CAP Barbell Deluxe Open Trap Bar - Hex & Shrug Bar for Olympic & Standard Plates

I got this because I want to squat heavy without a spotter and I love that it has the option to use 1 or 2 inch plates with it. It's one of the best pieces of equipment I've invested in. And there are so many other things you can with it that I haven't even tried.

Much more robust than what I was expecting at this price point. I doubt that I will ever put 500 lbs on it, but there is no doubt that it could handle it.

I recently joined a gym and saw something like this. They didn't have them at my last gym or any of the gyms I've belonged to in the last 40 years. But, it mirrors an exercise I've been doing for years with dumbbells and I wanted it for my home gym.I generally use some heavier weight for this exercise on dumbbells, which only the gyms have. It's harder to do with large plates on dumbbells and using the smaller plates would be a huge stack. So I love the design of these bars that let me use the larger plates more easily by transferring the location.First off, kudos for making this fit the 1 inch plates. Seems like everything else is made for Olympic sized plates. I bought my weights a long time ago when home gym equipment was commonly the 1 inch plates. Olympic equipment was harder to find and more expensive. Only serious lifters sought out Olympic sized equipment for home use. 200 lbs is 200lbs whether it's on an Olympic of standard bar and if you're not a pro athlete, standard does great for what most people need. So I applaud CAP for making this available for both sized plates.The Olympic size is done by sliding a sleeve over the end to create the wider diameter bar. It seems to have a pin that locks it in place. The sleeve seems to be made out of some hard plastic. I don't know how well it stays locked in place or whether the plastic can get worn by sliding weights on and off. Or whether the pin holding the sleeve in place is easily damaged. But I don't have Olympic weights. So I'm not interested enough to buy them to test and find out. Just know that this is how it works and decide for yourself.That said, I have 3 things that could be better.1) I think I'd prefer something that goes all the way around me that I step into to pick up. Seems like it would add stability. As this is not a solid piece and consists of several assembled smaller pieces, it seems to bend outward ever so slightly on the open end. Something a bar all the way around could fix by holding it in place.2) A solid one-piece bar seems like it would be better. Just like your standard bar, but with a sort of split with a sort of hexagon shape in the middle. Make it more solid than a piecemeal of assembled pieces.3) It does seem a bit wide. When I do these with dumbbells, my arms are close to my sides. With this, I feel like I'm reaching out to the side more. Maybe at a 15-20 degree angle. So the movement isn't directly up and down on the traps. Since the thing is a jumble of assembled pieces, it *could* provide smaller pieces you could alternatively use to create a bar where the handles are closer to your body.

The media could not be loaded. If you're like me and you've been looking for a trap bar that can accommodate 1 inch weight plates, then you know how difficult it can be to find one. There aren't many options to select from and the available options are usually close to $200. I was pleased to finally see an option that was half the price of the competitors and thankfully, it delivers in terms of quality and performance.I've tested out a few exercises and so far so good. It works as intended for Trap Bar Deadlifts, RDLs, Shrugs , Farmer's Walks. You can also do Lunges, Rows and Overhead Presses with it as well. You can technically put in a landmine attachment for landmine exercises but it's very awkward due to there only being one bar on the side so I wouldn't recommend that.Both the high and low handles on the bar feel comfortable to grip onto. No issues with the knurling. I haven't come close to hitting the maximum weight limit on this yet but I'll update my review if I encounter any issues.Loading the plates onto the bar is a breeze when you turn the bar upright. No issues with adding or removing the 1 inch plates as they slide on and off the bar fairly smoothly.PROS:- Sturdy and good quality.- Can hold a good amount of plates unlike other trap bars- Fairly easy to assemble. I very rarely put stuff together and have no idea what I'm doing and it took me about 30-40 minutes (Note - You'll need your own wrench for some of the bolts)- Flipping it upright makes it easy to load and unload the weights- When the bar is upright, the two stands actually have wheels and you can wheel it around for easy maneuvering- Comes with an adapter to use with 2 inch weight plates or to store in a bar holder with 2" holes.- Easy to store when not in useCONS:- The paint is starting to chip a bit on the part where you slide the plates on it.- When it arrived, the parts in the box were a bit messy and some bags had some dirt or debris in them. Be prepared to vacuum afterwards.If you're looking for a 1 inch trap bar, this is the one to get. I would only consider other 1 inch trap bar options on Amazon if you need a bar that has a higher weight capacity like the TDS brand on Amazon but that costs more than 2.5x this one.

Cap should be ashamed and embarrassed they sell this piece of junk. It is rated for 500lbs. I was skeptical but bought it and a warranty anyway. I figured if it failed in a year or so I'd get a new one. The bars bent the second time I used it with 260lbs so bad, when I took the collars off the bars, the plates slid off the bars onto the floor. I was careful using it. No bouncing. I was doing deadlifts with 410lbs wiith a hex bar at the gym. That bar was used daily with no problems. Unfortunately, I am 7 days beyond the return window or this piece of junk would be going back. One star I generous, should be zero stars.