Safety Squat Bar/ Kabuki Transformer and other Bar thread

[Rockslide]

Finally at a place in my life where I have the space for a home gym . So far I’m pretty happy with what I have done and the access to the time which for me is by far my most limited resource greatly outweighs the limited specialty machines or initial investment cost.

So now I’m working on bars. I’m training more bodybuilding focused. I also enjoy hunting when I have time and over the next few years will be planning a high altitude backpack hunt where I’m carrying a 60-70 pound pack 10+ miles a day in the mountains so functional strength will be an important secondary goal for me in my 40s in a couple of years .

I suffered a kind of terrible wrist injury several years ago (not lifting) that required reconstruction of my scapholunate ligament of my wrist with a synthetic ligament. Because of this I’m limited to about 50% extension of my wrist. I’m doing my best with it but it does suck. No regular push-up (knuckle only). No bench dips. I loved barbell bench… can’t go heavy now because I can’t roll my wrist back. (Dumbbells are fine at any weight) . Even squats are difficult because I can’t roll the bar subtly with my wrist and get it in the perfect spot . I can kind of work around it on squats by getting it off the rack then going real wide or grabbing the plates and just being really careful not to smash my hand when reracking but it’s only a matter of time until I do lol.

So now I’m looking at some alternatives .

I currently have a cheaper Olympic bar which I mainly got for land mines while deciding what type of nice bar I want. It has no center knurling which I also hate (falls off my chest when doing front squats when sweaty)

I’ve been looking at safety squat bars and would like to know opinions. Never seen them at gyms I was a member at but seems like they might work well for me. The kabuki one is intriguing but very pricey and also wondering about that.

I’m absolutely going to get a Swiss/multibar. It will work well for me at a minimum for triceps, barbell hammer curls, bench variations .

Who trains with these. I would love to hear opinions on them, products to look at , other things I should look into etc

 

[littlrook]

The kabuki is a really nice "Bar" You can adjust the height and the angle that it sits at, I prefer it over a regular SSB. The handles also come out and down vs just out. There is also the mars bar that fits like a backpack. Never used it though

 

[Hyde]

I train with all the specialty bars.

Get an EilteFTS Yokebar (SSB) and a multigrip/Swissbar from them. Sign up for emails or keep your eyes on the website - they put them on sale often throughout the year. They also have thinner profile multigrips now with different angles available for handles, lots to choose from. Rogue also makes great multigrip bars to consider.

Kabuki is no longer owned by Chris Duffin; it got bought out by a big investment company that wanted to make it all cheaper. If you can get one of the second generation Transformer Bars with the quick adjust, they’re really great. But they are essentially just going to let you squat and Frontsquat with different leverages and keeping the shoulders out of it. If you get one, I’d get it as a luxury item later - it isn’t as helpful as a true SSB.

The EFS Yokebar is the single best multibar for most because in addition to bypassing shoulder/grip issues for Squat, Good Mornings, Single-leg worn and Frontsquat, it also is harder leverage - it will make you stronger, in a bullstrong way that is less specialized than a straight bar. I use this FAR more than the Transformer bar, or a Giant Camber bar. The only bar I squat even more with is the Duffalo, as it takes some stress off my shoulders and elbow but still very specific to powerlifting.

But make no mistake, the SSB is the bar you really want. And most brands suck (even nice brands like Rogue, or all the cheapo brands). Cerberus and Titan both made perfect clones of the EliteFTS Yokebar, but they have risen in cost so much I would recommend getting the original that is time-tested to last. We had one going in the commercial gym that is going strong after over a decade. And it has seen 800+lb lifts and getting used all the time by little old ladies to elite lifters.

 

[Hyde]

Also, you want your wrist straight as possible on barbell bench - just like db pressing. I realize the thickness of a barbell may be greater than your dbs or there’s probably some detail I’m missing, but generally if you can db press you can barbell press the same way. Unless the wrist creates some shoulder angle mobility issue of course.

Not that you shouldn’t get a Swiss/multigrip bar still, because you should.

 

[littlrook]

I can agree with everything Hyde said. Just preference on the kabuki. The Elite is well made and is known for its balance while loaded

 

[Hyde]

I can agree with everything Hyde said. Just preference on the kabuki. The Elite is well made and is known for its balance while loaded

The Kabuki Transformer is absolutely the nicer bar! If you put it in Low Bar, that will probably allow the biggest/heaviest squat PR possible of any possible bar, even better than a squat bar for most.

If all he wants is ease of use, that’s worth it. I have just found the SSB to be more useful for developing overall strength, and it is definitely cheaper & way less parts to fail.

As an aside, we found if you need to replace the pad on the Kabuki Transformer ever, the EFS Yokebar pad will fit (since they don’t make the old transformer parts now). And Elite sells the replacement pad solo as well.

 

[littlrook]

The gym I was at last had the kabuki line up. The open trap bar was pretty nice also since it had the built in jacks and interchangeable handles. Where I am currently has the SSB/duffalo etc. I was sad to see what Kabuki turned into, def not the same people behind it.

-Sorry for the hijack-

 

[Rockslide]

The Kabuki Transformer is absolutely the nicer bar!

So are you recommending the EFS Yokebar based on better steel quality, less moving parts to break and half the cost or is there anything that it specifically does better as far as training.

Taking the cost out of it I do like the fact that the transformer can adjust so many positions. Who knows though since I’ve never used one I might not actually do any of the more extreme settings on it .

Also, you want your wrist straight as possible on barbell bench - just like db pressing. I realize the thickness of a barbell may be greater than your dbs or there’s probably some detail I’m missing, but generally if you can db press you can barbell press the same way. Unless the wrist creates some shoulder angle mobility issue of course.

Not that you shouldn’t get a Swiss/multigrip bar still, because you should.

I actually don’t extend my wrist a lot but for wherever reason it does hurt. My surgeon who is considered an upper tier wrist guy specifically told me not to barbell bench. My left wrist can extend back to 90 and my right only bends to about 35. Again it’s a major issue on several lifts such as bench dips and squat ( just don’t have quite enough shoulder external rotation to overcome it)

I’ve been cutting so I haven’t been working on lifting as heavy in the last 6 months, I also haven’t splurged to pay to get my dumbbells (iron master) up to 120 yet but my dumbbell / barbell discrepancy was stupid last fall before I got my home gym going. 110s x5 deep reps vs limited by pain and not really comfortable going heavier than 185 on barbell.

I haven’t used a multibar much but I did enjoy the limited times I used one at an old gym. It’s kind of cheating as far as working on PR/ego numbers but I think it will be a good fit for me as far as actually training

I’m very intimidated by the number of choices though. Angle grip , straight grips, camber , no camber. A lot of nice reviews but they seem to all have mixed opinions on these options . I have no problem spending the money but don’t want to get stuck with something I don’t like either.

I saw one company (Belle Mere Fitness) that does custom multibars and lets you customize the grip options which I thought was nice but it’s a small company built to order so not many reviews

 

[Hyde]

So are you recommending the EFS Yokebar based on better steel quality, less moving parts to break and half the cost or is there anything that it specifically does better as far as training.

Taking the cost out of it I do like the fact that the transformer can adjust so many positions. Who knows though since I’ve never used one I might not actually do any of the more extreme settings on it .



I actually don’t extend my wrist a lot but for wherever reason it does hurt. My surgeon who is considered an upper tier wrist guy specifically told me not to barbell bench. My left wrist can extend back to 90 and my right only bends to about 35. Again it’s a major issue on several lifts such as bench dips and squat ( just don’t have quite enough shoulder external rotation to overcome it)

I’ve been cutting so I haven’t been working on lifting as heavy in the last 6 months, I also haven’t splurged to pay to get my dumbbells (iron master) up to 120 yet but my dumbbell / barbell discrepancy was stupid last fall before I got my home gym going. 110s x5 deep reps vs limited by pain and not really comfortable going heavier than 185 on barbell.

I haven’t used a multibar much but I did enjoy the limited times I used one at an old gym. It’s kind of cheating as far as working on PR/ego numbers but I think it will be a good fit for me as far as actually training

I’m very intimidated by the number of choices though. Angle grip , straight grips, camber , no camber. A lot of nice reviews but they seem to all have mixed opinions on these options . I have no problem spending the money but don’t want to get stuck with something I don’t like either.

I saw one company (Belle Mere Fitness) that does custom multibars and lets you customize the grip options which I thought was nice but it’s a small company built to order so not many reviews

The Yokebar has less (no) moving parts to fail or adjust, significantly cheaper, will last longer, does the job of letting you squat/lunge/good morning without needing hands on a straight bar, AND its extra hi bar position that will build better quads, upper back strength, and reinforce better squat technique - it is harder to use the same weight. This is the bar most strongmen squat with exclusively, or guys doing deadlift-focused training, because it builds the body better for loading & pulling with less shoulder fatigue cost. But it’s also a huge help for many raw AND multiply squatters, because it builds more quads for raw lifters & it punishes you if you lean over too much (which is even more crucial not to do in geared/suited lifting)..

The Transformer Bar is the best option if you just want to squat without hands on straightbar and money is no option, and it will be stored inside or a low-rust environment.

I would not get a camber on your first multigrip bar. I like the flat ones with straight cut handles and a V for the middle pair myself.