The bar was recommended to me on Power and Bulk by a few of the guys. I'm clearly not elite or pushing serious weight with it but very happy with it for $165 delivered. Sweet price. Gnarly knurling. It does have center knurling too. With my shitty clean technique it's a little rough on my neck. Not a big deal to me, but a heads up for those who might be interested in the bar.

Again I'm not an oly guy or a powerlifter so hopefully some of the other guys can pipe in about it's appropriateness for either endeavor. I think for a beginner on a limited budget you can't go wrong with it though.

And it's tough looking cuz it's black.

I sanded down the gnurling on mine. Otherwise, it was too much for my delicate hands. I'm delicate, like a flower.

I also don't like it for O-lifting, especially going heavy, it has no whip and this can hurt you on the explosive pulls. I got economy training bars from http://www.bumperplates.com for o-lifting and these were cheap and good.

However, back to Jesup bar. Its awesome, in that it is damn hard to break and is very durable. I've had mine for about 9 months and even with guys repeatedly dropping 400-500 lb deadlifts, its held up pretty well.

In the past couple of weeks have ordered some bumpers for my bar from Jesup. Quick service and ship time. Nice people on the phone. Don't really have much to say about the bumpers as I've nothing to compare them too, but I feel good giving these people my business.

grey wrote:In the past couple of weeks have ordered some bumpers for my bar from Jesup. Quick service and ship time. Nice people on the phone. Don't really have much to say about the bumpers as I've nothing to compare them too, but I feel good giving these people my business.

I agree.

syaigh wrote: I also don't like it for O-lifting, especially going heavy, it has no whip

I've read that a couple other places.... what does that mean?

I believe "whip" refers to the flexibility of the bar. Power lifting bars tend to be stiffer. Oly bars are more flexible and have more whip. Not sure that it has much of a difference with the light-ass weights I'm using.

I only use light-ass weights, because I'm weak, but I think it makes a difference. It feels different through the pull and especially in the catch. I can clean and snatch more weight with an Oly bar than a power bar.

Whip is about the flexibility of the bar. Some lifters can time the spring on the bar to come out of the hole better. Casey Burgener is good at it. I found that when the bar has a pretty easy spin it is better for me,spring not so much. They only way to explain it is to clean with a really good bar and then clean with a $45 bar. It all will make sense.

For those who've used both: how does the Jesus compare to the Texas Power Bar?




Yeah, I know I'm bumping an old thread. I'm a slow reader.

Similar, but not as good.

If you want a cheap, solid, heavy duty bar, then the Jesup bar fits the bill. I've known guys who've had 800-900+ lbs on it for partials and it held up well.

Thanks. I may hold out for the TPB, if only the the kewl factor.

I am seeing what syaigh is saying about the whip and there not being any with the Jesup bar. It is still a very good bar for the power lifts but I think when/if I really get into the oly lifts I may see about finding a decent oly bar with some whip.

To reiterate, the Jesup bar is a very good bar but not really any whip if you want to concentrate on the oly lifts.

Solid, cheap bar. No whip at all and I wouldn't use it for cleans or snatches. Its main selling points are its price (still cheap including delivery), durability and the fact that it's a tad thicker than any bar you'd use in competition. It will toughen your grip so that deadlifts with a competition bar seem much easier on the grip by comparison. Its thickness and increased surface area mean it cuts into your back/shoulders less than a thinner bar, but that chainsaw knurling still makes it a mite uncomfortable.

I have been doing a lot of power cleans with my jesup bar and fuck do they seem tough. I sort of dread PC day. Especially with the volume I have been doing. Toughens you up though.

I believe I'll start looking for a good used oly bar on craigs list or somewheres. Even the $199 bar at bumperplates.com is out of my present price range. Well, I suppose it's worth saving up for.