The Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar (SSB) is a specialty olympic barbell with thick padding to reduce unnecessary strain on your spine and shoulders.
The Titan SSB v2 has cambered (curved) sleeves to lower your center of gravity and give you more control while you squat.
You’ll also see front handles on this bar.
This takes your shoulders, elbows, and wrists out of the squat so that your main focus is your lower body.
Let’s dig right in!
Unboxing the Titan SSB
The Titan SSB came in a long box (longer than I expected) lined with plastic straps that kept all its pieces inside.
Once I opened the box, everything was neatly packed with styrofoam blocks so it wouldn’t shift around.
The handles don’t come attached to the Titan Fitness SSB.
They’re tightly wrapped in white plastic packaging material.
I was impressed by how well Titan Fitness did to make sure all the pieces were protected during the shipping process.
They even protected the threading of the handles with rubber tips!
Adding the handles to the safety squat bar is the only assembly required before you start using this beauty.
Remove the rubber tips from the threads, insert them into the holes on the bottom of the shoulder pads, and turn them until they fit snug.
Once the handles are on, you’re ready to roll.
The Titan SSB has nice chrome coated shaft.
It sits perfectly between the uprights of my PRX Performance rack.
The bar angles down right after the J-cup.
The sleeves are also coated in chrome to give it a uniform look.
Sleeves are 16 inches long and made for Olympic weight plates.
Features
- Chrome – The Titan SSB v2 has a chrome finish throughout. Shaft, sleeves, and part of the handles are all chrome.
- Camber drop – The SSB has a 22 degree, 5 inch drop that keeps the weight plates lower for a stabilized center of gravity and better balance.
- Non-slip handles – The 6 inch handles have a space for each finger giving you a secure, non-slip grip.
- Extra thick pad – Pad comes in one piece to prevent sliding on the bar while squatting.
How Heavy is the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar?
The Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar weighs in a 61 lbs.
That’s only 16 lbs more than a regular Olympic barbell, but the difference in weight is noticeable when you carry it.
Let’s look at the rest of the specs.
Specs
- Weight Capacity: 1500 lbs
- Bar Weight: 61 lbs
- Overall Length: 90.5 inches
- Bar Coating: Chrome
- Loadable Sleeve Length: 16 inches
- Camber Drop: 22 degrees
Safety Squat Bar vs Olympic Barbell
Design
The most obvious distinction between a safety squat bar and an Olympic barbell is their design.
The SSB is curved (cambered) as you get closer to the sleeves.
They’re designed that way so that the weight sits lower, shifting your center of gravity, giving you more control.
Handles
Safety squat bars have front handles.
These handles are there to relieve any joint pain or mobility issues in your upper extremities.
Pain in your shoulders, elbows, or wrists when reaching back for an Olympic barbell can cause discomfort and prevent you from using proper form.
The front handles on the SSB are similar to those on a squat harness and eliminate those limitations so that the focus is solely on your lower body.
Weight
When I first got the Titan SSB v2, I didn’t expect any weight difference from an Olympic barbell.
But as soon as you pick it up, you can tell the SSB is stout.
The SSB weighs in at 61 lbs vs an Olympic barbell that weighs 45 lbs.
Those 16 extra pounds feel like a whole lot more.
Loadable Sleeve Length
When comparing the loadable sleeve length of the Titan SSB v2 and a standard Olympic barbell, they’re pretty much the same.
Both are made for Olympic weight plates.
And both are 16 inches in length.
Bar Length
Olympic barbells are around 86 inches long.
The Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar is 90 inches long.
Knurling vs Padding
Many Olympic barbells have knurling on the center of the bar to prevent the bar from slipping off your upper back.
The Titan SSB has a thick shoulder pad that covers the sides of your neck giving you a lot of stability once it’s resting on your shoulders.
The padding is very thick and feels extremely comfortable.
The shoulder pad is covered in durable vinyl.
You can access the padding (not that you need to) from the top where there is velcro.
How Do You Use the Titan SSB?
Before you get under the Titan SSB, make sure the logo on the padding is facing you.
I’ve seen many YouTube videos where people are using the bar backwards (logo against the back of your head) and that changes the weight distribution of the exercise.
From the side you can see that the handles are angled forward.
That tells you the direction your arms should be facing when you get under the bar.
Once you get under the safety squat bar, the Titan logo should face away from you.
Why Are Safety Squat Bars Cambered?
Safety squat bars are cambered so that the weight sits lower.
This shifts your center of gravity and gives you more control of the weight.
Welds
The welds on the Titan SSB are not the prettiest but that doesn’t affect its function.
Personally I judge a piece of equipment on its function rather than appearance.
And from all the reviews I’ve read online about this SSB, everyone loves it.
Titan Safety Squat Bar Benefits
Improves Your Form
The SSB throws more of the weight forward by design.
Because of that forward weight distribution, you’re forced to keep your spine more upright.
This will help you to improve your squatting form and prevent you from bending forward too much.
More Safe Than Olympic Barbells
The SSB is so safe that you don’t even need to hold the handles to use it.
Once you set it on your shoulders, you can do your exercises and let go.
This shows you how this bar’s focus is solely on your lower body.
Comfortable
When it comes to comfort, there’s more to the SSB than just the thick padding.
Because of its front handle design, your upper extremities are in a more relaxed position.
So if you have shoulder, elbows, or wrist issues, you can still train legs without discomfort in those joints.
Versatile
The safety squat bar is not just for squatting.
You can use it for a ton of exercises like you’ll see below.
Safety Squat Bar Exercises
The Titan SSB can be used for many lower body exercises so it’s very versatile.
Some of the exercises you can do include squats, lunges, calf raises, good mornings, split squats, Zercher squats, and step ups.
I’m sure with your imagination you can add more to that list.
Squats
The weight distribution of the Titan SSB forces you to keep an upright posture when squatting.
Lunges
One thing I really like about the SSB, is the way the weight is balanced on your shoulders.
You can take your hands off the handles and the barbell doesn’t budge.
This comes in handy when you need your hands to support yourself for exercises that require a lot of balance like lunges.
Front Squats
Yes, you can actually use the SSB for front squats.
To do that, you have to set up backwards.
The padding should fall right under your chin with the handles facing away from you.
Calf Raises
Titan Fitness SSB Pros and Cons
Here’s a list of what I like and dislike about the Titan SSB:
Pros
- Quality bar and cheaper than other safety squat bars like Rogue’s
- Allows you to train legs even if you have shoulders, elbows, or wrists injuries/mobility issues
- It’s so safe to use that you can even take your hands off the handles while exercising
- Thick padding provides a lot of cushion and comfort on the neck and shoulders
- Handles have slots for each finger giving you a secure grip
- 1500 lbs weight capacity is out of this world so you know it’s solid
- Come with a 1 year warranty
Cons
- Handles can twist a little bit if you rotate your hands while lifting
Where To Buy the Titan Safety Squat Bar
You can buy the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar v2 straight from Titan Fitness’ website or on Amazon.
They ship it to you for free and it comes with a one year warranty.
Not that I think you’ll need a warranty since that bar is solid, but you have a bit of insurance there for a year.
Is the Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar Worth It?
Overall, I’d say the Titan SSB v2 is a great buy.
It’s a solid bar that sells for at least $100 less than other competitors’ safety squat bars.
It’s easy on your spine, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, so you can focus on your legs doing all the work.
And with its versatility, you can crush your lower body in many ways.
This is definitely one that Titan nailed.
Click Here to Check Out The Titan Fitness SSB
Titan Fitness Safety Squat Bar v2
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