Lockjaw Olympic Barbell Collar - Secure Weightlifting Barbell Clamps for Gym & CrossFit Training - Perfect for Powerlifting, Strength Training & Home Workouts

As a former powerlifter whose beloved gym is slowly transforming into a “softer, more family-oriented” facility; I see the gym’s big money being steered toward cardio-related equipment, yoga, spinning, etc. while the free-weights section gets ignored. Gone are the heavy-duty locking collars that we powerlifters and Olympic lifters needed to safely move heavy weights. Instead, we get the cheap, metal spring clips that seemed to be purchased from a discount store’s impulse-buy bin near the check-out line. If you’ve ever experienced a side of weights sliding off a bar during a heavy squat workout because a cheap collar isn’t doing its job, you’re better off buying your own collars. I’m glad I opted for the LOCKJAW OLYMPIC BARBELL COLLAR.WHAT IT IS:- The LOCKJAW look and feel solidly built. Each collar (you get 2) is made of hard nylon with molded rubber grips in the middle to “grab” the bar. A simple lever serves to open the collar enough to slide onto the bar and clamp it down. The collar fits snuggly on the standard Olympic barbells (50mm).HOW IT PERFORMS:- I generally only use Texas Power Bars for heavy lifting (squats, bench and deadlifts); but I have tested to the collars on York, Rogue and other generic bars in the gym. The LOCKJAW provides the same snug grip on all bars I tested.- Tough. I found the biggest test of these collars to be heavy deadlifts as the weights hit the floor rather hard. Our gym has accumulated numerous sets of plates over the years and while the weights are accurate, they don’t all line up evenly on the bar and tend to bang apart after each successive rep. Spring clips are not sufficient in holding the plates together. Uneven plates tend to jar spring clips loose, causing the plates to slide along the bar and make a lot of noise. On one occasion, a spring clip freakishly flew off the bar. The LOCKJAW works as well as the old spin collars, but they are lightweight and can be kept in my gym bag. The collars stay secure through entire deadlift workouts and keep the plates tight and in place the whole time.- Easy on, easy off. The thick wide lever is easy to hold and operate … good for both large and small hands.- The red LOCKJAWs look cool as well.Such gym gadgetry may seem superfluous, but I tend to enjoy the comfort and safety of using my own gear. I find the LOCKJAW OLYMPIC BARBELL COLLAR a worthy purchase as they are easy to use, perform flawlessly and are quite durable.