Pick up a loaded axle bar and the first thing you notice is your hands. The 50 mm shaft fills the palm almost twice as much as a standard barbell, and every rep becomes a grip test before it becomes anything else. This guide explains what an axle bar is, why thick bar training builds grip strength and forearms so reliable ans how axle deadlifts and axle presses work in practice.
What is an axle bar?
An axle bar is a straight steel bar with a continuous 50 mm shaft. A men’s Olympic barbell measures 28 mm in the grip area, so the axle is nearly twice as thick. The second defining feature: the sleeves do not rotate. The bar is manufactured as one piece, without bearings or bushings.
The Axle Bar at Strength Shop weighs 20 kg at a length of approximately 2.2 m, matching the weight of a standard Olympic bar. Knurled on both grip sections and in the centre keeps. The bar is rated for loads up to 300 kg.
The design goes back to the strongmen of the nineteenth century, who lifted actual wagon axles. The most famous piece is the axle of Louis Uni, known as Apollon wheel: two railway car wheels joined by a thick shaft, weighing around 166 kg. Apollon Wheels bring this format into the gym at 20 kg per wheel with a 50 mm opening, and their 63 cm diameter raises the bar to block pull height.
Why thick bar training works
On a 28 mm bar, your fingers wrap fully around the shaft and your thumb locks over them. The bar sits in a closed fist, and much of the holding work happens passively. At 50 mm, this closed loop no longer exists. Fingers and thumb barely meet, the hand works as an open clamp, and the flexors of the forearm must produce active force for the entire duration of the set.
This changes the training effect on three levels. First, grip becomes the limiting factor earlier, so every pull, row and carry trains your hands at intensities that never arrive on a standard bar. Second, the forearms receive a growth stimulus that isolated wrist curls rarely match, which is why thick bar work has a long tradition in bodybuilding as well. Third, the effect transfers: after a few weeks of axle training, a 28 mm bar feels thin and secure, and grip stops being the weak link in your heavy deadlift sets.
For anyone training grip strength with a concrete goal, the axle offers a plain advantage over clip-on grip attachments: nothing is mounted to the bar, nothing shifts under load, and the stimulus arrives inside your normal training lifts.
The axle deadlift and your deadlift grip
The axle deadlift shows the thick bar logic in its clearest form. On a standard barbell, heavy pulls rely on the hook grip or a mixed grip. On the axle, the hook grip barely works because the thumb cannot reach far enough around the shaft, and the mixed grip loses much of its advantage for the same reason. What remains is the double overhand grip, held by pure finger and forearm strength.
In practice this means the axle deadlift is programmed lighter than the barbell version. Many athletes work with loads around 70 per cent of their barbell deadlift maximum and treat every set as combined pulling and grip work. Chalk is part of the package. Straps have their place too: strongman competitions frequently allow them in axle deadlift events, so athletes preparing for a contest train both versions, strapless to build the grip and strapped for maximal loads.
A simple entry point: at the end of your deadlift session, add two or three sets of double overhand holds on the axle, each held until just before the bar slips.
Axle press, clean and press, and the strongman context
Overhead, the axle behaves differently from a barbell in two ways. The thick shaft stacks the wrists in a more neutral position, which many lifters find comfortable under heavy weight. And because the sleeves do not spin, the clean has to be adjusted: instead of whipping the bar around the wrists, athletes use the continental clean, pulling the axle to the belt, regripping, and rolling it to the chest in a second movement. The technique looks rough, works with precision, and is a discipline of its own in strongman sport.
The axle clean and press is a fixture in strongman and strongwoman competitions at every level. For contest preparation, the Competition Solid Steel Axle is therefore the reference implement: approximately 36 kg of bar weight, rated up to 450 kg, it matches the implement weight used in many events, and training numbers transfer directly to the platform.
Three axle variants compared
All three variants share the 50 mm diameter. They differ in weight, capacity and purpose.
| Spec | Axle Bar | Competition Solid Steel Axle | Solid Steel Axle Dumbbell Handle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total length | approx. 2.2 m | approx. 2.2 m | 65 cm |
| Bar weight | 20 kg | approx. 36 kg | 10.8 kg |
| Shaft diameter | 50 mm | 50 mm | 50 mm |
| Max load | 300 kg | 450 kg | n/a |
| Loadable sleeve length | n/a | 415 mm | 22.5 cm per side |
| Loading pin diameter | approx. 48 mm | 50 mm | n/a |
| Markings | 81 cm and 91 cm | 81 cm and 91 cm | none |
| Knurling | both grip sections and centre | both grip sections and centre | medium knurl on the handle |
| Sleeves | fixed, turn with the shaft | fixed, turn with the shaft | loadable, handle rotates in use |
| Material | steel, one piece | solid steel | solid steel, black E-coat |
| Typical use | grip and forearm training, home gym, general strength work | contest preparation, heavy deadlifts and presses | single arm rows, presses and carries |
The dumbbell handle carries the axle principle into single arm work; secure collars are essential because the loaded handle rotates during the movement. For everything beyond the bars themselves, the Strongman Equipment collection covers logs, yokes and sandbags.
Fitting axle work into your programme
The axle is an accessory tool. It works well when it replaces a familiar exercise. Two practical approaches:
As a grip block: your main lifts stay on the barbell, and axle holds, axle rows or farmer style carries go at the end of pulling sessions, twice per week. Grip responds quickly to frequency; most athletes feel a difference within a few weeks.
As a variation block: the axle deadlift or axle press runs as your main movement for a block of four weeks, with reduced loads and a clean double overhand grip. Afterwards you return to the barbell, which now feels thinner and easier to hold.
For beginners the axle is more accessible than its reputation suggests. The empty bar weighs 20 kg like a standard barbell, and every basic movement, deadlifts, rows, presses, carries, works from day one. The one adjustment: expect your grip to set the limit before your legs or back do.
FAQ
How much does an axle bar weigh?
The Strength Shop Axle Bar weighs 20 kg, the same as a standard Olympic barbell. The Competition Solid Steel Axle weighs approximately 36 kg.
Do I need straps for the axle deadlift?
For grip development, train without straps and use the double overhand grip. For maximal or contest specific work, straps are common and frequently allowed in strongman events.
Why do the sleeves of an axle bar not rotate?
The bar is built as one piece without bearings. Fixed sleeves make the clean harder and demand the continental technique.
Is an axle bar useful outside strongman?
Yes. Grip and forearm strength carry over to deadlifts, rows, pull ups and carries in any strength sport.
Which plates fit on an axle bar?
Standard Olympic plates with a 50 mm opening, the same as for the Apollon Wheels and the dumbbell handle.