Fitness Adjustable Bench – AB-3000 FID – Flat/Incline/Decline

I spent a LOT of time researching benches (really, way too much time), but bottom line was that I wanted something stable, adjustable, and of course I didn't want to break the bank. There are a lot of really questionably pricey benches out there -- and when it comes down to it a bench is a very simple piece of equipment. Why are they so expensive? After all of my time investment I am confident in saying that absolutely no other bench on the market combines the features of this bench and its low price. Specifics: Delivery -- Typical, left outside of my house. Packaging -- Decent. The inner boxes were a bit torn up as Rep didn't put enough padding in place. But none of the parts were damaged. Instructions -- Complete joke. The "assembly" instructions are a single page parts diagram and then a second page of "tips." Come on, at least provide a step-by-step guide? Please visit any IKEA store to learn how it's done. Assembly -- The instructions are not completely useless; everything can be figured out from the diagram. There is some mention of videos to be watched, but I couldn't be bothered. Overall it wasn't bad but it definitely took longer than the stated 15 minutes -- probably closer to 45. The biggest issue for me was getting the seat bolted into place. The "tips" sheet shows it being done with the cushion up, which would require some extreme form of dexterity that I don't possess. After a while I realized that I could un-bolt the seat from the base of the unit (this requires removing a bolt that comes already in place from the factory) and then just flip the whole thing back -- after that the rest of the assembly was very simple. Note that the bolts are a bit on the large side. Neither of my two ratchet sets had anything quite big enough (mine go up to 9/16"), so I had to use a combination of an adjustable wrench and the provided sheet metal "multitool." This undoubtedly slowed me way down. Overall assembly includes screwing in maybe 8 bolts for the seat and back, two for the ankle pads, and then another four or so for the rest of the unit. Then you go through and tighten everything down, including the bolts that were put on at the factory. Utilization -- Once assembled, the unit feels extremely sturdy. It sits perfectly on the floor without rocking, and gives me full confidence. The pads are plenty comfortable in my opinion; sure they're a bit stiff, but it's not like I'm going to take a nap on the thing. Also I suspect that these pads will hold up better over time than softer ones would. Adjustment is simple for both the seat and the back and there are plenty of options for what I need to get done on a daily basis. One important note is that when flat or in decline there is definitely a considerable gap between the seat and back. I know this bothers a lot of people. I don't mind it and don't find it uncomfortable, but I do notice it; if you're looking for something gap-free, look elsewhere. Not much else to say. I think despite the few flaws, for the price this bench is absolutely unbeatable and will serve me for many years. I'm very happy with my purchase...and I can use the money saved to buy more weights to test that 1,000 pound capacity limit!

I echo what everyone else has said about this bench; it is sturdy, stable, and about as beefy and functional as benches costing twice as much. Regarding the assembled bench and using it in my home gym, I could not be more pleased. It's professional, membership-gym quality equipment. Mine functions well and is properly aligned. I was tempted to deduct one star for the ridiculous issues with assembly, however, but since that was only a couple hours versus what I believe will be my remaining lifetime using this bench, I decided not to., especially given the value proposition of the finished product. Just to set your expectations, however, I would not order this expecting it to go together in ten minutes. It MAY--some reviewers say they got it together that fast--but it is unlikely. Issues with assembly: 1) It was missing a washer, has 7 instead of 8. I've read other reviews which said they were shorted a bolt. Why can't these fitness company manufacturers hire people who can COUNT?! My last product (not this company) was short a couple washers. Add 45 minutes for trip to/from the hardware store to get a washer. 2) As has been mentioned getting the bolts into the seat and back pad holes was challenging. They screw threaded anchors into the plywood pad backing board for the bolts to thread into, but one had wood in it I had to shave off around it, and one was so cockeyed I had to cross-thread the fourth bolt into the backing board. It is secure now, but it was really difficult to get the bolts into the backing. More precise jigging when installing the threaded anchors would alleviate this. I'm satisfied with the final result, the cross-threaded bolt is certainly secure, but it was soooooo aggravating when going together, I nearly blew a gasket. 3) The bench frame part under the seat plate makes it impossible to use a ratchet on the front bolts. And the plate the seat pad goes on is flanged for strength, which is understandable, but that, coupled with the bulge under the leading edge of the seat pad made it extremely difficult to get a wrench in there to tighten the front bolts. More blood pressure spiking and cussing. If the flange were ground away only at the front the seat mount would still be plenty stiff but you'd at least be able to get a box-end wrench on the front bolts to tighten them more easily. I finally got them tightened, but this is poor ergonomic design which would be easily fixed. Bottom line, this is a terrific bench regardless of the price, but for the money, it is a world beater, in my opinion. Although it took me two hours to get it assembled (including trip to get the missing washer), I thought the end product was so good it would be unfair to ding them a star for the frustration. If they'd jig the threaded inserts better, and grind down a bit of the flange toward the front of the seat plate to make front bolt installation easier, and IF THEY COULD COUNT PARTS correctly, this would be a near perfect product. TIPS: You'll need 14mm, 17mm, and 19mm wrenches for assembly for the seat pad bolts, wheeled cross member, and bolts securing the foot/handle attachment respectively. If you have ratchet and box end wrenches use them both. Follow their advice and get all four bolts into seat or back pad loosely at first, then weight the pade before final tightening. If you find you cannot thread one of the four bolts into either pad, after several attempts, go ahead and cross thread it if you can. It will likely be secure enough, but if it doesn't work you'd be returning that pad for a replacement anyway, so no harm there. My back pad is perfectly secure with one cross-threaded bolt. Their included wrench tool helps secure the 19 mm bolts while tightening the nuts. I am not sure if the bolt in the slotted hole at the bottom of the foot attachment is supposed to be adjusted to a comfortable angle and then tightened down, or left for it to slide freely. I suspect the latter, though and left that bolt loose enough the foot attachment pivots easily. It is in the right position for me when my feet are in it in the decline position, and I like that it falls a bit more out of the way when my feet are not in it. Despite the long-winded assembly screed, I highly recommend this bench.

Edit August 2017: I would like to change my review based off of my experience with Rep Fitness and their Co-Owner/Founder, Shane. I have been using the bench for about a week and it is very solid and sturdy. Please read the rest of my edit for more information on why I changed my review. I would personally rate this 4.5/5 stars due to the shipping hassle, but I rounded up to 5 knowing that accidents do happen. The last three photos are of the replacement bench that has been working great for the past month! The first bench I received came with a bent frame. I arranged for a replacement and I was assured that it would be packed more carefully before being sent to me. Unfortunately the 2nd bench came and the base of it was bent up in a very mild "U" shape causing it to rock. The Co-Owner/Founder, Shane reached out to me via email after I sent their company a notice of the 2nd bench being damaged. I later found out that their company was unsure if the replacement bench was inspected for extra packaging before being sent to me. Shane was very sincere and sent me a prepaid label for the 2nd bent bench and also assured that it was assembled then disassembled before being sent to me. They then wrapped the bench and parts in so much padding and cellophane that I thought the Michelin Man arrived on my doorstep! Luckily the 3rd bench was in working order after assembly and I have had no issues with it. It spoke volumes having the Co-Owner/Founder contact me directly in addition to the very hands on approach of notifying me about my order and asking me if everything worked out. I would suggest that anyone ordering this bench ask for extra padding to be added before shipment. Just call their office. Place the order "shipped by REP" on Amazon.com while on the phone with them. Give them your order number and ask for extra padding to be added before shipment. This would avoid any possible damages while in transit, and save time and money for both parties. Original Review: This review is based off of the product I received when purchasing the "Rep Adjustable Bench" with fulfillment from Amazon for $299.00. I've been looking for a sturdy adjustable bench for my home gym to replace my older flat bench. I was on the fence between going with Rogue Fitness or Rep Fitness for an adjustable bench. What stood out for this product was how it featured a decline adjustment in addition to the incline and flat positions. I had purchased a Rep Dumbbell rack earlier this year and was pleased with the quality of that item. Finally the Rogue Bench was priced at $545 which was nearly double the cost of this bench. Taking those details into consideration I decided to go with Rep for this bench. The box the bench came in is quite large and very heavy. I was not home when it was left on my porch but I'm sure the lone UPS driver did have some trouble getting it to the porch himself. I needed help from a family member to bring the box in the house. Before opening the box I noticed a very large hole/ tear at one end and a smaller rear towards the other end. Upon opening the box I saw that the paint on the base had been scraped off and the leg bar (that needs to be assembled) had some paint chipped. Honestly this wasn't much of an issue for me and could easily be fixed with some flat black spray paint or just left alone. Assembly was pretty easy with some common sense applied. I would suggest having a socket wrench and 3 different sized heads (m8, m10, m12). A wrench is helpful too. Be careful not to over tighten the nuts and bolts. Just stop once it gets hard to turn so you don't bend/ damage the steel frame. Apart from deciphering the manual and gathering the necessary tools, assembly should take about 20 minutes, give or take. Here's where I am unimpressed by this product. I noticed immediately after completing the bench that something was wrong. First I laid on the bench to see how it felt. It was rocking and felt like the left side of my body was significantly lower than the right. I crouched down and looked straight down the bench from the seat towards the top. It was very clear that the bench was tilted on an angle. First I thought it was my floor (poured concrete basement), so I brought out my level. I checked the floor to the left and to the right of the bench and the floor was level. When checking the bench it was clear that the one side was slanted down. I noticed that where the adjustable bar on the back of the bench laid was not fully seated in the groove on the right side. The left side however was seated which contributed to the unlevel bench. When on the ground I noticed that the front base did not look like it was touching the floor evenly. I lifted the front base of the bench up to take a closer look at it. The base was pretty warped/ bent. I'm not sure if it was a result of shipping or if It was already like that. My guess it was damaged in shipping since the corners were pretty scraped up and were sticking out of the box when it arrived. Summary/ TLDR; Overall feel and materials are very high quality. The deal breaker for me was that it was not even close to being level. This would be detrimental to your posture and safety when lifting on it. I'll be sending this back to amazon in the next few days once I make the time to disassemble. repackage, and arrange for a UPS pick up. Rep needs better quality control or packaging to ensure that their items arrive and work as they are meant to. I would recommend splitting the bench up into two or even three smaller boxes. This would lessen the weight, and make it possible to pack the parts tighter and more securely. Thanks for reading my review!

This bench has been a great addition to our home gym. It was very easy and straightforward to assemble, which made setup quick and stress free. It feels sturdy and secure during workouts, even with heavier lifts. The adjustability is smooth and simple to use, making it easy to switch between exercises. It is also very comfortable, which makes a difference during longer sessions. Overall, it feels high quality and well made, and I would definitely recommend it.

Super easy to put together, VERY sturdy! I run a personal training business out of my garage, and I have people on this all day. Fits all my clients, and everyone feels safe and secure! The pads are wide as well so even for my bigger guys, they don’t feel like they are going to roll off the sides. It is heavy though! Not an “agile” bench. But for me, worth the quality!

The decision to buy an adjustable bench led to my doing a significant amount of research on different benches, and a few rose to the top. The Rep Fitness one won the match and appeared to suit my needs perfectly, and so far it has almost completely done that. This is not a huge name company, but I am always on the lookout for businesses that provide quality products and excellent Customer Service. So, here is the breakdown. Pros: This bench is SOLID! It feels commercial grade, even on the incline setting. It has a weight capacity of 1000 pounds, so it should last a long time. I’ll be pretty happy on the day that this bench can’t hold what I bench. It is easy to assemble. It comes partially assembled, and it would only too me about an hour to complete the process. I am definitely not a very mechanically inclined person. This would probably take the majority of people less time than that to assemble fully. It has wheels, so, while it is not the lightest bench, it is pretty easy to move around even in the middle of your workout when you are gasping for air. The ladder (how you adjust the angle of the bench) is one solid piece of steel. This seems rare in benches in it’s price range. The seat adjusts! If you have ever tried to incline bench on a seat that stays flat, you know how helpful this feature is. It prevents you from sliding down and keeps your focus where it should be. Cons: The only real con that I have about the bench is that the design of the foot holders is not ideal. I use them solely to hold my feet in place while I do ab workouts such as weighted crunches, and it just feels a little awkward. It feels like they are placed a bit too low, and it does create a bit of an awkward feeling (for me at least) in my back when I descend and ascend. The only other con is that the bench costs about 300 dollars. I got it for 267 from the Rep Fitness Website with a military discount. For a cheapo like me, it’s tough to spend that money. But it will be worth it and, when you compare the price of quality home gym equipment like this with a gym membership and gas driving back and forth to said gym, it really is not so bad. Conclusion: I love this bench, and I would recommend it to almost anyone. The only people who may want to look elsewhere are people who would rely heavily on a bench like this for decline ab work. Otherwise, if you feel you should spend the money, get this! You won’t be sorry.

It is heavy that is my only negative which may in fact be a positive because it is sturdy and well constructed. I weigh 250 and bench close to that no concerns with that load. Easily adjusts and moves easily despite the weight.

This is a very study bench that has held up well for me so far. Padding still looks brand new. The quality is outstanding. No issue with holding up to what the average person will lift. I’ve had over 300 lbs of weights not including my own body weight loaded with no issues. Felt solid.

I have been lifting for nearly 20 years. I recently converted my garage to a home gym, and needed a decent bench. I almost went with a cheaper option and then came across this bench. And wow, the pictures do not do this thing any justice, it is substantial, good as any gym grade bench I have used and built to last. From the solid steel and hardware to the padding on the seat, simply phenomenal. Its worth the extra money, and honestly worth more then other benches I have tried.

The bench took about 30min to put together. The weight of the bench after assembly is around 85#, and it is SOLID. I tried it out in the gym and it doesn't move sideways like my previous bench...the incline and decline options are an added bonus! I definitely recommend this product, it is over VERY GOOD quality!

Rock solid bench, doesnt even move or shake a bit!!!! Glad Spending 400$ on this bench!!!

In my opinion there is no better bench for the money. Great quality. This will last me a lifetime.

Sturdy and solid. Great addition to my home gym.