Review of ATE 20 kg Best Budget Olympic Barbell India For Weightlifting
Last Updated February 21, 2023
- Why choose the ATE 20 kg Olympic barbell?
- ATE Best Budget Olympic Barbell India Review:
- Barbell Specifications:
- 1. Length of the Bar:
- 2. Shaft of the ATE bar:
- 3. Center Knurl on the Shaft:
- 4. Quality of Knurling on the Shaft:
- 5. Diameter of the shaft
- 6. Coating/ Finish used on the Shaft & sleeves
- 7. Sleeves on ATE Olympic bar
- 8. Grooves Finish on the sleeves
- 9. Flex/ Whip of the bar:
- Overall Rating of ATE 20 kg Olympic barbell
- How Much I would rate ATE bar?
Today, I want to talk about a very interesting weightlifting barbell from ATE Brand which is the Best Budget Olympic barbell in India.
In this case, this 20 kg Olympic barbell comes in a hard chrome silver colour, finishing both on sleeves & shaft, which is one of two barbells that they’ve recently released which are manufactured here in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
(Made in India)
It’s interesting to use and review their gym equipment because ATE sports brand is usually known for a couple of things when they come up in conversation.
1️⃣ They’re a lot of barbell/ plate options with them to choose from.
2️⃣ They’ve 20+ years of legacy in manufacturing almost all sports equipment in India.
3️⃣ Their equipment is usually very affordable.😃
4️⃣ A lot of their products tend to mimic and/or copy specs of IWF/ or IPF guidelines and the quality of what Rogue or Eleiko products deliver.
👉 So whereas those products are really well known for being made in the USA, ATE Brand is known for providing a more affordable option in India, without compromising on Quality (that is their main focus here) which usually other gym manufacturers couldn’t match.❌
Therefore, it’s interesting to see them dipping their toes in the water to have some best India-manufactured pieces of gym equipment.
➡️ Now there are plenty of 20 kg Olympic barbells in India which I have used by myself, or seen people using, and I pretty much know the inside out of those barbells (also a lot of expensive ones).
But this ATE Olympic weightlifting bar holds a special place.
Let’s find out what everything this weightlifting barbell has.
Why choose the ATE 20 kg Olympic barbell?
The intended purpose of the bar is more geared towards being a more Olympic Weightlifting bar.
To meet and be an IWF-approved specs bar, it checks all the boxes. ✔️
You might think, why use it anyway?
Because there are a lot of people like me who do weightlifting, they tend to buy an Olympic barbell weight, and if they get such a bar that complements well to their lifting style. Then it becomes their obvious choice.
👉 But if you already have a dedicated ATE power bar, and you are looking to add some other barbell as well.
This bar, also being an Olympic bar, can be used as a multipurpose bar, and might fit in your ally because it helps you in any lift you can think of.
You can easily perform clean & jerk, snatch, and front & back squats on them. The sleeve spin is especially great here with 10 Needle Bearing, which is what weightlifters most require.👍
Let’s find if this ATE barbell is for you, and what is my opinion while incorporating this product into my day-to-day lifts?
ATE Best Budget Olympic Barbell India Review:
ATE Barbell For Weightlifting
Why this brand?
- In India, ATE is one of the oldest makers of weightlifting and powerlifting barbells. All of their barbells are manufactured in the ATE Factory in Meerut. Their barbells are extensively utilized in a variety of competitions held at state, district, and national levels and are among the most reputable Olympic barbell brands in India.
Want to buy?
Call/ Whatsapp ATE Sales team at 7060425552, Share Discount Code: “MENSQUATS” for getting an instant 5% off on your purchase.
EXCLUSIVE discount from my side!
➡️ Ideal for: The ATE 20 kg Olympic Barbell in India is an incredible deal for weightlifters, CrossFit athletes, and conventional gyms owners who wish to serve their gym attendees for doing multipurpose exercises with just 1 barbell.
Barbell Specifications:
| Strength rating: | 200,000 PSI |
| Weight: | 20 kg |
| Shaft Diameter: | 28 MM |
| Sleeve Diameter: | 50 MM |
| Length: | 2.20 meters/ 7.2 ft |
| Knurling Type: | 1.2mm Diamond Knurl |
| Knurl mark: | Single IWF Knurl Mark |
| Sleeve Rotation System: | 10 HK Ball Bearings |
| Whip Status: | Good Whip |
| Max Load Capacity: | 2000 lbs/ 916 kgs |
| Coating/ Finishing Given: | Hard Chromed sleeves and shaft |
| Maintenance required | No |
| Max Loadable Weights: | 320 kgs + |
✔️ Things I like About ATE bar:
- Looks sleek and shiny in Silver Color.
- Due to its good flex, it can also be used as a deadlift bar.
- Fast & smooth rotating sleeves, due to 10 Needle bearings + 2 bronze bushing used.
- Knurling is not overly aggressive and feels good in hands.
- 28MM shaft thickness.
- All IWF-approved specs mean this bar can be used in competitions.
- Hard chrome finish sleeves & shaft, which requires no maintenance.
- The quality to price ratio you get here is commendable.😃
❌ Things I don’t like ATE Bar:
- On-delivery packaging can be troublesome to open if you aren’t much experienced.
- Due to the Center knurl, your neck skin can scratch while doing front squats/ or cleans.
- Rust can develop in humid temperatures.
- Barbell Locks are to be used, even if you are getting grooved sleeves here.
➡️ Though, these points have given you a crux of, what aspects the barbell is good in, and where it lacks?
But to be true, the bar needs to be used by oneself to feel the difference. I have more to tell about this ATE Olympic bar, and if I haven’t used it myself, then I can’t be able to experience it in TRUE SENSE, and won’t be writing this blog just for YOU.
Continued… First I want to talk about:
1. Length of the Bar:
The ATE Olympic barbell is an IWF-approved bar, so it obviously measures 7.2fts in length and weighs 20 kgs, which is just good for any male lifter, like me, measuring 6 ft in height.
I didn’t feel it was too heavy, too long, or too short of what I can hold because I have used similar weightlifting barbells before and are accustomed to them.
But other shorter males do not have any choice here but to train with the same IWF-approved specs barbell.
That’s pretty much kept standard here.
Of course, beginners can first learn from the ATE 10 kgs technique barbell or ATE 15 kgs women’s barbell, which is much thinner, shorter, and lighter in hands than this one.
But I didn’t think it’s a good investment to spend money on 2 totally different products. Why? Because after all, at last, the 20 kgs Olympic weightlifting barbell is the bar that every male has to practice with if he ever wants to participate in weightlifting competitions. 🙄
👉 Out of educational purposes, Why does the length of the Olympic bar actually matter?
You can get a 5 kgs kids barbell made of aluminium, or a women’s barbell, or this ATE bar, Olympic men’s bar which lengths 7.2fts, has 28MM grip thickness made of special steel alloy, with 200PSI tensile strength.
👉 What do they have in common?
They all measure exactly the same. At least for the shaft length. They all have 51.5 inch/ 4.2 ft shaft length.
But different in loadable sleeve length or total length, like ATE bar, is 7.2 ft in total length, and ATE women’s Olympic bar, on the other hand, is 6.59 ft in total length.
👉 Why barbell shaft length is made the same?
➡️ The reason is if you’re racking them on a standard squat rack for squats, rack pulls, or anything like that. The shaft of those bars will cleanly fit in between the uprights.
This is a standard for just about every Olympic barbell.
But for shaft thickness & overall length in women’s barbells, it isn’t much of a standard, because we assume women have smaller hands, height, or weight.
Therefore, the IWF specs are different for women barbells.
For IPF, all barbells come with the same specs.▶️
2. Shaft of the ATE bar:
Looking at the shaft, it has a standard 1 knurl mark on each side, which is an IWF knurl mark. This knurl mark is going to satisfy most users as it allows them to line up their hands to take a snatch grip or squat grip.
✔️ You get 1.2mm diamond mild knurling on the shaft, which goes to the end of the sleeves. But the shaft of this bar isn’t fully knurled. You will see a continuation and discontinuation of the knurling in the center because ATE barbell has a center knurl present here like most other Olympic bars.
Let’s talk about it more…
3. Center Knurl on the Shaft:
This personally is more dissatisfying to me, because for clean & jerks and especially for the front squats, this 1.2mm diamond knurl, which we consider not so aggressive center knurling also becomes very harsh and digs to my collar bone just below Adam’s apple and makes me wonder who put the knurling on here.
➡️ But all IWF bars have a center knurl present, the same as this one. We can’t request to remove it so it doesn’t tear your skin, because its application is for getting a grip on your neck during clean & jerks, otherwise, the bar could slip due to sweat or for other reasons.
And because centre knurls are more required by powerlifters, who usually train with their shirts on.
But for CrossFit people and weightlifters who occasionally lift without a t-shirt, a center knurl can be very distressing at times. 🙄
What’s the easy way?
The only solution remains to either always wear a grippy thick t-shirt or just embrace its red marks on your neck because you would be always getting a center knurl on the bar in your competitions.
But in case, you already have a bar that has a center knurl. And you’re reading it for education purposes.
👍 Then a quick hack is to roll the center of a shaft with athletic tape. This way you will get the same advantage of getting a hold because of the knurl and wouldn’t be feared with the actual center knurl of the bar ripping your neck’s skin.
4. Quality of Knurling on the Shaft:
I don’t know if it matters to you or not, “Knurling is more about the feel than the looks.”
One of the things I really need is to feel that shaft. I need to experience that knurl in my hands before I buy. Because I can’t tell you how many countless times, I’ve experienced a barbell, only to open it to find the knurling isn’t GREAT like it was advertised.
And for me, knurling is super important, once you get past the basic specs. (The bar needs to feel good in your hands.😇)
As a reminder, the knurling that we were really after is something that isn’t aggressive, yet grippy so not volcano knurling but more 1.2 mm diamond knurling which you get here with ATE Olympic weightlifting barbell India.
👉 Although a lot of people are like, “Hey you should just go as sharp as possible literally murder people with this barbell”. That’s not something that I would use as a daily driver and that wasn’t my intent here.
Overly sharp knurling probably isn’t ideal for weightlifters, specifically because if you have a bar that’s going to rip up your hands or your back, you’re not going to want to use it as often.
Also, weightlifters have to rotate their wrists quickly in a matter of mini-seconds in movements like clean & jerk and snatch. Then there the overly aggressive knurl can literally tear the skin, which is really painful. 🙄
➡️ My experience: I am confident to hold the barbell in my hands, and the way it turned out was not so skin peeping here. From my standpoint of using this ATE bar, I have seen consistency/ clean-cut in their knurl throughout the shaft and no real issues that are to be worried about. The ATE factory machining guy did a great job. 💓
✔️ Quality-checked.
5. Diameter of the shaft
This ATE bar is of 28MM diameter on the shaft, which is a standard, it also has 200K tensile strength (maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being stretched) which is ideal for the amount of weight we lift in weightlifting sport.
More or less.
This diameter is considered thin, and it helps in getting a flex on the bar, which is very helpful for the lifts. But again, we can’t customize it because it is what it is. IWF specs are to be followed.
I didn’t find any problems with my regular training, but you might face issues with this bar thickness.
👉 If in case you have bigger hands because when you compare it with other thicker power bars like 29MM in shaft diameter, which isn’t a right comparison to do but for pressing movement, that 1 MM difference can make a significant impact. For example, when you are doing squats and say overhead press.
And because the sleeves spin really well, you have to take an extra second when you’re setting up because plates kind of spin, and I feel my wrist stability is a little off. It only takes me some time to get used to it. Not a deal-breaker point.
➡️ But the upside of this is, the bar holds very good in the hand, and the knurl impressions are pretty visible. Even more, if you apply chalk.
And considering this bar costs in 17500 rupees range + GST and is the best budget Olympic barbell in India. It is built really well when you look at the termination points of the knurl rings, and when you compare it to the other expensive Nelco, or Challenge weightlifting bars.
And if you’re in the market to look for a bar that costs under 20000 rupees and you can use it for squat, snatch, clean, landmine, bent over rows, or anything of that nature.
There isn’t much left to complain about when you consider its quality delivered: price asked Ratio. ✔️
6. Coating/ Finish used on the Shaft & sleeves
This is the best-looking barbell, and the easiest to keep, because even that black oxide or zinc-coated sleeve looks good on other red cerakote Olympic bars in the market like you, get in Bullrock Red turtle bar or ATE Falcon bar, it really scuffed up over time by inserting and removing the plates specifically which have metal inserts.
That’s really true, with any other kind of colourful sleeves, other than the normal steel.
Also, colourful barbells aren’t much seen in gyms everywhere in India. This silver appeared hard chrome-coated barbell by ATE is pretty standard and is the most prevalent of all.
Earlier, all barbells in India came with the one and only chrome finish, but now there are more options to choose from than ever we had in the past.
But still, I think ATE bar hard chrome finish is the best to keep because I have reviewed many similar kinds of barbells, including the finishes I mentioned above. And it outruns all of them.
➡️ Why is hard chrome better than other finishes/ coating?
1.) Yes, the coating gives visual appeal to the bar and has significance in minimizing the rust and oxidation of the steel. But that can be even if you correctly maintain a bar, and of course, you’ll save money if you buy a low-cost coating, i.e., hard chrome finish, like which you get in the ATE Olympic weightlifting bar, rather than spending on some fancy coating. 😇
2.) It’s easy to maintain, scratch-proof and has a good rating on the oxidation scale. Otherwise, a cerakote finish barbell requires much upkeep and vigilance to save it from metal-to-metal contact while racking, if not, its coating can chip off.
3.) Also, another point which is a downside in case you go for a cerakote barbell, like ATE Red falcon or Bullrock red turtle bar, is the feeling of knurling you get there is a little faded. But with a hard chrome finish barbell, what you’re in between your hands is only the bar, not some coating.
And I feel in comparison, this ATE weightlifting bar, which comes with a hard chrome coating, is actually the best to consider, as they both perform exactly the same.
7. Sleeves on ATE Olympic bar
What matters is how the sleeves are attached to the barbell. Never buy a bar that has a hex bolt or nut to hold the sleeve under the bar.
As most low-cost, non-branded bars in India do. They get loose with time.😵 If they are dangerous, they can not only hurt the individual using the bar, but also those nearby.❌
In the sleeves, all ATE weightlifting barbells have snap rings on the ends, and that way the sleeves won’t come off during training. An industry-standard nowadays.
To rotate the shaft with sleeves and get a better spin for weightlifting movements. You actually get a 10NK bearing (5 per sleeve) and 2 bronze bushing here on ATE bar, where NK means Needle Roller bearing. This is quite surprising because most budget bars come with Bushing that offers great spin much like bearing, but comparatively less. Totally Impressed.😇
➡️ You get such a great spin in the ATE Olympic barbell that you can actually rotate it and view it spinning the plate for about 2-4 minutes Non-Stop. I did it with a 20 kgs bumper plate, and I enjoyed what I saw.
The sleeves themselves come with a silver appearance of hard chrome with ATE brand name printed on the blue end caps in the end, denoting what it is.
Talking about measurements:
Sleeves come with 415MM loadable length and 50MM diameter, which gives this bar enough room to load nearly 320 kg in total.
That means 6 – 66MM thickness ATE 25kg Olympic bumper plates on each side. (150 1st side + 150 2nd side + 20 Kg bar = 320 kgs)
This weight is enough for most strong weightlifters to perform greater capacity lifts to increase their PR (personal records👍).
The barbell can also be used for deadlifts, and you don’t have to fear because the actual weight capacity of this bar is 2000 lbs/ 916 kgs, making it quite indestructible.
What’s more amazing: You get a lifetime bending warranty, if an ATE bar ever bends in the next 50 years you’ll get a NEW replacement. No questions asked.😶
8. Grooves Finish on the sleeves
Now, this machining pattern appears to be very useful and creative to some people. As it replaces the smooth non-grooved finish on the barbells, which we get earlier.
Now this addition here keeps the plate hugging the bar sleeve snugly at a secure angle so as to stay fixed in place when dropped.
But sorry to break it to you.
On my observation of dropping the weights from a pelvic height and overhead height on the lifting platform, plates do move out or unsettle. You still have to bend forward and make all the weights come closer to get ready for your next set. Until you choose to use barbell locks.
The only thing I like about these grooves is their design. Though they don’t hold the plates that well, they still do it. If you compare it to some other barbell with absolutely no grooves on it.
➡️ The best thing about them is, they make a “zzzzzzzzzzziiiiiipp!” sound every time you push in, or pull out the plates or just slide your finger on them. This felt like music to me. For others, it can’t be too pleasing for their ears.
But personally, I would do it intentionally. “Zzzzzzzzzzziiiiiipp!”😵 OK sorry.
9. Flex/ Whip of the bar:
➡️ Whip. A whip is when the bar bends and returns to straight. It is stored in elastic energy. This allows the lifter to introduce momentum into their lifts that is created by the bar, not by the lifter.
(😃A skilled lifter can use the whip of a bar to help propel the weight upward.)
Of course, being a 28MM bar with normal-sized collars (of 30 mm), it pushes out weight far between the sleeves, so the barbell gains a good whip or flex at higher loads for your snatches, clean & jerks.
But, if you are using this barbell for other than weight lifting movements, which is obviously it is great for. But you want to also try it for Deadlifts, which is an area of interest for both weightlifters & powerlifters. Then this can be a great bar for you. ✔️
Maybe you have a good powerlifting bar already, and you have been thinking about getting an additional deadlift bar, but you don’t want to spend another INR 20000 or some amount on getting a bar-like, Bullrock Deadlift bar.
Instead, you can spend INR 17500 + GST (approx) on this ATE Olympic barbell and still get a bar that has a lot better flex, than a powerlifting bar that you’re used to.
Obviously, the tradeoff of choosing Olympic bar vs deadlift bar is, ATE Olympic bar is not as long and thin as a Bullrock deadlift bar, so whip would be diminished. But it would be more of what you’re accustomed to.
Overall Rating of ATE 20 kg Olympic barbell
Why do I say ATE is the best budget Olympic barbell India?
When we compare two same Olympic barbells available here to buy in India, either it is
Bullrock Fitness vs ATE bar,
Nelco vs ATE bar, or,
Challenge vs ATE bar.
(Not taking Eleiko bars here, because they are only available to government facilities and also are Super-expensive of what they’re)
Most people tend to go with ATE 20 kg Olympic barbell for the aspects of it being more affordable and having a very similar feeling product.
➡️ In terms of a similar feel, it’s kind of there, there are no shortcomings – the sleeves spin exceptionally well, the knurl feels good in the hand and isn’t that aggressive, the bar steel quality used is commendable.
ATE Olympic Bar in India
But whereas this bar really stands strong, the price point, as I mentioned, Bullrock Fitness, Nelco, and Challenge bars, is actually higher than what you’d get for the ATE Olympic bar.
This is the main reason why this bar is actually going to drive a lot of people’s attention in India specifically. ▶️
Even though I did mention that oftentimes with ATE brand you can get this bar on SALE and you’ll probably pay less than ₹15300 + GST in Diwali/ Holi/ New Year offers. But on other days, you still get this bar for ₹17000 + GST (More or less under 20000 Ruppess)
✔️ What’s more surprising is the price difference between this ATE bar and a famous Olympic bar from Bullrock fitness like The Silver Tiger Bar 2.0, without shipping it’s probably around ₹2000.
I think most people will probably end up saving that ₹2000 to go for the ATE bar that has similar IWF specs.
Though other popular Olympic barbells in India might do differently in our testing.
But the notion that “the cost is a direct reflection of quality” is certainly true everywhere, but in this case, this bar balances out everything.
(This above line says it all.😇)
No need to go for Eleiko bars that cost 1 lakh +/-, instead get this and you’ll be super satisfied with the product. (Not at all being biased)
Conclusion: Should you Buy ATE 20kg Olympic Barbell India?
I really honestly think a lot of you guys are going to like this ATE Brand: Best budget Olympic barbell India, based on the specs that we’ve come out with.
And it’s going to be unique enough where it kind of has its own place in the 20 kg Olympic weightlifting barbells category, which is a really flooded market these days.
👉 In fact, I have reviewed some barbells like a Bullrock Red turtle bar, which is a cerakote Olympic barbell in India, and I have been using Nelco bar for 2 years almost, which I believe is GOOD no doubt in saying that.
But people say, hey Nelco or challenge made this first, and it’s made better. It’s also made in India, so it’s worth paying the extra money for.🙄
And when it comes to this bar, ATE Olympic barbell, and a lot of the equipment, there’s no denying that it’s very similar to what the other company offers.
Want to buy?
Call/ Whatsapp ATE Sales team at 7060425552, Share Discount Code: “MENSQUATS” for getting an instant 5% off on your purchase.
EXCLUSIVE discount from my side.
Why ATE?
➡️ Apart from my experience, I’ve noticed with ATE that they’re usually pretty good at taking feedback.
If you don’t like anything, they are about to change it in their Version 2, which is almost always superior to what it was supposed to be.
For instance, most notably their red falcon bar, the cerakote version, which recently came out, is one of the best deals you can get at a price. But this ATE 20 kg Olympic barbell price in India is unmatchable for the QUALITY you get.
But if you think differently or think I’m wrong, let me know in the comment section below.
And how much do you like our review of ATE Olympic Barbell? Are you going to buy it? If not, ATE which bar do you currently use or plan to buy?
That’s all for this ATE Best Budget Olympic barbell India Review. Thanks for coming this far.
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