Achieving the right knurl texture and a controlled spin were essential to creating a Pyrros-approved barbell. For the knurling, we experimented with several patterns before choosing a new, more aggressive style unanimously selected by Pyrros and two members of the U.S.A. Weightlifting team (a center knurl was also included by request). Creating the perfect knurl is as much art as it is science, so after gauging, each shaft is manually tested to ensure that the "feel" meets Rogue's standards. Similar attention is paid to the bar's precision needle bearings (made in Germany), five sets of which are included in each chrome sleeve. While the bearings produce a smooth and reliable spin, the use of a more viscous lubricant produced the spin that Pyrros was looking for, ensuring better stability of the weight during heavier lifts and more control for the athlete.

. Personally selected by Pyrros and two members of the U.S.A. Weightlifting Team for its optimal "whip" and "flex," this stainless steel is the same type we originally developed for our world-record breaking Elephant Bar. With no plating, the knurl is left exactly how we machined it, providing a natural feel that is less reliant on chalk, with better corrosion resistance than bare steel. Customers can also now opt for stainless steel sleeves, rather than the standard chrome plating. The all-stainless Pyrros Bar, we feel, is the premier 28mm bar in our fleet. Please Note: Rogue recommends using a synthetic bristle brush, NOT a steel brush, to clean a stainless steel shaft. Steel on steel can cause rusting over time. See more tips here: Bar Care & Maintenance.

The quality, precision engineering that goes into the Pyrros Bar has now been recognized at the highest levels of competition through its IWF certification. Each Pyrros Bar is machined in Columbus, Ohio (on American-made Haas machines) to strict IWF specs. The shaft is ground and polished prior to machining and individually tested and straightened to within 0.015” (0.38MM). Using a technique from automotive and aviation manufacturing, the sleeves are friction welded for a bond as strong as a single piece of steel, and then machined to our exacting standards. After machining, all parts are gauged to ensure optimum performance. In our barbell assembly department, the shaft is again tested and straightened and the components of each bar are weighed together. Once the weight standard of +20 grams/-10 grams is met, the bar is assembled by hand followed by an individual test for straightness and reliable spin. 


A national hero in Greece, Pyrros Dimas owns three World Weightlifting Championships along with three gold medals from the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games. He has few equals in the sport, so designing a barbell up to his standards was both a privilege and a great challenge. We’re proud to say we’ve produced a bar that Pyrros Dimas has personally called “perfect.”