Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell Review (2024)

Are you looking for a barbell that’s durable, and performs well? If you are, you’re in the right place because we have a nice one to share with you. Read on to see our review of the Titan Performance Series Olympic barbell. This barbell carries the word ‘Olympic’ in its name, and it is because the bar is suitable for 2-inch plates. The barbell, as a product, is actually very good for general use.

Of course, the best way to know if you’ll like it or not is to give it a try, but since that’s something you’ll have to do on your own, we’ll give you a glimpse into why this barbell is a favorite among fitness junkies. We’ll go through its features, performance, reliability, and more! 

Grab a snack and let’s get to it!

Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell Review Quick Summary

Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell

• Weight Capacity: 700 lb
• Bar Weight: 20 KG (45 lb)
• Shaft Diameter: 28mm
• Sleeve Diameter: 50mm
• Overall Length: 86.6 inches
• Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.25 inches
• Sleeve to Sleeve Length: 51.5 inches
• Knurling: Medium volcanic texture
• Material: Steel alloy
• Bushings: Bronze bushings
• Tensile Strength: 165,000 PSI

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This barbell is a good choice if you’re a beginner or intermediate lifter. Titan is known for producing high-quality equipment without the crazy high price tag, so you get an excellent value for money with this. 

An important note about this bar is that it works really well when it comes to general fitness lifting exercises. But it really isn’t a good option for Olympic weightlifting due to its limited rotation and weight capacity (despite the barbell name).

This versatile 20 kg (45lbs) bar can support up to 700 lbs, so it’s suitable for a wide range of exercises. It’s made of high-strength steel alloy and finished with chrome. The chrome finish isn’t as resistant to corrosion like, say, Cerakote, and it can chip over time, but it’s not bad by any means. 

The volcanic textured knurling gives a secure grip without being too aggressive. Plus, you have more than enough room for loading weights because of the 16.25-inch loadable sleeve length.

However, the rotation is not the best and this bar won’t do so well for Olympic weightlifting. It’s good for standard exercises you would do at the gym, but don’t waste your time using it for Olympic weightlifting. 

Overall, this is a decent barbell for beginners and intermediate lifters. It’s reliable, versatile, and gives good performance. 

Who and What Is the Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell For?

The Titan Fitness Performance Series Olympic Barbell will work well for beginners and intermediate lifters. If you’re serious about strength training but you’re not too advanced, it will be okay for you.  

If you’re into Olympic lifting or you’re really advanced, it won’t be that great. You won’t be able to lift more than 700 pounds, and the limited rotation makes it unsuitable for Olympic lifting. 

You can use it for both your home gym, or if you’re building a commercial one, you can easily use it there, too. It’s designed for people who want a durable, multipurpose bar that supports a bunch of different lifting exercises but that don’t want to go into debt to buy it. 

The Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell Review

In our Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell review we made sure to point out to the bar’s key features and how it measures in terms of durability, knurling, grip, and tensile strength. 

1. Durability

This is a tough barbell made of super strong steel alloy, so it’s designed to withstand seriously heavy weights and intense workouts. The chrome finish is a big plus because it protects against rust and wear, which is especially important if you live in a humid climate. 

It’s true that there are some finishes that are more resistant to corrosion than chrome, it’ll still hold up well under regular use, especially for a home gym.

2. Knurling

The medium volcanic textured knurling gives a solid grip, but it’s not too harsh on your hands. This makes it great for many different lifts, so you get security without unnecessary discomfort. 

The dual knurl marks are okay for power lifts, which adds versatility to your routine. If you’re advanced, you might prefer a bit more aggressive knurl, but for most people, this will be good. 

3. Grip

In short - really good. The standard 28mm shaft diameter makes the bar feel comfortable and secure in your hands, which is super important for maintaining control of the barbell during heavy lifts.

Heavy lifts are known to cause more injury, so you want to prevent that from happening in any way you can. This combined with nice knurling makes the bar really good for variety of your lifts.

4. Tensile Strength

165,000 PSI isn’t the highest tensile strength you’ll find on the market, but it’s still good. It will handle heavy weights without breaking or bending and it will stay straight if you respect its weight capacity. 

Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell Alternatives

General Use Bar

Bells of Steel Multi-Purpose Olympic Barbell

• Diameter: 1" / 28.5mm
• Length: 86.6" / 2,200mm
• Max Capacity: 1,000lbs / 454kg
• Tensile Strength: 190,000 PSI

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Same as with the Titan bar, the Bells of Steel bar also has a confusing name with ‘Olympic’ in its name. It is more of a Utility bar (as they like to refer to it), and that word describes this barbell much more accurately. 

The Bells of Stel bar was designed with everyday general strength training in mind (much like the Tital Performance bar). The Multi-Purpose BOS barbell has more refined (medium-light) knurling compared to the Titan bar, and because of this, it offers a slightly (but noticeably) better grip. 

Also, compared to the Titan bar, the Bells of Steel bar was intended for a maximum load of 1500 lbs and has a 190,000 PSI tensile strength. 

And while, because of these numbers, the Bells of Steel bar IS more durable for heavier loads, both (in the end) lack the necessary rotation for Olympic lifts (the brass bushings still allow for smooth, but not overly rotating sleeves).

Olympic Affordable Bar

Rep Alpine Weightlifting Bar

• Weight: 20kg (44.1lbs)
• Length: 86.6”
• Loadable Sleeve Length: 16.3”
• Shaft Diameter: 28mm
• Sleeve Diameter: 50mm
• Bushing/Bearing: Hybrid Needle Bearings
• Sleeve Style: Ribbed
• Knurl Style: Volcano/Medium
• Center Knurl: Yes (Passive)
• Knurl Markings: IWF
• Material: Steel or Stainless Steel
• Shaft Coating: Hard Chrome, Black Chrome, or None (Stainless Steel)
• Sleeve Coating: Hard Chrome or None (Stainless Steel)
• Whip: Medium
• Static Rating: 1,500lbs
• Tensile Strength: 190ksi
• Tolerance: 1%

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Titan Fitness Olympic bar will work for everyone and it’s a fantastic option if you’re just starting out with lifting. But if you can't get your hands on it for some reason or you’re a little more advanced, Rep’s Alpine bar is a great alternative. 

It has hybrid needle bearings for super smooth rotation, a passive center knurl, and a hefty 1500 lbs capacity with 190,000 PSI tensile strength. It’s also more expensive, though, so if you’d rather save some money, you might as well go for Titan.

All in all, if you’re looking for a more professional-use barbell, then REP would be an ideal candidate out of all these recommended here.

Professional Olympic Bar

Professional Olympic Bar

• Material: Steel
• Weight: 33 lbs. (15 kg)
• Length: 69.61”
• Diameter: 1.1”
• Shaft length: 44.09”
• Knurling: mild
• Knurl marks: dual
• Weight limit: 3306.9 lbs.
• Sleeve length: 12.28”
• Finish type: Chrome

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Eleiko’s equipment is high-end in both quality and price, so expect an investment. Titan’s option is certainly more budget-friendly. 

However, Eleiko’s XF bar is a better choice for advanced lifters. It has needle bearings and bronze bushings for excellent spin (especially if you’re an Olympic weightlifter). It has higher tensile strength – a whopping 215,000 PSI.

Both bars have chrome coating, so… not the best, not the worst. It does its job and that’s the most important thing.

To wrap it up, Titan is cost-effective, versatile, and performs really well. Eleiko’s XF is more high-end, but the difference in their prices doesn’t reflect the difference in quality if you’re a beginner. The difference becomes apparent if you’re an experienced lifter.

For example, if you lift heavy weights in the area of 661 lbs (300 kg), doing squats/deadlifts, the Titan bar will not be a great choice, while the other four (Bells of Steel, REP, and Eleiko bar) will handle those types of weights without issues. 

Out of these four, the REP bar strikes the perfect balance between value and quality/features. The Eleiko bar is superb, but playing twice as much compared to the REP one might be too much for some. It’s up to you to decide what you want out of a bar.

If you’re buying a barbell for professional use, go with REP. For Olympic weightlifting, Eleiko would be the top choice, but it also comes with a hefty price tag.

FAQ

Does the Titan Performance Series Olympic Barbell come with a warranty?

Yes, but it’s a relatively short warranty – 1 year. Still, it’s nice to have some level of assurance for durability and reliability of the bar. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, our Titan Olympic barbell review answered all your questions. It’s a good barbell and its price is really affordable for the quality you get. You can use it in home or commercial settings and you can count on it to perform well for years. 

Just remember – when it comes to workouts, especially weightlifting where you work with heavy loads, form comes first because it makes the workout effective and it prevents injuries. 

Have you tried this barbell already? If you have, what are your thoughts on it? Will you give any of the alternatives a try? Do you have a barbell to recommend?

Leave your comments below and let’s chat some more! 

References:

1. Siim Sild, "Knurling Explained – What Is it, Methods & Applications." Fractory, https://fractory.com/knurling-explained/#Knurling_Process (accessed August 15th, 2024).
2. Hashem A. Bukhary, Nwarah A. Basha, Amnah A. Dobel, Reem M. Alsufyani, Reem A. Alotaibi, Somayah H. Almadani. "Prevalence and Pattern of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports." Cureus 15, no. 11 (November 2023): e49759.
3. Health Promotion Board (HPB) “Prevent Injuries with Proper Form During Workouts,” Singapore University Health Center, https://www.nus.edu.sg/uhc/articles/details/prevent-injuries-with-proper-form-during-workouts (accessed August 2nd, 2024)
4. Mayo Clinic Staff, “Weight training: Do's and don'ts of proper technique,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/weight-training/art-20045842 (accessed August 2nd, 2024)
5. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team.