Reflex decline bench press vs Rogue AB2
This is a comparison between the Reflex decline bench and the Rogue AB2 including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Ab2 Adjustable bench
The AB-2 bench comes in at $815 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 AB2 Adjustable bench
The
Rogue AB2 bench comes from the designers of the Nebula 1080
bench which has been on an established reference in the fitness industry. The
Ab2 includes 6 different seat settings and nine back positions. This makes it a strong piece of equipment for any home gym which needs versatility and space-efficient setup. The specifications of the
Rogue AB2 bench are:
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Adapted from the Nebula 1080 "Awesome" Utility Bench
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Weight: 94LB
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Length: 52"
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Pad Width: 12"
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Height: 18"
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Footprint: 51 1/4" x 22 1/2"
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Steel: 2 x 2" and 3 x 3" 11-Gauge Steel
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6 Adjustable Seat Settings
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9 Adjustable Back Pad Settings (from flat bench to 78 degrees upright)
This is the upmarket version from Rogue if you do not want to do decline bench presses.
Pros of the AB2 Adjustable bench
The
AB2 has a pin design which keeps the
bench firmly in place. It is heavy duty and well made and gives you more options than the cheaper versions from
Rogue.
Cons of the AB2 Adjustable bench
$815 can still be a hefty price tag for a bench. As you are not buying any kind of structure with this and probably did not consider yourself that much of a beast to look into the Reflex options, you might as well want to save a little more on the bench itself. This bench has the price of a rack.
Alternatives to the AB2 Adjustable bench
Alternatives to the
AB2 are
The
AB3 is the weapon of choice if you need a
bench that can be moved around and used for incline, decline, and flat
bench press setups. It comes in at a slightly higher price tag than the
AB2 and makes more sense in my opinion if you are looking for a high-end
bench.
The
Rogue Adjustable bench 2.0 would probably my personal choice for a
bench from
Rogue. This is the middle priced
bench which covers any need you might have. Production costs are lower compared to the
AB2 as not as many holes need to be drilled. It still does the same with fewer options to adjust the
bench. To be honest, in practice you will most likely only use one incline, one decline, and the flat position anyway.
The
Rogue Flat utility bench would be my tool of choice if I had to equip an entire gym with
Rogue benches. They have multiple options for customization and are only a fraction of the cost f the
AB2 and
AB3. You basically get 4 of these four one
AB2.
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".
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:
This is a good addition to your gym when you have a lot of space and many big guys or very new athletes.
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.
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.
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 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.