Reflex decline bench press vs Rogue West side bench 2.0
This is a comparison between the Reflex decline bench and the Rogue west side bench including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Rogue Westside bench 2.0
The Westside 2.0 comes in at $725 and are 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 Westside bench 2.0
The
Rogue west side 2.0 is a bolt-together version of the Westside
bench to bring down the cost in production and shopping. You will have more moving parts, but it is still a 1000+ pound
bench press set up for the serious athletes. One of the main features of this
bench is that you can adjust it in 1” increments and use it with bands and chains effectively. If you are a fan of the west side training method and benching big this is a great option. The specifications of the
Westside 2.0 bench are:
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Made in the USA
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2x3" 11-Gauge Uprights with Westside hole spacing
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Total Height: 54.625"
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Bench Height: 17.5” (adjustable up and down by 1" increments)
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1000+LB weight capacity
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Your choice of either a 12" wide standard bench pad or a 14.5" wide Thompson Fat Pad™ (at additional cost)
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NEW Bolt-Together Design with 0.625" Hardware
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NEW 7-Gauge Reinforced Steel Spine Under Pad
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NEW Laser-Cut Rogue Side Panels
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Infinity J-Cups with UHMW inserts to protect the bar knurl
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24" Pin/Pipe Safety Set
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4 Adjustable Band Pegs
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NEW Optional Spotter Decks (at additional cost)
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Color: Black
If you are into the Rogue setup for west side benching, this is the way to go.
Pros of the Westside 2.0
This is a lower-cost version of the west side bench and is probably one of the most cost-efficient setups in the market I which you can comfortably go to 1000 pounds for the bench press.
Cons of the West side 2.0
Compared to other bench stations or combos you will have little to no plate storage and no support for heavy incline or decline bench presses. If you care about a 1000 pound bench press you will probably more than this.
Alternatives to the Westside 2.0
If you care about a west side bench I would conveniently assume that you already own a normal bench press setup or just don’t care about getting a portable bench.
The
west side bench is the big brother of the 2.0. You will have fewer moving pieces and bigger beams which brings the cost up but also means that you get more integral stability. If you have the money and do not want to transport the
bench often, why compromise?
Summary for the Westside 2.0
The
west side 2.0 is a great option for the serious athlete who wants to train at home with a buddy. If you are equipping a professional gym you might as well go for the big one.
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".
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:
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Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully Welded Tubular steel construction.
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Powder Coated finish.
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Plastic lined weight bar saddles.
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7 position adjustable roller pads.
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Adjustable Saddles w/ 11 positions.
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Weight storage.
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7 position adjustable safeties.
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1in high-density foam pad
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145 - 450 LB
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Length 62”-92”
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Width 48”
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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
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.