The Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis Swiss barbell is a neutral grip specialty bar that’s easy on the shoulders.

It works with weight plates and it has a hole on top so I can also use it as a neutral grip cable attachment.

With six grip options to choose from, there’s a grip width that fits everybody.

Let’s check it out!

Specs

Weight: 20 lbs

Length: 80″

Diameter: 32mm

Weight capacity: 600 lbs

Knurling: Moderate

Loadable sleeve length: 13.93″

Finish: Black powder coat

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What Is The Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis?

The Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis is one of the most versatile specialty barbells for a home gym.

Because all grips are neutral, it’s great on my shoulders for exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, and rows.

And because it’s rackable, it’s easy to throw load and unload just like a regular barbell.

It also works as a cable attachment so I can connect it to my cable machine for cable rows and lat pulldowns.

Top Benefits Of The Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis

Easy On The Shoulders

I have a bad left shoulder that always hurts when I do flat bench presses (even if I fully retract my shoulder blades).

The neutral grip on the Arch Nemesis gets my shoulders in the right position so I barely feel shoulder discomfort and I’m able to do pressing exercises.

To me, the closest grip feels the best but there’s two other wider options to choose from.

Rackable

I like that the Arch Nemesis bar is rackable so it’s easy to load and unload just like a regular barbell.

This doesn’t make a difference when I’m doing barbell rows, but when I’m benching or doing shoulder presses, I’m able to set up properly prior to the lift.

Here’s a close up of the part of the sleeve that sits on my J-cups.

To give you an idea on how the bar fits on my rack, the uprights on my PRx rack are 48″ apart from the outside of one upright to the outside of the other.

You can see there’s a bit of space left over on the left and right side of the J-cup so if your rack is about the same width, it should be able to hold the bar.

ALSO CHECKOUT: Bells Of Steel Shoulder Boulder

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Best Features Of The Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis

Neutral Grip Handles

The neutral grip handles are what make Swiss bars (aka Football bars) special.

They force my elbows in closer to my body and at the same time reduce the pain in my shoulders when pressing.

Knurling on the handles feels mild to moderate and to me feels good enough to exercise without it feeling like it’s gonna slip.

Adding a bit more aggressive knurl would make it more secure for heavy pulling exercises.

Here I am doing a shoulder press which is not comfortable for me on a straight bar.

With the neutral grip handles my arms stay in front of me (not beside me) and I’m able to press pain-free.

It feels equally as good on my shoulders when I use the Arch Nemesis for cable exercises.

I find neutral grip pull ups to be more comfortable on my shoulders so I throw Kensui Swissies handles on my straight pullup bar.

So it makes sense that neutral grip cable attachments work in a similar way when doing pulling exercises like lat pulldowns.

Cable Attachment

Right in the middle of the Arch Nemesis there’s a handle with a laser cut hole to attach it to a carabiner for cable exercises.

This handle is not usable for exercises, its only purpose is to add support to the bar and to add cables to it.

This works just like any other cable attachment.

Just insert a carabiner through the hole and it’s ready to use.

Here’s what it looks like when I set it up for lat pulldowns.

With the Arch Nemesis being 80″ long, it’s way longer than the majority of cable attachment.

So if you don’t have much space this may not be the best option for you for cable exercises.

Here I am doing lat pulldowns.

It feels just like using any other neutral grip cable attachment and the curve on the bar allows me to bring my elbows further back than a straight bar.

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Bells of Steel Arch Nemesis Pros & Cons

Pros

Joint friendly: Feels great on my achy shoulders

Multi-functional: I can use it as a Swiss barbell and neutral grip cable attachment

Range of motion: The arch on the bar lets me have a greater range of motion than when using a flat bar

Grip widths: Multiple grip widths to select from to fit what works best for my body

Versatile: Works for bench press, shoulder press, barbell rows, bicep curls, lat pulldowns, cable rows

Affordable: Compared to other Swiss bars, this one is a budget friendly option

Cons

Long: It’s wide for a cable attachment but gets the job done as long as you have space

Wobble: Small wobble when I first lift it off the rack because of the arch on the bar but I find my balance after the first rep

Welds: Not the best looking welds but that’s just aesthetics

Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis Price

The Arch Nemesis’ price is $199.99 which makes it more affordable than other Swiss bars on the market.

It’s not the nicest looking Swiss bar but if you’re more into function than aesthetics, this gets the job done.s

Bells Of Steel Discount Code

Bells Of Steel currently offers a year round medical, military, and first responders 5% discount.

This works for active and retired people who fit the criteria.

Click the red button below to verify your eligibility.

Bells Of Steel Discount

Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis Alternatives

Omni Bar

The Omni Bar by Bells of Steel is the Arch Nemesis 2.0

With the new bar, they changed the rackable length so that it fits more power racks and bench stations.

They also added a more aggressive knurling to have a more secure grip with pulling exercises.

It is priced at $229.99 so for $30 more you can get the 2.0 version.

Bells of Steel Omni Bar

Kabuki Kadillac Bar

The Kabuki Kadillac Bar is made by Rogue so you know the quality is top notch.

At 87″ long, it is longer than the Arch Nemesis and DOES NOT have the option to use it as a cable attachment so it’s mainly for plate loaded exercises.

I do like that it has a zinc finish on the sleeves so it reduces the scratches on them.

Since it’s made in the USA and overbuilt, this will cost you $495.

Kabuki Kadillac Bar

Rep Swiss Multi-Grip Barbell

The Rep Fitness Swiss Bar is cambered rather than arched giving it a pendulum effect so it engages more stabilizer muscles.

It’s rackable, has knurled handles, and hard chrome sleeves.

This one also comes with a removable eyebolt that goes on the center handle so it can be used as a cable attachment.

Rep’s cambered Swiss bar is priced at $289.99

Rep Swiss Bar

Titan Multi-Grip Cambered Bar

Titan’s Swiss barbell has 3 sets of handles but only one set is angled at 30 degrees.

The other outer handles are neutral grip.

It is rackable, has a medium knurl, and only works with plates (not as a cable attachment).

Titan sells this one for $250.

Titan Swiss Bar

My Experience Using The Arch Nemesis Bar

My left shoulder sucks so this bar has allowed to flat bench and shoulder press without pain.

As a bonus, I like that I can use it for cable exercises as well.

Is it a bar that I truly need to press? No but it does feel good to be able to bench and shoulder press with the stability of bar instead of dumbbells.

So it adds variety to my training without the joint pain.

Should You Buy The Bells Of Steel Arch Nemesis?

If you have shoulder pain when using a straight barbell, this is a great bar to get your joints lined up in the right angles and exercise pain-free.

The multiple grip widths give you options to see what fits your body best.

And having the option to use it as a cable attachment adds to its versatility.

Out of all the Swiss bars I showed you, this one is not the best looking, but it is the most affordable and gets the job done.

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