Force USA Olympic Barbell
A 700 lb-rated chrome bar on Q235 steel — the entry bar, with the specs to say so plainly.
Specs
| Total length | 86.6 in (2,200 mm) |
|---|---|
| Bar weight | 44 lb (20.0 kg) |
| Barbell diameter | 28 mm (1.1 in) |
| Shaft diameter | 49 mm (1.9 in) |
| Internal length | 52 in (1,320 mm) |
| Shaft length | 16.1 in (410 mm) |
| Weight rating | 700 lb (317 kg) |
| Shaft coating | Chrome |
| Shaft material | Q235 steel |
| Sleeve material | Cast iron |
| Tensile strength | 150,000 PSI |
These figures are copied from Force USA’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 Force USA before you buy.
Choose this one if
- You are buying your first bar and your working weights are well under 400 lb
- You want a bar that fits inside a rack without checking the internal length
- You want chrome rather than zinc for corrosion resistance at this price
The detail
This is an entry bar and the spec sheet does not pretend otherwise. 150,000 PSI tensile and a 700 lb weight rating are both meaningfully below the 1,500 lb / 190,000 PSI standard that good bars hit — including Force USA's own Pro Series and Gunner.
For a lot of people that is fine. If your squat is 275 and your deadlift is 365, a 700 lb rated bar is not the limiting factor in your training, and the money is better spent on plates and a rack. The honest question is where you will be in three years, because bars do not get stronger and a bent bar is a dead bar.
Q235 is a low-carbon structural steel — the material grade that produces the 150,000 PSI figure. Naming it is more transparency than most entry bars offer.
Chrome plating is the sensible choice at this level: better corrosion resistance than the black zinc on the pricier bars in this range, at the cost of a slightly slicker knurl feel.
Two dimensions worth having. The 52-inch internal length — the span between the sleeves — tells you whether the bar fits your rack's inside width, which is the measurement people forget until delivery. And the 16.1-inch shaft length is the loadable sleeve, which matches the good bars and is plenty.
Cast iron sleeves rather than steel is a durability note. Cast iron is more brittle and less forgiving of dropped plates, so this is not a bar to drop loaded onto safeties.