TITAN Preacher Curl Bench vs Reflex flat bench

This is a comparison between the TITAN Preacher curl bench and Reflex flat 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 flat bench

The Reflex flat bench arm kit comes in at $1674 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 Flat bench

The reflex flat bench is the sturdy design of the reflex line applied to a regular flat bench setup. You will get a solid piece of equipment with little moving parts apart from the barbell. This is a good setup for your big athletes who are moving big weights. The specifications of the Reflex flat bench are:

Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully Welded Tubular steel construction.
Powder Coated finish.
Plastic lined weight bar saddles.
Adjustable Saddles w/ 11 positions.
Weight storage.
7 position adjustable safeties.
Weight storage.
1in high-density foam pad.
Weight 167 - 470LB
Length 60” - 70”
Width 48”
Height 58” - 64”

The reflex flat bench will stay where you place it and go nowhere. This is especially good when you want to ensure the same setup each and every time you bench.

Pros of the Reflex Flat bench

A sturdy setup that keeps you safe, even when moving big weights around. Can also be used as central plate storage in the middle of multiple racks.

Cons of the Reflex Flat bench

Single-purpose use and not a lot of flexibility to change. Needs more floor space than other solutions you might come up with for the bench press.

Alternatives to the Reflex Flat bench

Alternatives to the reflex flat bench are

The reflex competition bench comes in only slightly more expensive than the flat bench version. In return, you get an IPF approved machine to practice for the real thing. Of you are considering a bench press setup like this you might as well spend the few extra to get the competition version.

The reflex decline bench press is the piece of equipment that I would get if I had the floor space left. Out of the different bench press variations, the decline is the one I feel most uncomfortable with when done on a free-standing bench. The reflex decline would address this.

The AB3 bench is Rogues portable bench which can be used for flat, incline and decline setups. As it is on rolls it might not be as stable as the Reflex series, but if you are not a beast, this will be more than sufficient to get your work done.

Summary for the Reflex Flat bench

The reflex Olympic flat bench is not something I personally would consider. I would either go for the decline or competition bench press if I was in the market for a bench machine.

Overview and review of the TITAN Preacher Curl Bench

This is an overview of the TITAN Preacher Curl bench 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 preacher curl bench

Price: $324

A preacher curl bench is one of the few single-purpose machines that I can get on board with. There is nothing better to pump my biceps than preacher hammer curls. Everyone is different, but this is one of the few machines that sucks up space to only train one muscle group that's actually worth investing in. A preacher curl station will isolate the biceps by giving you the opportunity to sit down and not use your back when doing curls. This has big advantages for developing your biceps. You can also lean against a wall, but a preacher curl just gives the best pump. The full specifications of this TITAN product are:

High-density contour foam padding for a comfortable but firm base to lift from
Adjustable seat to fit different size athletes- UHMW lined j-hooks to protect barbell while racking
31.5-in Rack width to fit most standard barbells and EZ curl bars
Rubber feet to protect floors and provide a stable base
Overall Height: 35-in.
Footprint: 34.5-in W x 40-in L
Rack Width: 31.5-in.
Pad Dimensions: 14-in x 24-in x 2-in.
Finish: Powder-Coated Black
Material: 2-in x 2-in 11-Gauge Steel
Weight Capacity: 250 lb.
Product Weight: 73 lb.

This is a good preacher curl bench that can be easily moved around to fit your needs. There are also no metal pieces obstructing the bar path.

Pros of the TITAN preacher curl bench

Pros of the preacher curl bench are:

Price
Design
Impact

As with all TITAN products, this comes in at roughly half of the price for anything similar you can find in the market. It is also fairly heavy for a preacher curl bench. Cheaper products are usually very light. The lighter your equipment is, the less heavy you want to train on it.

For a preacher bench, the design of this model is beautifully simple. Many other preacher benches get in the way of you doing your curls, especially if you use a straight bar. You will not have this challenge with this model.

As with all preacher benches, if you want big biceps, you basically can not go without. This is the ultimate station to pump your arms up in a big way.

Cons of the TITAN preacher curl bench

Cons of the TITAN preacher curl bench are:

Can not be bolted to the ground
Space requirements
Non-versatile

Even though I am a huge fan of preacher curls in a commercial gym, I would not get one for my home gym. The space I have is very limited and putting a curling bench in just for the sake of getting bigger arms is not possible. Unless you give up an entire two-car garage for your gym or a big basement, I personally think there other machines you can get that have more impact. This can include lat pull down, GHD machine or even a yoke in addition to your existing rack. In addition, there is one design flaw as this bench can not be bolted to the ground. There are no pre-drilled holes to achieve this.

Alternatives to the preacher curl bench

Bicep/tricep curl machine
Preacher Curl station
Rogue Arm Blaster

The TITAN bicep /tricep curl machine follows the same moment pattern as a preacher curl bench. The big difference is that you will not do it with a free weight but on a defined movement path. The Bicep curl machine is plate loaded and takes up roughly the same space as the Preacher curl bench. If you prefer machines with given movement paths for muscle isolation, this is it. It is also easier to start, as getting the curl bar from the starting position is usually a bit challenging and hard on the wrists.

The preacher curl station is the little brother of the preacher curl bench on the TITAN fitness line up. It costs about a third and is less heavy. The steel pins to rest the bar on can get in the way of you exercising. In return, it is a steal at about $150.

The Rogue arm blaster is the ideal solution for someone who wants to isolate their bicep at home but does not want to get in a preacher curl bench. It is still not as good as a preacher curl station, as you will be free-standing, but at least you can isolate the biceps to a similar extent. It also only costs about $50 and makes a nice Christmas present for anyone who has a home gym.

Conclusion for the preacher curl bench

This is one of the first and maybe only machines I would get in my home gym if I had space. A well organized professional gym has to have at least one of these so that you can blast your arms.