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This is the GXMMAT Olympic bar. It’s a standard 45 lb, 7 ft bar, and it has a really nice, clean black look. I prefer it over the traditional silver bars.
I loaded it up step by step to see how it handled the weight. Short version: no flex, no bending, and plenty of room left on the sleeves. The only real limit is how much bumper plate you can fit.
Full disclosure: GXMMAT sent me this bar for free when they heard I was putting together a home gym.
Quick take
- Standard 45 lb, 7 ft Olympic bar with 2 inch sleeves
- Clean black look that I prefer over silver
- Sleeves rotate and keep the plates still
- No flex or bending at 275 lb
- The catch: with thick bumper plates you’ll run out of sleeve room before you’d run out with iron
What I liked
The black look
It’s a really nice, clean black look, and I really love it.
The sleeves
You have your 2 inch receiver point on each side, and the sleeves rotate just like they always do while keeping the plates nice and still.
No flex as I added weight
I loaded it in steps and did a quick pull at each one. With the 45s and 35s on, no flex, no real issue and it felt really good. With the 25s added we were at 255, and there was nothing to worry about. Then I added the 10s, so that’s the full 230 lb of GXMMAT plates plus the bar: 275 lb. No bending, no issues at that weight.
Room to grow
Even with all 230 lb on, there’s still plenty of real estate on the sleeves if you need more. For a home gym setup, most people probably wouldn’t need a whole lot more than this, but I added my other bumper plates to get to 415 lb and there was still some room left.
Things to know before you buy
- Bumper plates fill the sleeves fast. At 415 lb in bumper plates I’d probably max out myself. If you’re using iron plates, you’ll get a whole lot more weight on there.
What I didn’t cover
I only did quick pulls, so I didn’t test it on a bench or squat rack, and I didn’t talk about the knurling or the coating. I can’t speak to long-term wear yet.
Install notes
Nothing to install. It takes standard 2 inch Olympic plates. I used the GXMMAT bumper plates, and there’s also a bar and plates bundle.
Specs from the Amazon listing
These come from the Amazon listing title. I didn’t test them myself:
- 7 ft Olympic barbell, 45 lb
- 1500 lb capacity (listed)
- 2 inch sleeves with ceramic coating
- Listed for bench press, deadlift and squat
Who it’s for
Good fit if you: are building a home gym, want a standard Olympic bar, and like the look of a black bar.
Maybe skip it if you: don’t have room for a 7 ft bar, or you want a traditional silver bar.
Bottom line
Overall, I’m super happy with the performance and the feel, and I really love the black look. It’s an awesome addition to the home gym.
Price and availability change on Amazon, so check the listing for current details.
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