Black Diamond™ Power Bar

Our new line of barbells is our first, in-house, engineered lineup. Every part of these bars was designed by our Colorado-based engineering team to meet our specifications and to perform better than any bar we’ve ever carried.

While both the Black Diamond™ power bar and Double Black Diamond™ power bar are top-tier, high-quality power bars with International Powerlifting Federation knurl marks, bronze bushing sleeves, and a 1,500lb capacity, they have some differences. The main difference is the knurling. The Double Black Diamond™ features our most aggressive knurling (deep mountain), while the Black Diamond™ has an aggressive, deep, volcano-style knurling -- which is still grippy, but not as much as the Double Black Diamond™. So if you're looking for a stiff bar that you can use for deadlifts (since not all federations use a deadlift specialty bar) and want the most grip support possible, the Double Black Diamond™ is your best bet.

This bar is for powerlifters who appreciate fine details on a power bar they intend to use for many years. This is a top-tier power bar with high-end features like bronze bushings and metal endcaps with unique designs. It’s fully compatible with the International Powerlifting Federation, and what makes it stand out even more is its customization. It comes in in six styles: fully stainless steel; a stainless-steel shaft with hard chrome sleeves; or a black, blue, green, or red Cerakote shaft with super durable Duracoat® sleeves. Read more here.

The Black Diamond™ power bar is available with a Cerakote shaft and Duracoat® sleeves, stainless-steel shaft and hard-chrome sleeves, or fully stainless steel.

We did extensive salt-spray testing on our new stainless-steel bars to ensure industry-leading performance and rust resistance. This is a totally new alloy formulation for the Black Diamond™ power bar.

Cerakote is a thin, protective, ceramic-polymer coating that provides a degree of durability and corrosion resistance, while adding the ability to customize color.

The main difference between hard chrome and decorative chrome is the thickness of the chrome application and how that improves durability. Decorative chrome is the shiny surface you see on car wheels, musical instruments, tools, and hardware. It provides good rust resistance, but it is subject to wear and flaking. On the other hand, hard chrome is more frequently found in industrial applications where high wear resistance is needed. As such, it’s much less prone to flaking and other wear issues found with decorative chrome. The finish has a more matte sheen to it, similar to stainless steel in appearance. It’s the most durable finish we offer, beating even Cerakote. Check out our blog on barbell finishes for more information.

Unlike many other finishes that are applied to the outer surface of the steel, Duracoat® is a transformative process. Instead of applying a thin coating on top of the steel, the steel is treated through a multi-stage, chemical process that improves both the steel’s wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The process actually hardens the outside of the steel, making it extra tough. It leaves a nice, smooth, matte black finish after it’s polished. Duracoat® is more corrosion resistant than other finishes, and it won’t wear as easily, since it’s not an actual coating that can chip off.

If it looks like your Duracoat® sleeves are scratching up, wipe them down and they’ll look new again. The Duracoat® is so tough it can actually pull material off the inside of the plates – but those sleeves aren’t going to be scratching or chipping. That’s why REP uses Duracoat® on the sleeves for all Cerakote-shaft bars.

A bushing sleeve is more efficient for powerlifting movements, which are slower and more strength focused. The Black Diamond™ power bar’s bronze bushings allow for consistent rotation, while ensuring maximum strength and stiffness, and are designed to withstand heavy loading.

The knurling on a barbell is the crosshatch pattern on the shaft that increases the grip of your hands on the bar. There are three types of knurl styles on our barbells: hill, volcano, and mountain. Hill-style knurling is the most passive and won’t dig into your hands for lifts. It is a good option for training bars, but if you’re looking to max out, we recommend a bar with another style. Mountain is the most aggressive knurl style. You’ll see this style with most of our powerlifting barbells to provide the best grip for your one-rep maxes. The most common knurl style you’ll see on a lot of our weightlifting and mixed-use bars is volcano. Volcano knurling has a good amount of grip without tearing up your hands. Learn more about knurling here.

There are two major standards for where to put knurl markings on a barbell: designed by the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) and the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The knurl markings allow athletes to set up properly for the lift and provide a visual for even hand placement on the barbell.

REP’s barbells are designed to work with any Olympic plates featuring 2” diameter center holes.

The Black Diamond™ power bar is rated for 1,500lbs.

This depends on the type of training you do and your goals. If you are not sure how to decide on a barbell, reach out to our team of passionate lifters here and we will help match you and your training style with a barbell. You can also check out this blog that compares REP’s various straight barbells.

When your barbell arrives, there will be a light coating of oil on the shaft and sleeves. This is to protect the barbell from the elements during shipping. After a few uses, this light coating of oil will begin to dissipate. However, if desired, the best way to clean the barbell when it first arrives is to use a durable rag and a disinfecting wipe/cleaner that is free of harsh chemicals (such as bleach, ammonia, alcohol, or peroxide). For even more grip, we recommend using chalk.

This bar is designed to last many years without anything more than 3-in-1 oil added for lubrication. Remove dirt or chalk from the knurling with a brush and oil on a microfiber cloth. If you have any issues beyond that, please reach out to our Colorado-based customer support team here.

Yes, it comes with a lifetime warranty*.