Rogue Pyrros Bar – 28MM

While developing a design for a new Olympic bearing bar, Rogue had the privilege of working with the most decorated weightlifter of all time, three-time Olympic gold medalist Pyrros Dimas. The Greek legend laid out everything he would look for in an ideal barbell–including (a) a slightly more aggressive knurl and (b) a more controlled spin that lets him feel connected to the weight throughout the lift. We provided him with bars made from different types of steel, multiple different knurl textures, and different sleeve lubricants. After lifting on all of them, he gave his feedback on each of the parameters, including which steel had the best whip. At the end of the day, we made a bar that combined all of his top picks. When we showed him what we’d come up with, his response was better than we could have imagined. “It’s Perfect,” he said. “You should call it the Pyrros Bar.” And so we did.

The Pyrros Bar combines a stainless steel, 200,000 PSI tensile strength shaft with chrome plated sleeves and 10 quality needle bearings. The new knurl texture was chosen unanimously by two members of the USA Weightlifting World Championship team, along with Pyrros himself, from a pool of six options. For the bearings, we’ve selected a more viscous lubricant to create the controlled spin that Pyrros prefers, and we added an original end-cap design that pays homage to Pyrros’s Greek heritage and Olympic triumphs.

Achieving the right knurl texture and a controlled spin were essential to creating a Pyrros-approved barbell. For the knurling, we experimented with several patterns before choosing a new, more aggressive style unanimously selected by Pyrros and two members of the U.S.A. Weightlifting team (a center knurl was also included by request). Creating the perfect knurl is as much art as it is science, so after gauging, each shaft is manually tested to ensure that the “feel” meets Rogue’s standards. Similar attention is paid to the bar’s precision needle bearings, five sets of which are included in each chrome sleeve. While the bearings produce a smooth and reliable spin, the use of a more viscous lubricant produced the spin that Pyrros was looking for, ensuring better stability of the weight during heavier lifts and more control for the athlete.

The Pyrros Oly Bar is made from a high-strength, stainless steel alloy, producing a shaft with a minimum tensile strength of 200,000 PSI. Personally selected by Pyrros and two members of the U.S.A. Weightlifting Team for its optimal “whip” and “flex,” this stainless steel is the same type we originally developed for our world-record breaking Elephant Bar. With no plating, the knurl is left exactly how we machined it, providing a natural feel that is less reliant on chalk, with better corrosion resistance than bare steel. Please Note: Rogue recommends using a synthetic bristle brush, NOT a steel brush, to clean a stainless steel shaft. Steel on steel can cause rusting over time.

Every Pyrros Bar is machined in Columbus, Ohio (on American-made Haas machines) and guaranteed to meet International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) specifications. The shaft is ground and polished prior to machining and individually tested and straightened to within 0.015″ (0.38MM). Using a technique from automotive and aviation manufacturing, the sleeves are friction welded for a bond as strong as a single piece of steel, and then machined to our exacting standards. After machining, all parts are gauged to ensure optimum performance. In our barbell assembly department, the shaft is again tested and straightened and the components of each bar are weighed together. Once the weight standard of +20 grams/-10 grams is met, the bar is assembled by hand followed by an individual test for straightness and reliable spin. “¨

A national hero in Greece, Pyrros Dimas owns three World Weightlifting Championships along with three gold medals from the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games. He has few equals in the sport, so designing a barbell up to his standards was both a privilege and a great challenge. We’re proud to say we’ve produced a bar that Pyrros Dimas has personally called “perfect.”

Specifications:

• Made in the USA
• 20KG Olympic Bearing Bar (International Weightlifting Federation standards)
• Co-Developed with 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist Pyrros Dimas
• Stainless Steel Shaft, Chrome Sleeves
• Diameter: 28MM
• 5 Needle Bearings per sleeve
• Olympic Knurl Marks with Center Knurl in aggressive but non-abrasive pattern
• Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.30″
• Tensile Strength: 200,000 PSI
• Exclusive Pyrros Dimas Endcap Design