The Dark Lord's Reviews (125)


(4.00)
3/25/2026
I've used it a few times at Jacked & Jilled. Its OK, feels solid and gets the job done, but its nothing mind blowing. As with most Rogue stuff, it seems a bit overpriced for what it is; as usual, the Rogue label adds 10% or more to the bill. It is NOT rackable and weighs 30 lb, so for less money I would personally choose the Rep rackable curl bar that weighs 35 lb.
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(4.33)
3/25/2026
Beautifully crafted vintage plates with milled backs, so the weights are very accurate. Those with the black bumpers come from the 1970s and those with colorized rubber to match the plate color come from the 80s. These were featured prominently in the 1984 Olympics. The red (25kg) and blue (20kg) plates are not common but they can be found with a little effort. The yellow (15kg) are getting increasingly difficult to find, as they were prone to cracking around the hubs after repeated drops, thus fewer have survived to the present. Overall, fantastic and accurate plates... but I wouldn't recommend use for Olympic lifting or if you're someone who drops their deadlifts after lockout; stick to modern bumpers for that.
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(5.00)
3/25/2026
Can't go wrong with this bar for a wide array of applications. Strong and durable enough for the needs of 99.99% of home gym users. I like the knurling, it is especially comfortable for squats. This is an all around great bar.
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(3.00)
3/25/2026
I find these cumbersome and not very ergonomic on most lifts that I use dumbbells to perform. The giant blocky cage reduces range of motion on most presses and the cage bangs up against your wrists on wide flies. I guess they're fine for just doing shrugs or DB leg work like single leg RDLs or split squats. My parents gave me a pair as a gift one year and I gave them away to a friend at work after using them for a couple months. Would much rather have fixed DBs for nearly every application.
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(4.67)
3/25/2026
These bare metal ones were produced in the 90s for a few years before the Iron Grip company started coating all their plates with urethane. The bare metal develops a nice patina over time and these fit in nicely with a vintage gym if that's what you're building. These were specifically designed to be non-rolling plates, so dinging them because they're not fit for deadlifts is antithetical to their intended purpose. The strength program at the West Point military academy commissioned some custom Black Knights plates and those were in use there for over a decade before they were replaced with newer plates. I picked up a pair of 45s and a pair of 25s on the collectors market as counterparts to my York Beat Army plates, since several of my family members served in the Army. Now which ever academy wins the Army/Navy game each December, that team's plates get the priority position in the gym for the next year. HA!! Great plates to have in any home gym.
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(4.33)
3/25/2026
Vintage DB handles that have some nice weight to them. With a nice patina, they add that extra bit of sauce to the workout mix. Useful for DB rows and heavy shrugs, DB flat bench flies, etc.
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(5.00)
3/25/2026
Excellent old iron, often heavier than face value. I had a pair of York "75lb" standard plates bored to 2" and they STILL weigh over 80 lb each; perfect for deficit deadlifts or barbell rows. I have a stack of these old York standards for use on the plate loaded leg extension and they are just generally great for a variety of uses. These are frequently available for 50 cents/pound or less on FMP.
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(4.33)
3/25/2026
Gorgeous little vintage dumbbells with a loadable configuration. They came in options with 4 plates or 5 plates per side. Great collector's piece that is generally available at a reasonable price for a piece of lifting history that is 70 years old.
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125 total