Got am email question about specialty bars that I thought I'd share...
I'm not a big fan of specialty bars because we run a business based on volume. If we dont have enough for everyone, we dont use them. There are a few exceptions.
I love Trap Bars, enough so that we bought one for each station. We have 14 Trap Bars. For us, the Trap Bar Deadlift is the only bilateral exercise we do.
I also love 35 lb Olympic bars. These are something we have invested heavily in. We have at least one 35, 25 or 15 lb bar for each station. The lighter bars are great for kids and, the smaller diameter makes them great for even older females when Olympic lifting. Every athlete who tries them notices the difference. The smaller diameter is easier to grip.
I have one safety bar in each facility although we rarely use them. The safety bar is reserved for an athlete with a hand injury who cannot hold a bar, dumbbells etc.
We have no fat bars, for the reason I wrote above. Maybe a nice toy but, not an investment for us. I do have some Fat Grips which allow us to turn any bar into a fat bar though. However, we rarely use them.
I love the Swiss Bar, but not enough to buy 14 of them. If I had more American Football players I think I would reconsider that as I really like the position of the hands/ shoulders. Much like the Safety Bar I keep one in each facility for an athlete that may need a neutral grip.
I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on specialty bars on the Forum Thread I created call "Specialty Bars"