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Reflex decline vs competition bench press

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jul 15, 2020 9:00:00 AM

Reflex decline vs competition bench press

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

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Reflex Competition bench

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".

Bench press calculator

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. 
 
Reflex decline bench
 

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".

Bench press calculator


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. 

Topics: Rogue