SB-1 Rogue Safety Squat Bar
Overall
User Review
( votes) Summary
The Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar provides safety and strength building with a focus on squats, box squats, good mornings, and other squat and squat-type movements. The bar features a cambered design, angled handles, and a solid foam pad with a heavy-duty vinyl cover.
Pros
- Solid steel frame.
- Easy to grip 1″ angled handles.
- Cerakote finish
- Machined Olympic sleeves.
Cons
- On the pricey side.
- Handles are too smooth.
- The vinyl pad can be prone to stitch tearing.
The Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar is a specialty bar built to target your anterior chain while distributing weight between the front squat and the high-bar back squat.
I started using the SB-1 Safety Squat Bar with my trainer several years ago; it was my first introduction to a specialty bar of this type. My immediate first impressions were aligned with other users who have reviewed the bar. I immediately felt less pressure on my shoulders, elbows, and wrists. The bar is crafted in such a way that it reduces the external rotation of a user’s shoulders when squatting, which creates a more pleasant experience for squats, good mornings, and other movements.
The Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar is very comfortable when put into place. Rogue has created a sturdy yet soft shoulder pad around your necks and traps. The design is pretty flawless when it comes to reducing shoulder strain. The shoulder pad is constructed using heavy-duty vinyl and closed-cell foam pads, which can stand up to a beating even in a commercial gym where a lot of use for these bars is common.
One note about the vinyl padding, there can be issues with stitching coming out of the pad. While the vinyl is solid, various reviewers on Rogue’s website and other review sites have complained about stitching issues after regular use. These issues were not seen in the Rogue SB-1 at my trainer’s gym (the very same specialty bar pictured in this review), but the issue seems to be pretty regular. The padding pictured above is from a bar in a commercial gym for two years.
I sometimes fight through shoulder pain, but what I enjoy about the Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar is the ability to work on my core and back. When lifting the rackable bar out of my Rogue RM-4, the camber forces my body forward. To correct for the forward lean, I need to engage my core and push my back straight. The forward push and correction allow me to focus on my form without worrying about the bar resting directly on my shoulders.
The forward motion helps with re-racking into my Rogue Monster Monolift, pushing my momentum easily toward the J-Cups.
The 70-pound bar is also great for good mornings, with the forward motion already in place and 1-inch angled handles for easy gripping; I love performing movements that allow for back-and-forth motion. Good mornings can be assisted with help from the handles while keeping the bar comfortable.
While I do love the angle of the handles on the Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar, I don’t care for their smooth nature of them. A more ergonomic design with placing for my fingers to better grip the bar would be nice. I also found that EliteFTS has done a better job creating a more gripper experience with its thicker rubber handles.
Rogue has also built the Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat Bar to last, providing machined Olympic sleeves and a full-body welded design.
If looks matter to you, the black Cerakote finish is a nice touch and very welcome on a bar that costs $445 plus shipping. I prefer Rogue’s Cerakote paint job over the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar, which features a clear coat finish prone to chipping. The EliteFTS bar is also $425. Still, the EliteFTS SS Yoke Bar offers a much more comfortable shoulder pad and better-angled handles that are easier to grip thanks to an ergonomic design.
Another important aspect of this bar, especially if you lift heavy, is that with 1.5″ of steel supporting the entire frame, there is almost no flex at heavier waits. With no spin and relatively little whip, the bar really does focus the powerlifter on what matters the most, engaging in safe form throughout the entire lift.
I love the SB-1 from Rogue. If you’re serious about safety and want to avoid further or future shoulder injuries, this is an option worth taking a closer look at.
You can check out the Rogue SB-1 Safety Squat product page for many positive user reviews.
