Bodymax 1.6m Olympic Shrug Bar

A quick first impressions review of the smaller 1.6m trap-bar.Delivery was very quick, which was nice, no issues. Packaging was an all-over single layer of bubble-wrap 'tape' that had stood up to transit reasonably well, no damage was found from storage or shipping other than some scuffs and a couple of small 'dings and dents'...one thing to note was I got a wicked metal splinter (photo provided!) from one of the sleeves when unloading my plates for the first time, i suggest taking a minute to give the bar a good wipe over with a thick cloth before first use just to avoid a similar issue.The 'chromed' finish, welding quality and weld finish is okay for the price of the item; it is a lower priced bar, if you want a work of art, feel free to pay for an Eleiko or Rogue!The grip knurling is VERY aggressive and this coming from someone who likes an aggressive knurling! It really benefits from a turn of med-tape to take it down a notch as per the photo.Distance to centres of the grips is 630mm, it is 530mm deep and 630mm across the 'diagonal' of the working area inside the bar, plenty of room for deadlifting. The length of the plate sleeves is 330mm (2inch dia. Olympic sleeves).A point to note is that the sleeves are fixed, welded tubes; not bearing mounted rotating sleeves like an oly barbell.The bar weight is bang-on 30kgs on my scales and is of thick, hollow tube section. I cant comment on how resilient it would be under super-heavy loads; but if you are loading that amount of weight, you likely wont be using a 1.6m trap-bar anyway! It is plenty strong enough for my working weights.All said, highly recommended. It is well priced and you get what you pay for. I was contemplating going for the 2.1m 45Kg bar, but I am glad I opted for this one, it is well sized for a home of garage gym, just be aware of the weight of the empty bar if you plan to store it on hooks or leaning against something.*an edit and update as of Feb.2019 and 3 months of use...The bar is holding up fine to weekly use for deadlift variations and heavy 'farmers-walk' type carries. The wider, neutral grip takes a bit of getting used to if you have only lifted with a barbell and I found the lifts are made to fell quite different, I certainly feel it differently to barbell lifts.An additional lift variation that I have added with this bar is overhead pressing (set up on rack safety pins as per the photo). There are some good tutorials on line for this variation. It is far easier to set up and execute if you have a power-rack, but you can use a squat rack or stands at a pinch.I find this exercise feels substantially harder than OHP with the barbell for the equivalent weight, a really 'fun' variation!

Husband loved his Christmas present, says it’s the best ever and has used it many times already. He is 6ft 2” with very long arms, says it’s perfect! Only downside is delivery, it arrived wrapped in sellotape and random bits of thin bubble wrap, was very scratched, plus the delivery man refused to put it in the garage (which was literally 2metres from our front door). It was way too heavy for me to move from our front door (30kg), where it was placed.

Such a difference this has made to my lifts. I injured my lower back and couldn't really get into standard deadlifts again without an uncomfortable stiffness in my lower back. Since using the hex/shrug bar I can feel the lifts a lot better in my legs and glutes without the stress in my lower back. The layout of the handles give you the option to have them higher to make things a bit easier to begin with then it can be flipped over to make the grip lower. Definitely helps with form.

A lot bigger than expected but easier to use than a standard barbell and progression seems quicker for using it!

Excellent piece of fitness equipment. Have been using steadily for two months now and have already increased my dead lift max by 30kgs. Very versatile check out YouTube for other exercises that it can be used for. Didn't give 5 stars as some Weld points were messy but nothing hammerite costing couldn't cure.

Pity there wasn't more pride shown in the finish of the welding but I didn't mark it down for that because its a weight training bar not a fashion item.The Bar itself is sturdy and should outlast me. It weighs 30 Kilos and is ideal for Deadlifting and Shrugs.

This trapbar is really well built, good quality materials.Highly recommended.

This bar is excellent. I bought this for personal use at home and it is great! The build quality is really good and it looks and feel like a high quality product. Exactly the same as ones I have used in the gym! Handles are easy to grip and a good size