The GGC Junior Bar – The Best Barbell For Kids in 2024

Last updated on December 14th, 2024 at 08:24 pm

The GGC Junior Bar, by the Garage Gym Competition and Weight it Out, is a bar made for kids. Yep, we specifically went out and found a manufacturer to make a bar built for the badass little ones who compete in the GGC.

My daughter has used this bar for awhile now, so I wanted to share my thoughts on the bar overall. This isn’t a full “review” but probably as close as we can get on a bar that I won’t personally use regularly.

GGC Junior Bar Overview

If you didn’t know, I run the Garage Gym Competition. A virtual powerlifting meet for at home lifters. We’ve had kids participate since year 1, and every year it is one of the coolest parts of the event to see the kiddos lift alongside their parents. After awhile I kept getting the question “what bar should I buy for my kid?”

The moment my wife told me she was pregnant, I went out and bought an OSO Bar and the parts to make Audrey her custom plates. This bar worked well up until the 2022 Fall Garage Gym Competition, where she maxed out the bar on her deadlift. The combination of Audrey being a beast, and people asking about a kids bar, made me do some more research.

There are bars offered by several companies, but most didn’t do what I wanted. So I chatted with Brian over at Weight It Out, we found our manufacturer, and we got to work.

Custom End Cap

I was designing the end cap and initially started off with the basic end cap design of the logo, name, weight, etc. Then I had a moment of clarity. My daughter LOVES writing her name on stuff. And she LOVES having things be HERS. The entire point of making a bar for kids was to give them their own bar. So why not run with it and let them write their own name on the end cap? Here is the iteration in end cap design. The dark grey didn’t work well, as the name didn’t show up.

I have yet to see this done by anyone else, and I think we pulled it off pretty well. You simply need a fine tip sharpie, and you are good to go. Have two kids? Each can mark up an end cap. Have more than two kids? Get rid of one kid, or buy an extra bar?

GGC Junior Bar Specs

• Brand: Garage Gym Competition partnered w/ Weight it Out
• Made In USA: Yes
• Loadable Sleeve Length: 6″
• Bar Length: 54”
• Rackable: Yes
• Diameter: TBD
• Bar Weight: 10kg
• Weight Rating: 500lbs
• Knurl: Moderate
• Center Knurl: No
• Knurl Marking: Powerlifting
• Coating: Bright Zinc

GGC Junior Bar FAQs

Q: What age kid is this bar suitable for?

A: My daughter is 6 years old and can use it to Squat, Bench, and Deadlift.

Q: How many plates can this bar hold?

A: It has a 6in loadable sleeve, so this will depend on your plates, but should be able to load a 45 or two on each side.

Q: What is the bar coated in?

A: Bright Zinc. This makes the bar POP! and look nice and clean with minimal maintenance.

Q: Do I need to buy my kids a bar?

A: Nope! In fact I share quite a few DIY options for bars, plates, and even squat stands in this video!

GGC Junior Bar Review

I’m pretty happy with this bar all around. Obviously I think the end caps are an awesome idea, and the bar looks and feels and performs like a “real bar”. Which is because, it is! With a 500lb weight limit, this bar is likely enough for the VAST majority of at home lifters, and a bargain of a price compared to the more traditional barbells. The sleeves spin, the knurling is there but not aggressive to chew up kids hands, the bright zinc looks brand new and we are almost a full year in.

After using the OSO bar for years and needing a custom set up for her rack, the ability to rack the GGC Junior Bar INSIDE the rack, is just awesome. We still use her squat stands if we are both doing the same workout, but this means she can lift inside our Combo Rack during the GGC like everyone else! This bar is something that my daughter is excited for, proud of, and wants to use. And giving your kid their own “space” inside your gym is a key piece to getting them involved.

Testing

I wanted to test the 500lb weight limit, so I went ahead and loaded it up with what I could to test the limits in this video. 2x100s, 4x45s, a pair of collars (5lbs) and the 22lb bar end up at about ~407lbs. 444 athletes in the Spring Garage Gym Competition hit a 405lb deadlift, or less. Which confirms for me that this bar would be a likely solution for a LOT of people lifting at home.

If I could change ONE thing, it would probably be to have the knurling come in just a tad. Before my daughters recent growth spurt, the knurling was just too wide for her frame for deadlifts, so she was often grabbing the smooth center. So in an ideal world, we’d bring that in a few inches. Otherwise, the diameter of the bar is very appropriate for her hands, the bar is the right weight to not be TOO heavy for warm-ups, but also give us plenty of room to work with. And it is a show stopper during our GGC Local Meets to watch Audrey crush some 1 Rep Maxes on her own bar.

Looking to get your kids into lifting? Check out these articles!

Wrap Up

So the GGC Junior Bar is a custom designed bar for the at home athlete ages 6 and up. I say up, because again, a 500lb weight limit could work for MOST athletes. Or you can be extra special like us and have a His, Hers, and Little Hers barbell setup. I don’t think you NEED to buy your kids a bar. I think you NEED to encourage your kids to be active, to find a love in exercise, and if that happens to involve lifting, awesome. Having the right equipment, can help them take that next step.

You can check out more on the Garage Gym Competition right here.

💲Check out the GGC Junior Bar at this link!

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