TITAN bench press rack vs Reflex decline bench

This is a comparison between the TITAN bench press rack and Reflex decline bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview and review of the Reflex Olympic decline bench

The Reflex Olympic decline bench press comes in at $1882 and is a great addition to your existing gym to widen the possible exercises you can do. This article was originally published in "Which bench to get to from Rogue".

What else to consider from Rogue

Overview of the Reflex Decline bench

The Reflex decline bench provides you with a sturdy decline bench press setup for the big boys. This bench is going nowhere no matter how big the weights or athlete. You will have the bench set up steady so that you will always have the same setup. There are also safeties in place. Overall a solid piece of equipment, especially when your gym is specializing in big guys or bodybuilding. The specifications of the Reflex decline bench are:

Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully Welded Tubular steel construction.
Powder Coated finish.
Plastic lined weight bar saddles.
7 position adjustable roller pads.
Adjustable Saddles w/ 11 positions.
Weight storage.
7 position adjustable safeties.
1in high-density foam pad
145 - 450 LB
Length 62”-92”
Width 48”
Height 47”-53”

This is a good addition to your gym when you have a lot of space and many big guys or very new athletes.

Pros of the Reflex decline bench

The sheer size of this will make it a favorite for all your athletes who don’t fit into other machines. Once a transportable bench becomes too small, you probably want to graduate to this beast. Some might also appreciate that the bench will always be set up at the same distances. This is hard to achieve with a transportable version. The reflex decline also provides space for plates and is a good addition to any gym with plenty of floor space.

Cons of the Reflex decline bench

The reflex decline bench press is not very versatile. If you do a lot of circuit training and have little room, it probably won’t be the best investment. It takes up a lot of floor space and can be intimidating to some clients. If you are planning a home gym it is pretty much out of the question, unless you live in a mansion.

Alternatives to the Reflex decline bench

Alternatives to the reflex decline bench are

The reflex incline basically does the same as the decline setup, just for an incline bench setup. Again you need a lot of space in return for security.

The reflex military bench takes the incline and decline approach and uses it for the military press. Again you are taking up more space in return for being able to move bigger weights more secure.

The Rogue AB3 is a portable bench from Rogue which can be set up for incline and decline benches presses. This will probably the tool of choice for anyone who wants to build their home gym.

Summary for the Reflex decline bench

The reflex decline bench machine is probably the piece of equipment I would consider the most from reflex. The decline bench press is the one where you most need a secure setup. All other forms of bench presses I am personally happy to do with a bench and barbell in a rack. I might feel different if I did those with more than 300 pounds for repetitions.

Overview and review of the TITAN bench press rack

This is an overview of the TITAN bench press rack including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview of the TITAN bench press rack

Price: $437

The TITAN bench press rack is inspired by the designs of the Westside gym of Louie Simmons which have been first adopted by Rogue in their Westside bench. This bench station takes a rack and cuts the top bid. With this setup, you can bench heavy while being spotted by a big person and also use small increments in the range of motion or band work. This is a great tool to have for anyone that works with boards for the bench press and bands. Aso, if you are considering a separate bench station for your home gym as you have space, this should be on top of your list. The full specifications for this TITAN product are:

Fits standard pad (included) or Hefty Bench Pad (Hefty Bench Pad sold separately)
Westside hole spacing allows for small incremental adjustments
Bolt down design for a stable bench platform
Laser-cut Titan side panels
Includes one pair of handed HD J-Hooks with UHMW inserts to protect your bar knurling
Includes a pair of flip-down safeties lined with UHMW for protection in case of failed lifts
Overall Height: 54.5-in.
Bench Height: 17.5-in. | Adjustable by 1-in increments
Overall Footprint: 51.75-in x 33.75-in (not including bench pad)
Inside Depth: 24-in.
Material: 2-in x 3-in. 11-Gauge Steel Uprights
Weight Capacity: 1,000 lb.
Product Weight: 200 lb.

This is a sturdy bench for anyone who is big and serious about their bench press. With the bench press rack, the annoying setups from a moveable bench in a rack are over and you also have plenty of options for varied bench press training.

Pros of the TITAN bench press rack

The pros of the TITAN bench press rack are:

Price
Focused product
Less hassle

The biggest argument for most TITAN products is their price if you have the need. Compared to other products in the market, you will pay about half for the TITAN products. The main competitors of TITAN in the US are Eleiko and Rogue fitness. REP fitness is a runner up that is gaining popularity on Youtube channels lately.

Apart from price the general design of the bench press rack is aimed at anyone who has the space to afford a dedicated bench press station in terms of budget and space. If you can this is a superior option to other bench press stations that you see in commercial gyms with three different heights and a bit of plate storage. With this bench, you have many options for banded work, a solid spotter space, and a massive bench pad. If you want to build your bench press this is a great value for money option.

The last positive is the convenience of the competition setup of this bench. No moving the bench around and problems with the lift-off of your bench press being off. With this bench press rack, you will always have the same starting position and you will always be set up in the center of the setup.

Cons of the TITAN bench press rack

The cons of the TITAN bench press rack are:

The bench can not be removed
You can only flat bench press
Space requirements

One big downside is that you have to give up quite a lot of space to make this station happen. In a commercial gym, this will not pose a major problem, especially if you already have one of the shitty amazon bench stations with glued on storage pins. Sorry, I just hate those as the pins are always off and you never know whether to rack the bar in the middle or on the highest setting as you only get three options. So just throw the one you wanted to upholster again out and replace it with this. For a home gym, you will need a considerable basement or two-car garage gym to make it work.

As you can only flat bench press and combined with the space requirements the max adjustable FID bench is probably the better option for a home gym on the same budget. This is a precise tool that addresses the needs if experienced bench presses or flat bench press fanatics best. If you have to please more people than just those, invest in an adjustable, moveable bench instead.

Alternatives to the TITAN bench press rack

Alternatives to the TITAN bench press rack are:

The max FID adjustable bench is an alternative for roughly the same price of the bench power rack. This bench can do incline as well as decline setups. For a home gym, it is the more versatile and space-efficient option. The only thing I like to question is how many decline bench press sets per week you actually will do. If your answer is three, you might as well save yourself the decline option and go for an incline bench press. That will save $200 and you can get some kettlebells or a nice lifting belt with the saved money.

The TITAN combo rack is great when you want to have competition standards in your home or at a commercial gym. For actual powerlifting competitions you might want to get a model from a competitor that is a bit more upmarket.

The TITAN hefty bench is a great transportable alternative with bigger padding.

Conclusion for the TITAN bench press rack

The TITAN bench press rack is the best option from TITAN as a dedicated bench press station for anyone who has the space to place it within their gym.