The Best Football/Swiss Bar Available in 2024.

 

 

The Best Quality Swiss Bar for Your Money in 2024.

   

Background

 

The Olympic Swiss Bar

Firstly, the terms Football Bar and Swiss Bar are used interchangeably. There are however subtle differences in their design. Swiss Bar handles are straight, whereas Football Bars have slanted handles. Where to do the terms originate? Well, rumour has it that the neutral handles of the Swiss Bar are likened to Switzerland’s neutral foreign policy. The Football Bar derives its name from the bar being used mainly in American Football, the semi-neutral positioning of the handles allowed the players to bench press even if they were suffering from any upper body injuries, especially the shoulders.

Both promote a pressing motion with the elbows tucked in close to the body. This reduces the internal rotation on the shoulders that can cause discomfort on a conventional bench press, whilst also encouraging a stable back position with proper scapular retraction.

The more neutral grip also reduces stress on the wrist joints, whilst simultaneously require greater activation of the muscles of the hands and forearms. The bar can also be good for working on your lockout strength, as the neutral grip also stresses the triceps to a greater degree than a conventional bar.

This is one of the more versatile speciality bars, as it can be used for many lifts. In theory, you can switch a conventional bar for one of these for any lift that involve gripping the bar.

The recurring theme with all the gym equipment that we’ve reviewed is that not all kit is made equal! These bars are no exception. Certain indicators of high quality are:

• Sleeve length – Are these long enough to fit into your power rack?
• Sleeve coating – Are these nickel plated? Powder coating is easily chipped off when loading/unloading plates. The bare steel on the sleeves is then more susceptible to rust.
• Weight capability – What is the bar rated to? The quality and girth of the steel can vary between manufacturers. Traditionally, bars made in the UK have higher tensile strength than their Far East counterparts.
• Handle coating – Are the grips knurled? No knurling = cheaper to manufacture. Smooth handles are more challenging to grip with sweaty palms.
• Spacings between the grips – This is very much down to individual choice. If you have absolute shovels for hands, then you may appreciate more widely spaced grips.

Okay. So I started writing the science bit here, but I soon discovered that if I wanted to truly explain the intricacies of the bench press, along with how hand and bar positions alter the biomechanics of the lift, this article would read like War and Peace. So, I’ve separated them! Click here for the science bit, and for a brief breakdown of moment arms click here 🙂

If you’re a super geek and are all over physics/biomechanics – Powerlifting World Record Holder Greg Nuckols, writing for the incredibly informative website Stronger By Science, provides an excellent summary of what is going on during a bench press:

‘To produce movement, your muscles contract. By doing so, they produce a linear force, pulling on bones that act as levers, producing flexor or extensor moments at the joints they cross, with joints acting as the axes of rotation. In the case of the bench press, you’re primarily trying to produce an extensor moment at the elbow (i.e. straightening the arm out) and a flexor and horizontal flexor moment at the shoulder (i.e. raising your arm, and bringing your arm toward the midline of your body) that exceed the opposing forces exerted by the bar. If you can do that, you exert a force on the bar that exceeds the force the bar is exerting on your body, and voíla! A successful bench press.’ (Greg Nuckols, Stronger By Science)

Ok, enough background. Let’s get into the review!

 

Delivery/Condition on Arrival

No issues, arrived on time in showroom condition as is the norm with any Watson kit.

5/5

 

Technical Specifications

Weight: 25kg
Toal Length: 2.05m/205cm (fits into an Olympic Power Rack)
Shaft: 30mm solid high-tensile steel
Shaft diameter: N/A
Square Section (Containing Handles): 83cm x 18cm
Loadable sleeve length: 35cm
Centre knurling: N/A
Knurling type: N/A
Recommended max load/rating: Can handle over 400kg
Warranty: Lifetime on all Frameworks.

 

Build Quality

Every piece of Watson kit we have reviewed so far has been built to perfection. That is the bar is weighted evenly, all welds are smooth, sleeve diameter is spot on for loading/unloading 50mm olympic plates, and I’m fairly confident it will outlive me and anyone reading this! It even has a metal plate stamped onto it with the name of the actual person that built it. That speaks volumes about Watson’s confidence in their products, and a very rare touch nowadays that demonstrates superb levels of accountability. Well played Watson! 🙂

5/5

 

Ergonomic Rating

The handle spacings were perfect for my hands. There’s no knurling on this bar, however I actually don’t mind that, as whatever it’s coated in seems to prevent any slipping of the hands when you’re sweaty.

5/5

 

Adaptability

Well it fits in my squat rack (a Body-Solid Classic Power Rack GPR78) with no dramas at all. As mentioned at the start of the article, anything you can do with a regular barbell, you can pretty much do with this.

That being said, unless you’re Jujimufu, I’d probably steer clear from trying any type of back squat with it though! You can add conventional deadlifts to that too.

I’d love to give it top marks, but I can’t. That’s not anything to do with the build quality/brand of the bar though, it’s simply due to the design of swiss bars in general.

3.5/5

 

WOW Factor

Having a personalised metal stamp on the bar stating the exact individual that built the bar is pretty wow for me. The look of the bar with the matte black finish, the manufacturing perfection and the fact that it’s rated to over 400kg (which is pretty high standards for swiss bar), all mean this gets a smashing top mark from me.

5/5

 

Longevity

I bought this a good few years ago now. It’s been battered by many a powerlifter, strongman and weekend warrior. To it’s credit, it’s still going strong. No bend, no cracks. Maybe a few war wounds cosmetically (but nothing to cry about). I do believe this is one of Watsons products that comes with a lifetime guarantee too.

5/5

 

Price

It looks like the version online now might be a slight evolution for this model, however the price online currently is £385 ex vat + shipping. With VAT currently sitting at 20%, that makes it £462 + shipping.

This is on the pricier side of the equation, but it’s to be expected with the likes of Watson, who offer top quality gym kit. I do think this prices many people out of the market though, as you can buy a lot more for your money in terms of gym equipment.

If you’re starting a gym, or home gym, I’d say this certainly shouldn’t be on the top of your priority list, as the billy basics would be far more beneficial (i.e Squat Rack, Olympic Barbell, Olympic Plates and some Dumbbells). If you have however got all of that squared away and are looking to spend a wad of cash, then go for it! This is definitely the best Swiss Bar I’ve had the pleasure of trying out.

3/5

 

Summary

Total rating: 4.5/5

Should you:

• Avoid
• Consider
• Shortlist
• Buy it NOW!

You can find one below.

Watson – Swiss Bar

Or find similar options at Amazon and check them out for yourself.