The best all-around deadlift bar. I think you can get. Used commonly in powerlifting competitions. I’ve had bare steel, black zinc, and cerakote varients. I enjoy the cerakote because of the colour options and think knurling is still really well done on the cerakote coat. I think they’ve got their knurling dialed in over the last five or six years that even the coated bars feel very similar to the bar steel variants So you don’t lose a lot of grip. So don’t be scared of getting the Cerakote if you like colours options and corrosion resistance. FYI the red Really POPS!

I love this 2 inch fat axle power bar. It really feels like a fat power bar with great and Erling standard barbell sleeves. It’s just a joy to train with mine is the blue version. The only thing would make it better if I knew it was in red or black, but they have other colours for everyone depending on what your favourite colour is. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a high quality knurled axle bar. It’s on My Gym Radar and should be on yours as well.

One of the best V grips you can get for the money in 2026 at $95. I even got my little ass because I did the 3 ships free and it made the shipping cut down quite a bit. there are some lower and some even double the price options that don’t have the same functionality + the customization. it’s really cool that they let you select your handle colors and customize it to different angles if you would like I have the 90° variant, but there is a 70° available as well. You can do a lot of different things with it, but I primarily use it for tricep push downs, and cable close grip curls. I would highly recommend. If you want more in depth, looked at it you can check it out at Carp’s Gym on YouTube.

The V1 Monitor lacks the detail and insight of the Concept 2 PM5 Monitor, but the Rower itself is in the same level of build as concept 2. I feel the Merach had a more comfortable seat and the foot stirrups were more comfortable for me as well because they had a wider Velcro strap. I feel like It also had a beefier overall build quality because I think it’s made out of steel and some portions where the concept 2 rower is made out of aluminum. The biggest downfall of this is the monitor as compared to other models but I think in 2026 they’re coming out with a V2 monitor so hopefully the V2 monitor is closer to the P5 because I think it’s a real value at that under $500 price point. We had both at the same time and I sold my concept 2 and kept the Merach but I’m not a competitive CrossFitter or competitive rower so if you are a competitor that has to have a concept 2 or a Rogue that might be in your competitions that something to consider. If you want a more in-depth review, you can see a review and comparison to the concept 2 on the Carp’s Gym YouTube channel.

This is my recommendation for a non knurled axle bar. The same weight as a 20kg barbell makes loading weight easier which is just a nice convenience. It can be pricey for an axle bar, but I caught mine during one of the 30% off sales. The convenience of a 44lb bar that can take standard plates collars will be much appreciated down the road. Mine is one of the older models, but I think the newer models are coming with the ring marks painted on the bar, which is a nice upgrade for free.