The 5 Best Tricep Bars For Powerful Workouts

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A tricep bar can be a nice addition to your collection of fitness equipment. Discover what the best tricep bars are for your personal situation.

Best tricep bars top picks

1. Titan Fitness Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar (2-inch sleeves)
2. CAP Barbell Standard Threaded Triceps Bar (1-inch sleeves)
3. CAP Barbell Olympic Triceps Bar (2-inch sleeves)
4. uyoyous Tricep Bar (1-inch sleeves)
5. FITNESS MANIAC Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar (2-inch sleeves)

The first important thing to note is that tricep bars, also known as hammer curl bars, come in two main sleeve sizes: 2 inches (also called Olympic size) and 1 inch (also called “standard”).

This is somewhat confusing since 2-inch sleeves are the most common size. These sizes are important to check if you already have weight plates and/or if you plan to invest in other fitness equipment.

When in doubt, the 2-inch sleeve models are recommended since most fitness equipment uses this type of weight plate. To make things easier you can find the sleeve size noted after each of the top picks.

Because of different sleeve size preferences, strength levels, training goals, body sizes, budgets, personal preferences, etc., it is not possible to create one perfect ranking for every individual.

Sometimes picks lower on the list will be better for your personal situation.

How we selected our top picks

Our fitness experts spent a lot of time looking at and comparing all the different important factors of the best tricep bars. Some of the things that were taken into consideration when making our selection include:

• Weight capacity, sleeve dimensions, distance between handles, etc.
• User reviews
• Anecdotal reviews from fitness experts
• Price
• Brand trustability

If a pick seems interesting click it to see the online prices.

5 Best tricep bars reviewed in depth

Individuals in a hurry can use the list of top picks to make a quick decision. You can also look at each of the best tricep bars reviewed in detail to confirm you are making the right choice.

1. Titan Fitness Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar

Our top pick for the best tricep bar is the Titan Fitness Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar. As long as you don’t mind the somewhat heavier starting weight, this option is a great combination between quality and reasonable price.

Without weight plates, this model is 23 pounds (10.4 kg). When it comes to tricep bar weights, the average is around 16.81 pounds (7.62 kg).

Especially because this piece of fitness equipment is mainly used for weaker muscles like triceps, biceps, and forearms, the Titan Fitness Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar may be a bit heavy for some individuals.

To be able to grow and strengthen your muscles you have to challenge them enough. If the tricep bar is too heavy for a certain number of repetitions you will not be able to work your muscles optimally.

That being said, starting at a certain strength level, this tricep bar from Titan Fitness is definitely a great pick. It has 2-inch (5.08 cm) diameter sleeves which means most of the typical weight plates fit on it.

These sleeves are each 6.5″ (16.5 cm) so depending on what weight plates you use, there is likely enough room to reach the 200-pound (90.7 kg) weight capacity of this bar.

The handles have a knurled metal texture. They are 6.75″ (17.2 cm) apart. One customer mentions he is “a big guy” and feels that the handles are a bit too close to each other.

This model is indeed below-average when it comes to this distance. The height of the bar is 6.88″ (17.5 cm) which gives you an idea of how long the handles are.

In short, for most people the Titan Fitness Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar will be a great choice. If you are not that strong (yet) and/or are a bit bigger, other options may be better.

2. CAP Barbell Standard Threaded Triceps Bar

The CAP Barbell Standard Threaded Triceps Bar is the top pick when it comes to 1-inch (2.54 cm) diameter sleeve tricep bars. Keep in mind that this means the most typical weight plates will be too big for this bar.

Something else to note is that there are a few customer comments about the collars. These may need retightening every few sets of usage.

That being said, the nice number of happy customers implies that these are the exceptions, not the rule.

It would be nice if CAP Barbell would mention the specific sleeve length but most of the best tricep bars have more than enough room to reach the weight capacities.

Besides these small things, the CAP Barbell Standard Threaded Triceps Bar is a budget-friendly yet solid option. The weight capacity of 200 pounds (90.7 kg) should be more than enough for most people to work a variety of muscles.

Something that stands out is that you can get this tricep bar with rubber grips and in different colors. If you prefer these more unusual details this can be a big plus.

One customer mentions the distance between the handles is 9″ (22.9 cm). This is about average when it comes to tricep bars which is a good thing. Unless you are really small or really big, you will probably like the spacing.

In short, most people who are interested in 1-inch sleeve “standard” tricep bars will likely love this model. Especially considering the budget-friendly price.

3. CAP Barbell Olympic Triceps Bar

This next option is budget-friendly when it comes to 2-inch tricep bars. Cheaper does not always mean worse but in the case of the CAP Barbell Olympic Triceps Bar, you are taking a small amount of risk.

One of the main issues is that the collars that were promised or their tightening screws are missing. This is not the biggest issue since 2-inch collars are easily found but it is annoying when you were expecting these.

Additionally, there are some cases where the bar arrived with some rust. Again, the high number of customers implies these are the exceptions but this is inconvenient if it happens.

Besides these things, this hammer curl bar from CAP Barbell does its job at a relatively low price. If they did not promise the collars the overall review ratio would likely be a lot more positive.

Similar to many of the other tricep bars, this model has a weight capacity of 200 pounds (90.7 kg). The unloaded bar weight of 19.28 pounds (8.8 kg) is somewhat above average so weaker individuals want to make sure this is not too heavy.

Something else that stands out is the sleeve length of 8.25″ (21 cm) on each side. This is relatively long which allows for more room for weight plates and can in turn be helpful for heavier tricep bar exercises.

Another nice addition is that you can get this bar with rubber grips if you prefer that type of grip. According to one customer, these handles are 8.75″ (22.2 cm) apart which is about average.

The width of the bar is 6.69″ (17 cm). This gives you an idea of the length of the handles themselves.

In short, besides the budget-friendly price, a few missing collars, and a few rusty models, this is a solid tricep bar. You do want to double-check whether the minimum weight is not too heavy for you personally.

4. uyoyous Tricep Bar

This uyoyous Tricep Bar is a bit pricey but really solid on paper and in customer reviews (so far).

The main reasons why it is somewhat lower on the list of the best tricep bars are that uyoyous is a relatively obscure fitness brand and that the number of customers is relatively low (for now).

There is one customer who mentions the sleeves of his bar are not entirely the same length and that the handles are slightly angled. However, so far the other customers don’t mention anything about this so it could be an exception.

Something positive that stands out is the mentioned weight capacity of 300 pounds (136 kg). If this is accurate, the uyoyous model is a sturdy tricep/hammer curl bar.

Additionally, you can start at a weight of 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg) without weight plates. This low tricep bar weight can be helpful for individuals who are not that strong (yet).

Besides that, this option is somewhat average in terms of sleeve length (6.5″ = 16.5 cm) and distance between the handles (9″ = 22.9 cm).

It is helpful that uyoyous mentions the specific length of each of the handles, 4.7″ (11.9 cm). Individuals with big hands can double-check whether this tricep bar is the right size for them in advance.

So far, the uyoyous Tricep Bar looks like a great option. However, you may feel more secure buying from more well-known fitness equipment brands until the number of customers who bought this model is high enough.

5. FITNESS MANIAC Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar

The previous 2-inch tricep bars were the best overall and budget choices. This FITNESS MANIAC Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar is potentially really good but currently not as proven as the other models.

FITNESS MANIAC is again a more obscure fitness equipment brand. There are a nice amount of customer reviews that are very positive but more feedback would definitely be welcome.

Additionally, more precise product details would be great.

Even so, while there are some differences between brands, tricep bars also do not vary in crazy amounts. From the product details you can find and the customer feedback, this does look like a good tricep bar.

One customer mentions the sleeve length is about 7″ (17.8 cm). This is about average and should be more than enough to load enough weight plates to challenge your triceps, biceps, and other muscles.

Similarly, the distance between handles of 8.5″ (21.6 cm) that one customer mentions is about what you expect from a good tricep bar.

The package weight of 17 pounds (10.4 kg) implies a tricep bar that is somewhat heavier than average. Whether this is a potential issue depends on your current strength level.

In short, the FITNESS MANIAC Olympic Tricep Hammer Curl Bar is definitely more of an uncertain option in absence of a lot of customers.

So far this tricep bar looks really good but you can also pick one of the previous certain options if that feels more comfortable.

How to choose a tricep bar

You may still be unsure about what tricep bar would be the best choice for you. If that is the case you can look at some of the following details more in depth:

1. Sleeve diameter: Tricep bars come in two different sleeve diameters, 1 inch and 2 inches. This is important to keep in mind if you already have weight plates you want to use or plan to get other fitness equipment too. Unless you already have a collection of 1-inch weight plates, most people want to get a 2-inch “Olympic” tricep bar.
2. Weight capacity: One of the main principles of growing and strengthening muscles is challenging them enough. For this, your tricep bar has to be able to hold enough weight without breaking down.
3. Sleeve length: Sleeve length, how much room there is for weight plates, is important because of similar reasons as weight capacity. You need enough space for weight plates to be able to challenge your muscles enough.
4. Tricep bar weight: Tricep bars are a type of specialty bar without a standard weight. This means models vary in this feature. A low tricep bar weight can actually be helpful if you need to start at a low weight for effective resistance training. As long as the tricep bar is still strong enough to hold enough weight.
5. Distance between handles: Another feature where there is no standard is the distance between the tricep handles. This can influence how comfortable you find your tricep bar workouts and to a small extent what ratio you work your muscles. You can measure out in the air what distance would feel comfortable to you.
6. Handle texture: Tricep bar handles are typically made from knurled (grooves) metal. However, some models also offer rubber grip options and how aggressive the knurling is can vary. What you want in this area is mostly a case of personal preference.
7. Price: Investing in your health can be a great thing but sometimes you can get similar or more tricep bar benefits for a lower price.

You can think about what you are looking for in each of these features and check the tricep bars for them. This can make it easier to find the model that is the best for you personally.

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