Uncompromising Quality!

by Brian D. Johnston, www.IARTonline.ca

I felt a strong desire to write about the incredible products
manufactured by Black Iron Strength, particularly since pictures
do not do justice to this line of serious strength training equipment.
Usually “innovation” is a term reserved for exercise machines, and
likely the last innovative freeweight product was IronGrip’s hex-
shaped barbell plates with grip holes. Several years later, Black
Iron Strength has joined the ranks of “innovation”, and proudly so
with multiple innovations and features never before seen with
freeweight equipment. In fact, you really cannot appreciate the
quality in these products until you see and use the equipment first
hand, an important consideration since some people think of Black
Iron Strength as ‘pricey’. “Definitely worth every penny”, I say,
and for a number of reasons, besides quality equipment being a
once-in-a-lifetime investment.
All this coming from a man, Tom Grace, who has several decades
experience in the industry, including close observations with
Nautilus, and work with Hammer Strength and MedX. Moreover,
his equipment was pretested extensively and is in use among the
likes of the Cincinnati Bengles, Texas A&M, University of
Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, the Minnesota Vikings, and
the Jacksonville Jaguars.
this does not make a difference, the importance comes down to
“feel” and exercise performance. When squatting, for example (fig.
2), a non-revolving sleeve would cause the bar to dig in and “fight”
your natural movement.
What this means is, as the bar is lifted up and down, and if there is
no internal rotating mechanism, there exists momentum that seems
to jerk you about as you change the plane of movement. This would
not matter if we moved in perfectly straight lines, but that is not the
case... we move in arcs. The momentum caused by solid bars may
not be extreme, but it is there and it hinders quality movement and
performance, and can be responsible for joint problems over the
long-term.
fig. 1

From Thin to Thick

Let’s look at this objectively: for one-fifth the price, you can purchase
a standard Olympic bar or thick bar rather than owning a Black
Iron Strength Olympic bar. And so what is the incentive? First,
you have to consider liability, in that many cheaper Olympic bars
do come apart. Cheaper bars are also prone to a peeling finish from fig. 2
constant use, and often the knurling is of poor quality or insufficient
for a lock-tight grip. Moreover, every other thick bar on the market
is one solid piece.
Now, with the Black Iron Strength line of Olympic bars, you have
a choice of nine diameter sizes, from 1 3/8 inches to a mammoth 3-
inch bar! What makes these thick bars unique from all other thick
bars is a patented revolving sleeve (fig. 1). For those who think
These custom bars come with many other features; as many features as can be
fig. 3
found on the finest of exercise machines. These include a bar’s diameter and
weight permanently engraved on the end for quick identification; each bar’s
rotating sleeve is hard chromed; the premium precision knurling has a black
oxide finish; and each bar comes with a 5 year limited warranty. Further, each
bar is virtually maintenance free.
If you look again at figure 2, I have used the 2” thick bar for squats and it feels
incredible. The larger surface area removes all pressure on the cervical and
thoracic spine by distributing the force more evenly across the upper back and
shoulders. Also, with the thicker bar and its quality knurling, you do not have
to grip the bar so tight, to keep it in place and to keep it from moving out of
position, i.e., rolling down the back. You may even have noticed that I used a
thumbless grip with this thick bar, a grip I maintained even when using upward
of 300 pounds for several repetitions.

Grip These Dumbbells! fig. 4

The thick grip also is ideal when training other upper body exercises, and most particularly
the barbell curl. Many trainees eventually develop tendinitis in the elbows, and often this
is caused by working with thin, one-inch handled barbells and dumbbells, since your grip
squeezes tighter, and this creates greater pull on the tendons of origin of the various muscles
in and about the elbow joint.
Because of this concern, Black Iron Strength has implemented 1 3/4” handles in one line
of their dumbbells. Check out figure 3; this is a sleek 25-pound dumbbell with a thick,
meaty handle that creates a whole new dimension in serious strength training. Although a
bit challenging for some women to handle, it also is true that most women complain of a
weak grip, and so this is a perfect opportunity for them to do something about it. However,
for exercise facilities that prefer smaller handles, there are two other options (hextour and
cradle collar, see fig. 4) at 1 1/4” diameter each.
Many great features come with Black Iron Strength’s dumbbells, not to mention that no other dumbbell
manufacturer puts in as much work into their products. First, they have a 25-ton press through
construction with no bolts or welds to prevent these bells from falling apart or becoming loose...
completely maintenance free and an important liability issue. Second, these 100% premium solid
steel bells’ low profile compact design have a durable zinc chromate finish that involves a three-day
process. Most other companies ‘finish’ their dumbbells in one passing before being shipped out the
warehouse. There also is a custom engraving option (fig. 5 shows the I.A.R.T. logo on the end of a 25-
pound dumbbell), and like their Olympic barbells, there is a 5 year limited warranty. In fact, this
warranty applies to all of their products. And if you’re in the market for custom fixed barbells, then
fig. 5 you can expect the same compact design.

World’s Finest Kettlebell fig. 6

Figure 6 further demonstrates the quality of Black Iron Strength products with this 25-pound,
low-profile design kettlebell. Kettlebells currently are the ‘rage’ throughout the fitness industry,
although these training tools have been around for a century. Like the dumbbells, features
include premium precision knurling, a 25-ton press through construction, and a durable zinc
chromate finish, and with 1 1/2” thick rotating handles. These kettlebells are also unique in
that they have a flat bottom so that they may be set on any flat surface and remain standing,
and there is a precision comfort head angle for better performance.
I had only minor experience with Kettlebells in the past, but suffice it to say, they make
exercise more challenging and demanding even with typical exercises such as dumbbell
chest flyes and shoulder lateral raises. The rotating handle allows movement of the bell so
that complete muscular control is a requirement in order to eliminate any unwanted momentum.
If you’re looking to add variety in your freeweight routine, these are the kettlebells to use.
Although more expensive than some other kettlebells, the quality is unmatched and most
other competitors manufacture a larger design and are not as ‘smooth’ to use, thus making
movement awkward and strenuous on the joints. It is Black Iron Strength’s focus on compact
design that makes their Kettlebells the first choice for ease of movement and use.
And so whether you’re in the market for their dumbbells, kettlebells, or custom barbells, you can house your new line of equipment with
Black Iron Strength’s custom premium reinforced racks, with engraved anodized location tabs, rhino coat polyurethane saddle sections,
and 2x3” high grade 11 gauge steel frames. These custom racks also come with a powder coated main frame, and a custom engraved
name plate option.

fig. 7 Can You Handle This? fig. 8

Keeping up with these quality
standards, figures 7 and 8 shows the
various custom cable attachments,
with 1 1/2” thick, independent
rotating handles, with precision
comfort knurling and high quality
chrome finish. These handles also
boast premium IGUS bearings.
These bearings allow for balanced
rotation of the handles even when
under uneven pressure of both
hands.
To give you further indication of
the quality of these solid-steel handles, the 14” straight bar weighs 5 pounds; the 20” straight
bar weighs 7 pounds; the 26” straight bar weights 9.5 pounds; each stirrup grip handle weighs
2.5 pounds; and the triangle-row attachment weighs 6 pounds.
Whether doing triceps pushdowns, cable rows or curls, you can feel the difference in these
handles, from your grip to the primary muscles being worked.

fig. 9 The Final Word In Micro-load

fig. 10
Next, I have to tell you about the finest micro-plates I have ever seen or
used. I have purchased micro-plates from another manufacturing competitor,
but there were three problems that I encountered. Those other micro-plates
are all the same color (standard steel) and the engraved stamping is small
and hard to see. This means spending more time sorting through the plates
to find the right weight. The third problem is that they are hard to handle
quickly since they are small and thin.
Now, take a look at figures 9 and 10. In figure 9 you will notice that each
sized plate (1 pound, 3/4 pound, 1/2 pound, and 1/4 pound) is clearly marked
with permanent large number engraving, although my photograph is not the
best, and that each plate is individually color anodized coded. Black Iron
Strength took so much care in precision measurement that they accounted
for the weight of the anodized color paint process!
In figure 10 you will notice that each plate is of a good size and thickness,
including the 3/4-pounder and the 1/4-pounder that I am holding.
The other bonus is that the plates come with their own micro-rack storage
system, so that they can be mounted on the wall rather than kicking around
on the floor or in one unorganized pile on a spare barbell plate rack.
These micro-plates fit any standard freeweight system, ideal for precision training and instructional use. And although
Black Iron Strength’s custom micro-plates are about double the cost of its leading competitor, consider what you’re getting for this
onetime investment!
The Fitness Professional’s Teaching Tool fig. 11
This next item, in my professional opinion, is a necessary
investment for any personal trainer or strength coach,
particularly if training women and youths. What you are
seeing in figure 11 is a custom training bar that weighs only
10 pounds. It is constructed of the highest quality aluminum
with a durable hard anodized finish. It has rotating sleeves,
fits any standard freeweight equipment, and has urethane non-
marking collars. Further, it’s end is clearly marked with a
maximum holding weight (150 LB Max), and its orange
urethane collars make for quick identification and retrieval.
Now you can add the micro-plates or other light plates for
specific and quality instruction.
On that note, one fitness professional indicated to me that he
instructed his clients with a wooden dowel, similar to a
broomstick. This is highly inadequate. First, the dowel does
not feel like a barbell. Second, and most important, even
beginner trainees require sufficient loading in order to have
their bodies perform properly relative to any exercise. Mechanics and specificity of form certain are different when using either a
wooden dowel or a barbell that may weigh only 15 pounds. For instance, if you can bench press 150 pounds for repetitions, try placing
your body in its proper alignment, and to get the right feel or grove with something so light that it is almost non-perceivable.
The quality of this training bar should not be passed up because of its price. It is a onetime investment that should be a staple in every
fitness facility that involves personal training instruction. In fact, even if there is no personal training instruction involved, few women
and youths are capable of working with a standard 40-45 pound Olympic barbell initially.

The Ultimate Gift for the Fitness Buff

fig. 12
Personal trainers, strength coaches, physiotherapists, and
fitness enthusiasts... this is the ultimate gift, ideal for birthdays,
Christmas, or you can buy it for yourself just because you
deserve it. Figure 12 shows a dumbbell business card holder
that fits all standard business cards. Now, what you have to
realize is that this is an actual dumbbell that was customized
into a business card holder, which means 100% premium solid
steel (it weighs 10 pounds and makes an ideal paper weight
as a result), 25-ton press through construction, precision
knurling on the handle, and the highest quality engraving I
have ever seen, printed to your specifications. Its other
features include custom logo printing on the ends of the
dumbbell, and an anti-roll flat bottom so that it sits securely
on any desk, or whereever you decide to place it such as on a
tabletop at conferences and tradeshows.
*** ***
Whether you are a serious home trainee, own an exercise
studio, or operate a large commercial gym or strength training facility for athletes, you owe it to yourself to investigate and invest in Black
Iron Strength products. The added investment is well worth the price and you will never consider any other product line once you see and
experience the difference with their thick bars, dumbbells, kettlebells, or any other item. Apparently Black Iron Strength gets the final
word in freeweight training equipment innovation.

www.BlackIronStrength.com
1-800-842-6637
3407 NE 113th Street • Vancouver, WA 98686 • (360)574-6524 • Fax (360)574-6378 • Tom@BlackIronStrength.com

Designed and Manufactured in the USA