Radian Sliding Grip Barbell V2 - Next Level Contraction

Possibly one of the worst things I’ve ever brought into the gym. Did not work as intended and overpriced.

General Info and Specs: The barbell is made with attention to detail and is a very high quality bar. The bar has a traditional weight of 45lbs, so it doesn’t mess with your math when adding plates. Keep in mind, you have to SIGNIFICANTLY scale down the weight that you normally work with, so it’s not a lot of math anyhow 😂. The bar is 7feet 2 inches with a usable sleeve length of 16 1/4”. Function: I think it’s established that using full ROM can stimulate more stretch-mediated hypertrophy. With a regular grip width most people don’t achieve a full pec stretch with the barbell bench press, as the barbell can’t go down further than your chest. I think dumbbell presses can help accomplish this, cambered presses, and wider grip positions on straight bar. With the Radian Barbell, Its handles move synchronously through the full length of the shaft and create a sort of “combination lift”. A combination of a straight bar and a dumbbell, but keeping the movement controlled along one axis. The handles travel very smoothly and using a Teflon impregnated dry gun lube, they slide like butter. When using this bar vs. regular straight bar for bench pressing, I feel more activation in the clavicular head of my pec major with that added stretch at the bottom with the sliding grips during eccentric lowering, as well as the medial force needed to bring hands together on the concentric portion of the press. With narrowing of the grip on the press, there is definitely recruitment of the triceps and with the back and forth movement I feel the anterior delts being recruited. Also, there is likely more activation with deep stretch on subclavius muscle and pec minor. The Radian, by no means should substitute any straight bar or cambered specialty bar. I look at it as yet another additional bar that brings a change in stimulus for benching or OHP, just a like a Bandbell Earthquake Bar, Football Bars, Cambered Bars accomplish. At $785 it’s not a wise buy