Introduction
With a 6-inch curve, the Yukon Bar from Titan Fitness looks like a bent bar to the average eye. However, the Yukon Bar is one of the best value specialty bars globally. A tool like this will add instant versatility to your home gym setup and greatly support those with injury or poor flexibility. It’s easily the best-priced “Buffalo Bar” on the market and is one of Titan’s better items, with the Rogue CB-4 and Kabuki Duffalo Bar about 3x the price. This Titan Yukon Bar review discusses:
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Who is it for?
This bar can be used for squats, bench, and overhead press. It is a game-changer for those with limited shoulder mobility and is easier on the wrists and elbows than using a straight bar. Plus, you can get a greater range of motion while benching.
Nevertheless, this type of bar is not just for the “injured.” It will be a nice change of pace for anyone who typically uses a traditional straight bar. The lifts mentioned above all feel different and work in slightly different ways. Plus, many programming plans call for specialty bar use. With all of that being said, plus the price, this is an option that many should consider early in their home gym journey.
Specs
This bar includes some hefty specs. It weighs 50 lbs, has a shaft diameter of 32mm (same as a squat bar), length of 8 feet, and 17.5″ loadable sleeves. It’s very stiff and has a max capacity of 1,500 pounds. Most of these specs are similar to what you’d see on other higher-priced options.
The Bars Biggest Weakness
Next, let’s talk about the bar’s biggest weakness. It is simply the knurling. Considering the lifts that this is primarily used for, it would be nice to have an aggressive knurl. However, the knurl is pretty mild. Overall, it’s not too big of an issue, but a deeper knurl would help dig in a bit. The center knurl is a plus, but it would be helpful if it were more substantial.
The bar in these pictures closes in on a year old and is still in solid shape. It will show scratches relatively quickly, but this will not affect the performance. The black oxide finish helps mitigates much of the oxidation, but little care will be needed over time. Overall, this is a solid coating option that helps keep the price and maintenance time low.
Loading Tip
Considering its bow shape, you should load one plate at a time, but there aren’t any issues loading and unloading if you are paying attention. It is a very balanced bar with about 9 inches of non-knurled space included on each side. It will flip if overloaded to one side, and it wasn’t easy to do with roller j-cups, either.
Below is a picture with 75 pounds on one side and 0 on the other. This seemed to be about the limit before it would tip but didn’t test any further.
In the End
This is an option for many to consider even if they do not have shoulder, wrist, or elbow issues. While not innovative (others released this before), it’s a well-made product and as cheap an option as you’ll find. This is currently around $200 (on sale), about a third of the Duffalo Bar from Kabuki. While the quality certainly is not at that level, it’s a steal at this price point even with other options being added in 2022.
Thanks for the info after reading this Titan had a flash sale and I picked one up excited to try it out. Thanks