I have installed, literally, hundreds of those.
That, IMPO, (in my professional opinion) is a ‘grab bar’.
The bar is welded to a flat ring that has three pre drilled holes, and should (if properly installed) be mounted to the wall with screws long enough to reach a block of wood installed for that purpose, or the studs.
It looks like it’s about 16" long, so I would hazard the guess that it’s screwed to the 2x4 studs, with the screws on each end, penetrating a stud.
If there is nothing solid to fasten to, it is normally mounted with toggle bolts.
Both methods are sufficient to enable the bar to be used as a ‘support’ for the average adult human, and are in accordance with ADA (Americans w/Disabilities Act) specifications.
ETA Upon closer inspection of the pic that AaronX provided, I think the bar is probably only a 12" model.
Regardless, that type is intended as a grab bar (as evidenced by the three mounting holes), and if it was mounted correctly, can safely be used as such.
I had my bathroom gutted and renovated last summer.
One of the best things I did was to buy some snazzy nickel finish grab bars that matched the rest of the hardware and have the contractor install them correctly. As described above, he installed the appropriate studs and mounted the grab bars safely, so they can support my weight or that of my wife.
One of the contractors asked me “Why do you want grab bars in your bath?” to which I simply quipped “We’re not getting any younger.”
As it turns out, I use them all the time to get in and out of the shower/tub, and so does my wife. I feel so much safer not having to grab on to stuff that won’t support my weight.
The proper stylish hardware can avoid the “old people’s bathroom” look.
The only thing I like more about my new bathroom is that the shower was custom built for a 6’3" man. For the first time in my life I can stand up straight while showering and I don’t have to duck when entering the sliding door.
For anyone looking into placing a grab bar in your shower, take a look atthese.
We just finished renovating a bathroom for my parents, and we put a pair of these combined grab bar/shelf into the shower, a grab bar/towel bar on the wall, and a grab bar/toilet paper holder next to the toilet. If you might grab it, we made it grab bar usable.
When we get around to remodelling our bathroom, we’ll probably use the same thing. They just make sense.
Wait, people actually do that? Rub the soap all along their bodies? Ugh…that explains so much…the hairs… UGH! I don’t use a washcloth myself but I don’t just rub the soap all over my nether regions. I lather it up in my hands, put it back and then wash myself with my soapy hands. Omg, I always wondered how people got all those hairs all over the soap constantly. Great, I’m sufficiently grossed out now. Thanks.
I sure as hell don’t make it hairy. Other people I reside with do. It’s disgusting. I have to rinse off the bar of soap, holding it only by my thumb and one finger to get the hair off. It’s fine and dandy to use the soap directly on your body if you’re the only person using it, but for god’s sake, just lather it up and use your hands if there are other people in the house. At the VERY least, rinse your pubes off the damn thing once you’re done.
If it’s strong enough to support you it’s probably a grab-bar similar to what you’d find in the handicap stall of a public restroom, and originally put there for a similar purpose. IME as far as towel racks are concerned, you’re lucky if they manage to hold themselves (and the towels) up, let alone someone grabbing onto one for support.
