The 28mm shaft: friendly and versatile
The Lumberjack runs a 28mm shaft— the thinner end of the Olympic range, which is a genuine advantage for a lot of lifters. A 28mm bar fills the hand a little less than a 29mm power bar, which makes it friendlier on pressing and on the Olympic movements, and it has a touch more give. It’s the diameter most people find most universally comfortable, and it’s why the bar handles a bit of everything without feeling like a specialist tool. Our Olympic vs powerlifting guide explains what the diameter does to feel.
Chrome finish: looks the part, needs basic care
The chrome finishis a sensible, familiar choice — it looks clean on a rack and resists rust better than bare steel, though it sits below stainless and a good Cerakote on outright corrosion resistance. Chrome over steel still wants the same basic wipe-and-oil routine in a humid garage, especially on the knurl. Kept dry, it stays looking good for years. Our finishes guide ranks every coating on grip and rust resistance.
The knurl and capacity: the honest trade
Here’s where the age shows. The Lumberjack’s knurl and capacity trail the newer specialist bars. The knurlingis moderate and press-friendly rather than aggressive, which suits general training but won’t satisfy a heavy raw deadlifter chasing bite. And its capacity headroom, while ample for any home lifter, isn’t the eye-catching 1,500–2,000 lb number the specialist bars publish. Neither is a problem for the training most people do; they’re just the reason this is a dependable middle bar and not a category leader.
The quiet advantage: a long track record
The Lumberjack’s best feature doesn’t appear on the spec sheet: it’s been sold long enough that there’s a huge amount of owner historyto read before you buy. On a bar, that’s worth real money — you can find out how a model holds up over years, not months, which is exactly the data a first-time buyer lacks. Combined with a sensible price and a friendly shaft, it makes the Lumberjack a low-risk choice when you want a bar you can research thoroughly rather than gamble on. Our what barbell should I buy guide covers how to weigh proven history against a flashier spec sheet.
Who should buy it — and who shouldn’t
Buy it ifyou want a proven, friendly all-purpose bar with a lot of owner data behind it, you train general strength and pressing, and you value a comfortable 28mm shaft over a leading spec sheet. It’s the dependable middle pick — and a genuinely good backup when the category winners are out of stock. It loads the same plates as any Olympic bar.
Look elsewhere if you want the highest capacity, the sharpest knurl, or true bearing spin for the Olympic lifts. Our top all-rounder in the Olympic roundup, the bite of a dedicated power bar, or a value bearing bar in the CrossFit roundup each lead where the Lumberjack follows.
Sources
- XMark Lumberjack 7 ft Olympic bar — manufacturer product specification (28mm shaft, chrome finish, 7 ft length, bushing sleeves, 2" Olympic fitment) as published on the retail listing.
- General barbell spec principles (shaft diameter and feel, chrome finish and rust care, knurl aggressiveness, bushing spin) as covered in our methodology and linked spec guides.
