Swiss bars also called the neutral grip bar or football bar, are a type of specialty barbell that offer a number of benefits for lifters of all experience levels. However, like most specialty bars, there is no set protocol for weight and build like there is for the standard Olympic barbell. Therefore, the question often arises of how much does a Swiss bar weigh?
Most swiss bars will weigh between 35 lbs to 55 lbs depending on the manufacturer. In this guide, we will take a look at the weight of the swiss bar made by each manufacturer and discuss some benefits of adding this bar to your home gym.
Table of contents
How Much Do Swiss Bars Weigh By Brand?
Given the recent spike in the popularity of specialty bars, nearly every equipment manufacturer now has their own version of the swiss bar. Most tend to fall in that 35-55 pound range but there are some outliers.
Power Systems has the heaviest bar at 58 lbs while Yes4All has the lightest at 22 pounds. It should also be noted that even the cheapest, smallest bars have a weight capacity between 300-400 pounds. This should be more than enough for most people.
| Brand Model | Weight in Lbs | Weight in Kg | Capacity in Lbs | Capacity in Kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titan Fitness Hybrid | 45 | 20.41 | 1900 | 861 |
| Valor Fitness | 26 | 11.79 | 300 | 136 |
| Synergee | 27 | 12.24 | 450 | 204 |
| Yes4All | 22 | 9.98 | 400 | 181 |
| Gronk Fitness | 56 | 25.40 | 1000 | 453 |
| Xtreme Monkey | 28 | 12.70 | 400 | 181 |
| Fringe Sport | 46 | 20.86 | 1100 | 498 |
| Titan Fitness Angled | 53 | 24.04 | 1918 | 869 |
| ARCHON | 30 | 13.61 | 400 | 181 |
| Power Systems | 58 | 26.30 | 500 | 226 |
| TDS | 30 | 13.61 | 400 | 181 |
| HUWENJUN | 27 | 12.24 | 450 | 204 |
| Guolarizi | 16 | 7.26 | 660 | 299 |
| Body-Solid | 45 | 20.41 | 1000 | 453 |
| ROGUE MG-3 | 43 | 19.50 | 1000 | 453 |
| Rep Fitness Cambered | 45 | 20.41 | 810 | 367 |
Why Does The Weight Matter?
Given how important it is to progressively overload, it is crucial that you know how much you are lifting so you can track your progress across each session.
Also, if you work out at commercial gyms the brand of the swiss bars can vary. If you know how much each weighs, you can accurately load the bar no matter what.
How Do Swiss Bars By Brand Vary?
Aside from the weight and weight capacity, the biggest differences will come in the form of grip options and knurling type.
Grips
The swiss bar is also known as the multi-grip bar. However, how these grips are spaced and structured will vary depending on the manufacturer. We recommend looking for a bar that has both angled and neutral in order to get the most out of your swiss bar.
Knurling
The knurling on a swiss bar is the textured pattern on the grips intended to increase friction and improve your grip. Given that most swiss bars will be used mostly for pressing, some manufacturers skip out entirely on knurling. If you plan to use your swiss bar for rows, it may be optimal to look for a swiss that has knurling to help your grip.
Find The Best Swiss Bar
After weeks of testing, we have compiled a list of the best swiss multi-grip bars on the market
Swiss Bar Benefits
The swiss bar has a number of benefits over a traditional straight bar that you should take into consideration:
Safer For Your Shoulders and Wrists
In terms of injuries when it comes to any pressing movement, the shoulders and wrists are the most common areas where injuries are seen. Many people point to wrist or shoulder pain as the reason why they can no longer bench press.
The neutral grip of the swiss bar puts less stress on both the shoulder and wrist. The neutral grip forces your elbows to stay tucked limiting the risk of elbow flare. Similarly, the tucked position also forces your elbows and wrists to be stacked on top of each other for a safer pressing position.
Exercise Variation
A straight barbell is still a great tool. However, the swiss bar will simply add more tools to your arsenal. Whether you are trying to address weaknesses, work around an injury, or push past a plateau the swiss bar adds lots of options to your exercise choices. Here are some of the most popular swiss bar exercises
- Incline Press
Hammer Curls
Bent Over Rows
Skull Crushers
Pull Ups/ Chin-ups (Just rack bar at the top of your power rack)
Floor Press
JM Press
Tricep Focus
Compared to presses done with a straight bar, the swiss bar will activate the triceps more. If you are a torso-dominant lifter, this can be great for growing your arms and addressing a weak link in your pressing.
Strength Carryover
Bench pressing with a swiss bar is an entirely different experience compared to a standard straight bar. The muti-grip bar tends to be a bit unstable and the neutral grip will likely mean you have to significantly lower your regular bench press weight.
However, this simply means you are getting more out of less weight. The unstable nature will force and train you to maintain and rigid core and back during your presses. The swiss bar will drastically improve your lockout strength thanks to the higher level of tricep activation.
The fact is any strength gains made on your swiss bar lifts will be felt in some way when you transition back to the straight bar variation.
Final Thoughts
The swiss bar tends to weigh between 35 lbs – 55 lbs.
Out of all the specialty bars on the market, it is hard to make an argument against the swiss bar being the most worth it. These football bars tend to be fairly cheap while still providing a number of benefits for any home gym owner.
The combination of injury prevention, exercise variation, and strength benefits are just too hard to overlook.
Daniel Mesa, CPT, is a trusted fitness expert and founder of FitDominium. With his extensive experience and commitment to helping others, Daniel is the go-to source for reliable fitness advice and recommendations.