Bells of Steel Arch Nemesis Swiss Bar
A 20.7 lb multi-grip bar with a 32 mm frame and a 600 lb cap — the bar you buy when pressing hurts your shoulders.
Specs
| Weight | 20.70 lb |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 32 mm (1.26 in) |
| Length | 80 in (2,032 mm) |
| Max capacity | 600 lb (272 kg) |
| Knurl | Moderate |
| Shaft finish | Black powder coat |
| Sleeve finish | Black powder coat |
| Loadable sleeve length | 13.93 in (354 mm) |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime |
These figures are copied from Bells of Steel’s own published specs and were last checked on 2026-08-31. Manufacturers revise products without notice, and variants differ. Confirm anything your decision depends on with Bells of Steel before you buy.
Choose this one if
- Flat barbell benching aggravates your shoulders
- You want neutral and angled grips for pressing and rowing
- You have 80 inches of rack width, not the usual 86
The detail
A Swiss bar exists for one reason: it lets you press with your palms facing each other. A straight barbell forces your shoulders into external rotation at the bottom of a bench press, and for a lot of people that is where the pain lives. Neutral and angled grips move the load into a position the shoulder tolerates, usually without any loss of training effect.
The 32 mm frame is thicker than a barbell shaft, which changes the feel of every grip on it — more surface, less strain on the wrists, and a bar that does not roll in your hands during rows. Moderate knurl is the right call here since your hands are mostly not on knurl anyway.
Two dimensions matter before you buy. At 80 inches this is six inches shorter than a standard bar, so check it will sit in your J-cups — many racks space cups for an 86 inch bar and an 80 inch bar can sit uncomfortably close to the uprights. And the 13.93 inch loadable sleeve is short, so wide bumpers eat it fast; pair it with thin plates if you press heavy.
The 600 lb capacity is well below a power bar's and entirely beside the point. Nobody neutral-grip presses 600. It is generous for what this bar does.
At 20.7 lb it is roughly a pound under a standard 45 lb bar's half-weight, so your loaded totals need adjusting — write the bar weight somewhere, because a specialty bar you use twice a week is a number you will forget.