The most basic pieces of equipment you could have in a home gym is a barbell, plates, and collars. These should be among the first items you budget for when creating a workout space. However, specialty barbells can be a great addition to take training to a new level, including specialty bars with different grips. One such bar that is worthy of consideration is the American Barbell T-Grip Barbell.
This American Barbell T-Grip Bar Review is going to cover all the specs, details, and benefits that will make this specialty bar a great addition to your future workouts, courtesy of the ACTIVE Reviews Team, who has done the research so you don't have to.
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A Quick Look at the American Barbell T-Grip Bar
American Barbell makes more than barbells. They produce a variety of gym equipment including weight plates, kettlebells, cardio equipment, dumbbells, racks, and conditioning equipment. They're based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and they serve both commercial gyms and home gym owners.
The T-Grip Bar is a specialty barbell that has two angled grips on each side, which can slightly alter the way you train the working muscles. The different grips are made to support your shoulders, elbows, and wrists while maximizing your potential to train the muscles effectively. It's shaped differently than a traditional Olympic barbell, but it's long enough to fit inside commercial benches and squat racks. It's primarily made for upper-body exercises such as the bench press or barbell curl, but it can also be used for a few lower-body movements such as Romanian deadlifts.
SPECS
- Dimensions: 84" long, 2" sleeves, 1-1/4" diameter handles
- Material: Iron with Black Powder Coating
- Weight: Non-rotating sleeves, 30 pounds; Rotating sleeves, 55 pounds
What We Like
- Fits in any squat rack or stands
- 2 different grips to choose from
- Weight capacity is 500 lbs.
- Knurling on handles for better grip
- Can be used for rows, curls, and extensions
- Option to have sleeves rotate or fixed
- Low cost with financing options
What We Don't Like
- Special collars required
- Non-rotating sleeve bar is only 30 lbs.
BUY: American Barbell T-Grip Bar
A Closer Look at American Barbell T-Grip Bar
Dimensions
This 7-foot-long barbell fits perfectly inside any rack or commercial bench setup, even with the odd-shaped handles in the middle. The sleeves on the outside of the bar are 1.9 inches in diameter. They will support Olympic plates, but unfortunately, traditional collars won't stay secure on those sleeves, so you will need to purchase a separate pair that will. American Barbell suggests the ProLoc Strongman Collars, which are also available on their website.
The diameter of the handles and shaft of the barbell is 1.25 inches, which is suitable for most trainees. As an added bonus, the grips are also knurled. So, you can feel comfortable holding the bar while pressing, curling, rowing, or even while performing triceps extensions. You can choose either pair of grips for comfort or to provide a different feeling to the muscles while you're working.
Material
The barbell is made of iron, and it has several welds that allow it to be the shape that it is. It's covered with a black powder coat finish, which will eventually suffer scratches because of it being taken out and returned to the rack. The sleeves have ribs to support keeping the collars and plates in place. The version with rotating sleeves has bronze bushings, which will need some care and maintenance. There is also a version with fixed sleeves.
Weight
According to the American Barbell website, the T-Grip Bar with fixed sleeves weighs 30 pounds, while the version with rotating sleeves weighs 55 pounds. Neither version weighs 45 pounds, so that has to be considered when you determine the weight you want to work with. Both versions of the barbell will support up to 500 pounds in weight. The sleeves are long enough to hold five traditional 45-pound plates on each side.
BUY: American Barbell T-Grip Bar
Benefits of a Multi-Grip Bar
The purpose of specialty bars is to train a specific way to improve a certain facet of your fitness or performance. The benefit of a specialty bar with multiple grips is that you can hold the weight in a way that will challenge the muscles differently. It could also be less stressful on joints, ligaments, and tendons.
Take the bench press as an example. You can use the wide grips with the hands positioned palms in so you can target the chest with minimal involvement from the shoulders. You can also use the closer grips to train the triceps to a greater degree. If you were to use the bar outside of the rack, you could perform curls as you would with an EZ-curl barbell with either pair of handles to target the biceps. The same can be said for rows or triceps extensions on a bench or while standing.
Our Verdict
Athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to devote more time and effort towards building their upper bodies would see great results from having the American Barbell T-Grip Bar in their weight rooms. This is a high-quality barbell that can add a variety of ways to perform standard exercises, which can make the workouts more interesting, challenging, fun, and beneficial. The cost of this barbell makes it a great value, as well. If you plan on buying this barbell, also add their collars to the cart so you will have the safest workout as well as an effective one.
FAQs About Multi-Grip Barbells
Are multi-grip bars worth it?
Athletes and trainees who want to focus on certain goals such as strength or muscular development can benefit from using a multi-grip bar. They may also make it more comfortable to perform certain exercises. Beginners or general fitness enthusiasts should consider focusing on more basic items at first, but as they progress, they would be wise to add a multi-grip bar to their home gyms, as well.
How do you use a multi-grip bar?
The exercise you're performing determines how the bar should be used. You would use the grip that you find to be more challenging to the muscles while minimizing the toll on the joints and tendons. Once you find that grip, you would perform the exercise as you would with a traditional barbell in your hands.
How much does a multi-grip bar weigh?
Different multi-grip bars may weigh differently. The American Barbell T-Grip Bar weighs 55 pounds with the rotating sleeves. The non-rotating version weighs 30 pounds. There are other versions that weigh 45 pounds. Check with the manufacturer of the bar you're interested in before making a final purchase.
About the Author
Roger has worked in the fitness industry for over 20 years in a variety of roles, including as a personal trainer, fitness class instructor, supplement advisor, nutritionist, and as a writer. He has contributed to Men's Health, Muscle & Fitness, BarBend, Iron Man Magazine, and Bodybuilding.com.
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