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Reflex competition bench vs Military bench

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jul 16, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Reflex competition bench vs Military bench

This is a comparison between the Reflex competition bench and the Military bench including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview and review of the Reflex Olympic Military bench 

The Reflex Olympic Military bench comes in at $1.905 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 Military bench

 
The reflex Olympic military bench is a solid bench to securely do your seated military bench presses. This is a big piece of metal which will never break on you. No matter how big your athletes and the weights they will move, the reflex will not go anywhere. If you have problems with shifting benches based on your floor or the sheer size of your athletes than the reflex is the solution. The specifications of the Reflex military bench are: 
 
  • Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully  Tubular steel construction.
  • Powder Coated finish.
  • Plastic lined weight bar saddles.
  • Aluminum Spotter Deck.
  • Adjustable Saddles w/ 11 positions.
  • Weight storage.
  • 7 position adjustable safeties.
  • Weight storage.
  • 1in high-density foam pad.
  • Product weight 155 - 465LB
  • Length 38”-54.5”
  • Width 48”
  • Height 58” - 74.5” 
 
As long as you have the floor space and very big athletes, the Reflex military bench is the right solution for you. 
 

Pros of the Reflex Military bench

 
With the Reflex bench, you have the same set up for your military press each time you or your athletes step into the machine. With the weight of the machine, your athletes will be secure no matter how big the challenge. This is a great machine for a serious gym that reminds of the golden days of bodybuilding. 
 

Cons of the Reflex Military bench

 
The Reflex military bench takes up quite a bit of floor space and is pretty limited in its applications. This makes it not an ideal option for home gyms or group class environments with changing demands. 
 

Alternatives to the Reflex Military bench

 
Alternatives to the Reflex Olympic military bench are 
 
 
The reflex decline bench tailors to the same idea as the military press machine. The decline bench press is a machine where you would need more security as for a military press. Therefore your money might be placed here unless you have a lot of bodybuilders in your gym or just like big things. 
 
The reflex incline bench press has a fixed bench for incline bench presses. This makes a more secure setup as with a free-standing bench. This comes at a higher cost and a bigger need for floor space. 
 
The Rogue AB3 bench would give you the option to move below $1000 while still being able to move the bench and allow for different setups. This is the only bench from Rogue which can also be used for decline bench presses. 
 

Summary of the Reflex Military bench

 
The Reflex military bench will help with security and the same set up for military presses. If you want to move big weights on the seated military press this is the machine for you. Especially if you considered the ISO leg press you might want to consider the reflex range to make your budget stretch further. 
 

 

Overview and review of the Reflex competition bench

The Reflex competition bench comes in at $1697 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 Competition bench

 
The reflex competition bench setup delivers a sturdy machine for bench pressing competitions. This is the kind of bench where all sizes of athletes can perform to their very best. A competition bench is needed so that spotters can do their work properly, but also to provide the athletes with enough grip on the bench. All of this is included in this piece of equipment. The specifications are: 
 
  • Meets International Powerlifting Federation ( IPF ) Guidelines
  • 3/16 wall and 11ga. Welded Tubular steel construction.
  • Powder Coated finish.
  • Oversized 24×30 Polished Diamond 6061 Aluminum skid plate for foot deck.
  • 6 position band pegs.
  • 14 position Weight saddles w/ handles and engraved numbers.
  • 11 position Over-Sized Safeties w/ engraved numbers.
  • Full Framed supported Pad
  • Plastic lined Saddles & Safeties
  • Additional adjustment hole in both Saddles & Safeties to use 1/2 hitch pin.
  • 1in high-density foam pad.
  • Made in the USA
  • Weight 370LB
  • Length 60”
  • Width 50”
  • Height 55”
 
Remember that if you have to move this one around a lot it will be shipped by freight as it is so bulky. 
 

Pros of the Reflex competition bench

 
This is a secure, sturdy bench press setup which meets the standards of the IPF. With this, even the biggest athletes can chip away at their geared 1000LB be ch presses. 
 

Cons of the Reflex competition bench

 
It is a single purpose station which means you still have to provide a squat setup for your competition. It will also be hard to ship or transport to wherever the competition is held. 
 

Alternatives to the Reflex competition bench

 
Alternatives to the competition bench are 
 
 
The Rogue combo rack is also IPF approved and can be used to squat and bench with plenty of spotter hopping around. It can also be broken apart for easier transport. If you regularly want to do powerlifting competitions in different locations this might be the better pick. 
 
The Rogue Westside bench is a beast that even your biggest athletes won’t break. In addition, it gives you more options for starting positions and attaching bands. This makes it a great work station to prepare for your next competition.
 
The Rogue AB3 is the bench of choice for weekend warriors who want to have all bench press options at home. This bench is portable and therefore not recommended when you want to bench 1000LB or do other crazy stuff that might make the bench move around.  
 

Summary for the Reflex competition bench

 
If you are looking for a stationary bench station which complies with IPF standards the reflex competition bench is a good pick for you. However, if I was to get something for competition use I would invest the extra dollars in the combo rack to get a two for one.