OVERVIEW
Raising the bar. These barbells were over 10 years in the making – the fusion of customer insights, rigorous testing, thousands of reps by different types of athletes, and our decades of experience in both lifting and designing quality, innovative gym equipment. That’s how we know these will be the best barbells you’ll ever put your hands on.
The Helios Squat Bar is a top-tier, specialty barbell designed specifically for squats. It features a longer length (94.5" or 7.9’) than a standard 20kg barbell (87.4" or 7.3’). This helps prevent the weight plates from hitting the power rack uprights while racking or unracking the bar. The squat bar’s shaft diameter is also larger, at 32mm, versus a standard powerlifting barbell, which is 29mm. The thicker diameter adds rigidity to the bar and minimizes whip/flex during heavy loads for a more stable squat. Due to the longer length and thicker shaft diameter, the Helios Squat Bar weighs in at 25kg (55lbs), which is 5kg (11lbs) more than a standard 20kg (44.1lbs) barbell.
The Helios features a fully knurled shaft, which ensures maximum points of contact to create a secure connection to the bar. The very aggressive knurling cut into a deep, mountain-style pattern also has powerlifting knurl markings and a center marking to help with proper positioning. The Helios Squat Bar is offered in a black Cerakote shaft with Duracoat™ sleeves for a distinct, blacked out look. Duracoat™ is a chemical process that hardens the outside of the steel, making it more wear resistant than other finishes while also adding a high degree of corrosion resistance. The sleeves feature a bushing construction, which is great for slower, strength-focused lifts, like squats. And the sleeves are smooth, so they’re easier and quieter to load than ribbed sleeves. This bar is rated for 1,500 pounds, and we have tested it with some of the strongest people on the planet. Take your squat PR to the next level.
PRODUCT DIMENSIONS
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Bar UseSquatting
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Weight25kg (55.1lbs)
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Length94.5"
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Distance Between Sleeves56.3"
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Loadable Sleeve Length17"
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Shaft Diameter32mm
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Sleeve Diameter50mm
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Bushing/BearingBronze Bushings
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Sleeve StyleSmooth
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Knurl StyleDeep Mountain/Very Aggressive
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Center KnurlFully Knurled Bar
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Knurl MarkingsPowerlifting Marks w/ Center Ring
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MaterialSteel
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Shaft CoatingBlack Cerakote
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Sleeve CoatingDuracoat™
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WhipNone
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Static Rating1,500lbs
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Tensile Strength200ksi
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Tolerance1%
PRODUCT FEATURES
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LONGER LENGTH
The longer length of the Helios Squat Bar, compared with a traditional 20kg barbell, prevents the weight plates from hitting the uprights of the power rack while racking and unracking the bar. -
THICKER DIAMETER
The Helios Squat Bar has a thicker, 32mm diameter that adds rigidity and minimizes whip/flex during heavy loads for a more stable squat. -
PREMIUM FINISH
The Helios Squat Bar is offered in a black Cerakote shaft with Duracoat™ sleeves for a distinct, blacked out look. -
SMOOTH SLEEVES
Smooth sleeves are easier and quieter to load than ribbed sleeves, and the bronze bushing construction is great for slower, strength-focused lifts, like squatting. -
DEEP MOUNTAIN KNURLING
The shaft is fully knurled with very aggressive, deep mountain-style knurling to ensure you have a secure connection with the bar while squatting, and the knurl markings help you get into proper position. -
HIGH-END TOUCHES
This is a premium barbell with high-end details, like laser etchings of the barbell name and weight; a tribute to Colorado, where REP was founded, on the inside of the sleeves; and metal endcaps featuring unique designs.
MEDIA GALLERY
VIDEOS
- Overview & Features
Overview & Features
This one’s for the lifters who definitely don’t skip leg day. Introducing Helios, a top-tier barbell specifically designed for squats. After years in the making, our in-house weightlifting engineers have brought the squat bar of their dreams to life. It’s longer (to keep plates from hitting the rack uprights); it’s thicker (for added rigidity to minimize whip for a more stable squat); and it has a fully knurled shaft (for maximum points of contact with your back for a secure connection to the bar). The 25kg Helios is perfect to train for competitions that use squat bars, as well as a sure way to level up your gym – and your squats.
STORIES
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What is a Squat Bar and Why Does This Thing Exist?
It's time to squat heavy with no whip and extra grip.
read full story -
Barbell Comparison Guide: How to Pick the Best Barbell
A barbell is a barbell, right? Not exactly.
read full story -
Choosing the Right Barbell: A Guide for Different Types of Lifts
What's the difference between a powerlifting, weightlifting, mixed-use, and specialty bar?
read full story -
Specialty Barbells: How to Use Them -- and Why
Don’t be intimidated by these weirdos. Specialty barbells will help you get yoked as heck.
read full story -
What are the Different Barbell Finishes?
Finish strong! Here’s a closer look at the different barbell finishes, in order from the most basic to the highest end.
read full story -
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Barbell Knurling
You’ve noticed different barbells feel different in your hands. So, what’s the deal?
read full story -
11 Rules of Barbell Etiquette
Treat your barbell right, and she'll love you back. You don't want to learn these rules the hard way.
read full story
FAQS
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How does this bar differ from bars you’ve sold in the past?
Our new line of barbells is our first, in-house, engineered lineup. Every part of these bars was designed by our Colorado-based engineering team to meet our specifications and to perform better than any bar we’ve ever carried.
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How does this bar compare to others on the market?
This bar is for lifters who appreciate the fine details on a squat bar they intend to use for many years. The Helios is a top-tier squat bar with extra, distinguishing features, like a fully knurled shaft to keep it locked to your back; ultra durable Duracoat™ sleeves; and premium metal endcaps with unique designs. This isn’t just a regular squat bar; we designed this to be the best possible – one that you will use and love for years to come.
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How is squatting with the Helios Squat Bar different from a traditional 20kg barbell?
The longer length of the Helios Squat bar, compared with a standard 20kg barbell, prevents the weight plates from hitting the uprights of the power rack while racking or unracking the bar. The thicker, 32mm shaft diameter adds rigidity and minimizes whip/flex during heavy loads for a more stable squat. The fully knurled bar ensures maximum points of contact while squatting. Learn more here.
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What coatings are offered for this bar?
The Helios Squat Bar is offered in a black Cerakote-coated shaft with Duracoat™ sleeves.
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What is a Cerakote finish?
Cerakote is a thin, protective, ceramic-polymer coating that increases the durability and corrosion resistance of the steel, while adding the ability to customize color.
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What is Duracoat™?
Unlike many other finishes that are applied to the outer surface of the steel, Duracoat™ is a transformative process. Instead of applying a thin coating on top of the steel, the steel is treated through a multi-stage, chemical process that improves both the steel’s wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The process actually hardens the outside of the steel, making it extra tough. It leaves a nice, smooth, matte black finish after it’s polished. Duracoat™ is more corrosion resistant than other finishes, and it won’t wear as easily, since it’s not an actual coating that can chip off.
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My Duracoat™ sleeves look like they’re scratching up. How is that possible?
If it looks like your Duracoat™ sleeves are scratching up, wipe them down and they’ll look new again. The Duracoat™ is so tough it can actually pull material off the inside of the plates – but those sleeves aren’t going to be scratching or chipping. That’s why REP uses Duracoat™ on the sleeves for all Cerakote-shaft bars.
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Why are bronze bushings used for the Helios Squat Bar?
Bronze bushings allow for consistent rotation, while ensuring maximum strength and stiffness, and are designed to withstand heavy loading.
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What does “knurl style” mean?
The knurling on a barbell is the crosshatch pattern on the shaft that increases the grip of your hands on the bar. There are three types of knurl styles that we utilize throughout our barbells: hill, volcano, and mountain. Hill-style knurling is the most passive and won’t dig into your hands for lifts. It is a good option for training bars, but if you’re looking to max out, we recommend a bar with another style. Mountain is the most aggressive knurl style. You’ll see this style with most of our powerlifting barbells to provide the best grip for your one-rep maxes. The most common knurl style you’ll see on a lot of our weightlifting and mixed-use bars is volcano. Volcano knurling has a good amount of grip without tearing up your hands. Learn more about knurling here.
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Does this bar have center knurling?
The Helios Squat Bar has a fully knurled shaft with powerlifting knurl marks and a center knurl mark.
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What is the purpose of knurl markings on a barbell?
The knurl markings help athletes set up properly for the lift and provide a visual for even hand placement on the barbell.
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Are your barbells compatible with other branded plates?
REP’s barbells are designed to work with any standard plates featuring 2” diameter center holes.
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How much weight can I load on this bar?
The Helios Squat Bar is rated for 1,500lbs.
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Which barbell is best suited for me?
This depends on the type of training you do and your goals. If you are not sure how to decide on a barbell, reach out to our team of passionate lifters here and we will help match you and your training style with a barbell. You can also check out this blog that compares REP’s various straight barbells.
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How do I clean the protective oil on the barbell shaft?
When your barbell arrives, there will be a light coating of oil on the shaft and sleeves. This is to protect the barbell from the elements during shipping. After a few uses, this light coating of oil will begin to dissipate. However, if desired, the best way to clean the barbell when it first arrives is to use a durable rag and a disinfecting wipe/cleaner that is free of harsh chemicals (such as bleach, ammonia, alcohol, or peroxide). For even more grip, we recommend using chalk.
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How do I take care of my barbell?
This bar is designed to last many years without anything more than 3-in-1 oil added for lubrication. Remove dirt or chalk from the knurling with a brush and oil on a microfiber cloth. If you have any issues beyond that, please reach out to our Colorado-based customer support team here.
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Does the Helios Squat Bar have a warranty?
Yes, it comes with a lifetime warranty*.
