The best barbells for powerlifting have several key points in common, but one you might not think about is the finish or protective coating. When it comes to powerlifting barbells, cerakote is the gold standard for finishes. Cerakote is an American-made polymer-ceramic composite coating that is highly resistant to abrasion and corrosion. It also has excellent lubricity properties, meaning the weight plates slide over it more easily, which can prevent the bar from taking too much damage from those heavy weights.
One of the most popular brands of powerlifting barbells with this type of finish and protective coating is the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar. But is it worth all the hype?
The team here at ACTIVE.com has dug deep to find out more about this bar in terms of manufacturing and user experience. See if this bar is worth the buy in our American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar review.
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Standard vs. Powerlifting Barbells
We're going to jump into our American Barbell Mammoth Bar review and break down the pros and cons of this barbell. But first, we want to discuss why buying the right barbell for your fitness goals matters.
Not all barbells are created equal and if you want to see great results and feel confident about your fitness investment, then you need to make sure you are matching the proper barbell to the end goal of your fitness journey. There is a big difference between powerlifting barbells and standard barbells.
Standard barbells are designed for general fitness. That means they can be used for all barbell-based exercises, and this is why they are great for beginners who need to learn proper form and execution. Powerlifting barbells, on the other hand, are specially designed for athletes who need to focus on the Big Three: squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. A powerlifting bar is designed to withstand greater weight loads than an Olympic bar, and certain variations can be longer and thicker than a standard barbell.
Continuing with that point, powerlifting barbells are designed to be able to last through a real powerlifting workout, one where the individual is attempting a new personal record each and every workout. That means the bar needs to be rigid without a lot of bar whip. While a standard barbell is designed to be more flexible and have plenty of whip and rotation in order to better accommodate Olympic lifts like the snatch, a powerlifting barbell is much stiffer and more rigid, making it ideal for consistent heavy lifting.
One of the biggest differences between standard and powerlifting barbells is their durability and the ability to withstand wear and tear. You only need to have used a barbell once to know that the weight plates can quickly do some real damage to the bar if you're not careful.
Now imagine you're a pro-level powerlifter with a warm-up starting weight that is higher than most people's max rep weight. That's a lot of weight—and a lot of chances to damage the barbell. This is where a protective coating comes in. If you want your powerlifting barbell to look great for years after you buy it, you'll want to find a bar that is both made from high-quality steel and coated with a protective finish that is above and beyond what you'd find on most commercial Olympic barbells. Introducing cerakote.
What Is Cerakote?
Cerakote is relatively new in the fitness industry, but it's been used in many other industries for decades. Invented in 1984, cerakote was developed with the intent to outperform any other type of ceramic coatings on the market. It wasn't long before cerakote was being applied to products in the industries of firearms, automotive, electronics, and many more.
The Benefits of Cerakote on Fitness Equipment
Eventually, cerakote found its way to fitness. The benefits of using a cerakote finish on barbells include corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and reduced friction. In fact, testing has shown that this coating is much more durable than chrome and stainless steel, with a lifespan of up to 70 times longer. This means that normal wear-and-tear won't be an issue for a barbell that has a cerakote finish. More importantly, a tough powerlifting workout won't be an issue either.
Now, the reason you're here: How does the cerakote coating on the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar hold up?
A Quick Look at the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar
SPECS
- Weight: 44 lbs. (20 kg)
- Diameter: 29mm
- Knurling: Medium
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Material:
- Shaft material - Stainless steel with elite smoke cerakote finish
- Sleeve material - Precision machined steel with a hard chrome finish
The fact that American Barbell has been around since 1976 says a lot about them as a brand and how successful they are as a business. The fitness industry is known for products that come and go, but if a brand has been around for 50 years, it's a sign that their equipment can be trusted. American Barbell has been setting the precedent for quality fitness equipment for years, and many others have followed suit. In fact, it's easy to find brands that mimic American Barbell's style and quality.
According to their website, you'll find that they created the first hard chrome Olympic barbell, produced the first urethane bumper plate, and utilized patented Spline technology for their high-strength urethane dumbbells. Most importantly, for the purpose of this American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar Review, they made the first cerakote Olympic barbell in 2016.
There's a reason that we feature American Barbell fitness equipment a lot, and it's because their equipment has been tested and approved time and time again. The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Power Bar is no different. American Barbell used to sell this under the name of the Super Power Bar, so if you look up other American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Power Bar reviews, it might be under that name.
The Cerakote Mammoth Power Bar is an excellent blend of craftsmanship and aesthetic. The shaft is made from sturdy, precision grade stainless steel, and it features a characteristic finish with Elite Smoke Cerakote.
What We Like
- This barbell has a cerakote finish, which is considered one of the best to have in the industry. This finish is unrivaled in terms of corrosion and abrasion resistance.
- The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar uses a steel grade that ensures rigidity that makes it perfect for max-load lifts.
- The quality assurance testing is done with precision to ensure that the barbells provide a consistent 210,000 PSI tensile strength.
- American Barbell has a limited lifetime warranty, guaranteeing that its weightlifting and powerlifting barbells will be free from material or workmanship defects for as long as you own the product, under normal use conditions.
- American Barbell, as a brand and company, has a long history of creating some of the most effective fitness equipment in the industry. They've been around for almost 50 years and maintain a reputation of quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction.
What We Don't Like
- American Barbells recommends that the Cerakote Mammoth Bar is only stored on urethane-coated wall racks and only used with J hooks or bar catches designed to protect the bar. While this is definitely a worthwhile investment, it might also be one that you're not ready for as these types of hooks along with installation can be costly.
- Looking through the user reviews, you won't find any complaints about the performance of the bar, but you will see some quality control issues that are minimal. For example, one reviewer mentioned a blemish on his new barbell while another had an issue with the ring inserts.
BUY: American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar
A Closer Look at the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar
Now that you have an in-depth understanding of why cerakote is so essential for powerlifting bars, we can dive deeper into what makes the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar so unique.
Weight
The barbell itself weighs the standard 44 pounds (20 kilograms), ensuring you won't have any issues in terms of adjustment if you're switching from an Olympic barbell to a powerlifting barbell.
As far as the weight capacity, the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar doesn't explicitly say on their website how much weight the bar can hold. However, it's possible to get a good estimate based on tensile strength.
The tensile strength of a barbell is the amount of weight it can hold before breaking. Barbells with a tensile strength rating of 190,000 can hold up to 1,500 pounds, and since the American Barbell Mammoth Bar has a 210,000 rating, it can easily hold up to 1,500 pounds of weight. Naturally, this is going to make it ideal for serious weightlifters who specialize in powerlifting and heavy strength training.
Diameter
The diameter of a barbell refers to the thickness of the shaft, which plays an important role in your grip and grip strength. The wider the diameter, the tougher it will be on your grip. The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar has a diameter of 29 millimeters (1.14 inches). This is within the standard dimensions for the vast majority of commercial barbells, which means that it's suitable for all hand sizes and provides a comfortable grip.
Knurling
Aggressive knurling is often associated with powerlifting barbells, but while many people prefer this, American Barbell set out to prove that you can have amazing grip without the barbell biting your hand. The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar has a medium-depth knurl with rings at both ends of the bar that helps to prevent slippage during max load lifts. The knurling also provides adequate grip without damaging your hands and is comfortable to use for lengthy workouts.
The length of the center knurl is 5.0 inches, and it offers the same patterning as what's found on the rest of the shaft. The extra coverage on this area is a great feature, since most other power bars have shorter coverage. The total length of 51.5 inches falls in line with IPF specifications, much like everything else about this bar.
Material
Just like with many of their other bars, American Barbell has gone above and beyond to ensure this barbell can withstand the toughest powerlifting workouts. The shaft itself is stainless steel. That in and of itself would be sufficient for most barbells, but American Barbell goes one step further by coating it with cerakote. As we discussed above, cerakote is an incredibly durable and long-lasting finish that can effectively take the punishment you'd expect in a powerlifting workout.
The combination of stainless steel and cerakote is especially interesting because it's practically a rust-proof system. Typically, when a barbell gets damaged, the base material can be exposed to oxygen, which may promote rust. Since stainless steel is already rust-resistant AND cerakote is very tough to damage, you can rest assured that your American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar will be looking like new for years.
As for the sleeve material, it is made with precision machined steel featuring a hard chrome finish. Hardened chrome is a common finish used by manufacturers to improve their bar's strength and provide durability against corrosion.
Between the shaft and sleeve, you have yourself an incredibly tough barbell that will be able to keep up during your powerlifting workouts. Even with bare minimum maintenance, the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar is going to become your new favorite barbell for a very long time.
BUY: American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar
American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar Construction
Even if you don't know much about the manufacturing side of fitness equipment, the construction of the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar is pretty impressive. The first step in the construction of this barbell is testing the raw materials that are sent to American Barbell. They test the strength of every raw material shipment that comes in, ensuring it's going to be able to be used to produce a barbell that, once heat-treated, can provide 210,000 PSI tensile strength every time. This ensures that once the barbell is finished, it will provide a dependable and consistent performance experience.
As we mentioned above, American Barbell starts with a stainless-steel barbell. The thing that is great about stainless steel is that it is rust-resistant. If you have a home gym that is exposed to the elements in any way, stainless steel is a great option because it dramatically reduces the chances that you'll have to worry about your equipment rusting and getting those brown blemishes all over it. A side note about the steel they choose: It's specifically selected because it has very little flex, making it ideal for a variety of lifts that require you to throw on enough weight plates to hit your max load.
American Barbell takes the construction of this barbell a step further by coating the shaft with cerakote. As we've hammered home in this American Barbell Mammoth Bar review, cerakote is an incredibly durable finish that can protect the bar from scratches, dents, and even corrosion. Combining a stainless-steel foundation with what's considered the gold standard of protective coatings, you have a barbell that is going to outlast and outperform nearly all of the competition.
American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar Performance
We've gushed enough about how impressed we are with the construction of this barbell, so it's time for the most important question in this review: How does the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth bar actually perform? Is it all talk or does the performance match the quality of its construction?
You don't have to look far to find user reviews—websites, blogs, and videos—singing the praises of the Mammoth Bar. Everyone from amateur lifters to pro powerlifters love the bar, and there are several reasons for that:
People love that it feels like a powerlifter's bar. From the finish to the knurling, when you pick this thing up, you know you are using a barbell that is specifically made for the exercises you're about to do.
With that said, there are some powerlifters that mention how they wish the knurling were a bit sharper, especially during certain variations of squats and deadlifts. For example, some lifters prefer sharper knurling when they perform low-bar squats, ensuring they can maintain their grip despite the lower positioning of the bar. Still, these same reviewers mention how the overall performance of the bar makes up for the medium-grade knurling.
Knowing you'll be able to lock your grip in, we naturally need to talk about the weight you'll be pulling with that grip. The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar provides you with 210,000 PSI tensile strength, and as we mentioned above, this is A LOT of weight. Remember how barbells with a tensile strength rating of 190,000 PSI can hold up to 1,500 pounds? Well, the Mammoth Bar provides you with 210,000 PSI—that's 30,000 more than what most powerlifting bars provide. That means, if your name is Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (the actor who played The Mountain in Game of Thrones) and you are trying to set a new world deadlifting record, this is the bar you can use to do that.
Now, let's talk about the spin or movement of the barbell. When it comes to powerlifting and heavy lifting, the only way that the spin of a bar matters is in that you need to make sure it does NOT spin. What good is bar spin during a bench or squat? It's not good, especially if you have multiple 45-pound plates on either end. Thankfully, the American Barbell Mammoth Bar has slow-moving bushings, which are ideal for a powerlifting bar. If your goal involves Olympic lifts or general fitness weightlifting, this barbell might not be a good fit, especially if you are just starting out with learning fundamental compound lifts.
But if heavy lifting is what you're after, then you're in luck. This bar ensures a slow—we're talking very slow—and smooth spin, making it ideal for squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. The performance of the Cerakote Mammoth Bar ranks among the top barbells in the industry. This is a barbell that can help you achieve some seriously tough fitness goals, assuming you are up for the challenge.
Our Verdict
The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar is an ideal choice if you're looking to maximize your performance for powerlifting, heavy strength training, or cross-training workouts. The barbell itself is of excellent quality and incredibly durable thanks to its stainless steel and cerakote finish. You can rely on consistently getting an excellent grip during max load sets with its medium knurling.
Overall, it has all the features that one could expect in a professional-grade powerlifting barbell. If you're ready to achieve your strength and performance goals, the American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar is ready to help you!
FAQs About American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar
How heavy is the Mammoth bar?
The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar has a weight of 45 pounds (20 kilograms). This is the standard weight for most commercial, Olympic, and powerlifting barbells.
What barbells are used in powerlifting?
Powerlifters typically use barbells with a tensile strength rating of 190,000 to 200,000 PSI. American Barbell's Cerakote Mammoth Bar has an impressive 210,000 PSI rating—30,000 more than most powerlifting bars.
Powerlifting barbells also tend to have aggressive knurling, a hyper-durable protective coating to protect it from wear and tear, and very little bar spin.
What is an American Barbell Mammoth bar?
The American Barbell Mammoth bar is a professional-grade powerlifting bar with 210,000 PSI tensile strength. It features dual knurl marks and medium knurling for high-performance grip during heavy lifts. The American Barbell Cerakote Mammoth Bar is unique in that it has both a stainless-steel foundation and a finish coating of cerakote, which provides an added layer of protection against wear and tear that is common with intense powerlifting workouts. The bar also features slow-moving bushings, making it ideal for the big three exercises of powerlifting: squats, bench presses, and deadlifts.
About the Author
David has over a decade of experience as a NASM-certified personal trainer, fitness and nutrition specialist, and sports conditioning specialist. David has written blog posts, e-books, training guides, and online courses that cover a range of health and fitness topics.
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