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Reflex Incline bench vs west side bench 2.0

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jul 15, 2020 9:00:00 AM

Reflex Incline bench vs west side bench 2.0

This is a comparison between the Reflex incline bench and the west side bench 2.0 including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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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".

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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: 
 
  • Made in the USA
  • 2x3" 11-Gauge Uprights with Westside hole spacing
  • Total Height: 54.625"
  • Bench Height: 17.5” (adjustable up and down by 1" increments)
  • 1000+LB weight capacity
  • Your choice of either a 12" wide standard bench pad or a 14.5" wide Thompson Fat Pad™ (at additional cost)
  • NEW Bolt-Together Design with 0.625" Hardware
  • NEW 7-Gauge Reinforced Steel Spine Under Pad
  • NEW Laser-Cut Rogue Side Panels
  • Infinity J-Cups with UHMW inserts to protect the bar knurl
  • 24" Pin/Pipe Safety Set
  • 4 Adjustable Band Pegs
  • NEW Optional Spotter Decks (at additional cost)
  • 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

 
Alternatives to the Westside Bench 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? 
 
The reflex incline is an alternative to consider or even an additional purchase to the west side bench 2.0. If you are equipping a gym with a west side bench I know you mean business, so where are your freaks going to do their incline bench presses? Same goes for the decline. 
 

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.
Reflex Incline bench

Overview and review of the Reflex Olympic incline bench 

The Olympic incline bench comes in at $1905 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 Incline bench

 
The reflex Olympic incline bench press is a good option to provide your athletes or yourself with a safe environment for heavy incline bench presses. Once you hit a 400-pound bench press for repetitions you might not want to do them on a bench on rolls. This incline bench press addresses this need. The reflex Olympic incline weight bench comes with the following specifications: 
 
  • Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully Welded 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.
  • 1in high-density foam pad.
 
This is a beast of machine that will make your big guys smile. 
 

Pros of the Reflex Incline bench

 
Solid, heavy incline bench with good material. In addition, you will also get a good bit of plate storage which might help with your CrossFit box. If you have a team or if you do incline benching on a regular basis with big weights, this is the station to get. 
 

Cons of the Reflex Incline bench

 
The reflex incline bench is a single-purpose piece of equipment which takes up quite a bit of floor space. This makes it not ideal for group training settings with changing demands or home gyms unless you are Oprah or the rock. 
 

Alternatives to the Reflex Incline bench

 
Alternatives to the reflex incline bench are 
 
 
The reflex decline bench executed the same idea of a fixed bench station with a lot of weight but for a decline bench press set up. This is a good alternative to be secure when it gets very heavy. 
 
The Reflex military bench takes the idea of a big metal station that goes nowhere for the seated military press. 
 
The Rogue AB3 is a portable bench which can be set up as a decline, Incline or flat set up to be used with a regular rack or with dumbbells. 
 

Summary of the Reflex Incline bench

 
The reflex incline bench press is a good option when you want to ensure the same setup for any incline bench or if you move a lot of weight. As long as you have space it can be an item to aspire to. Especially if you considered the ISO leg press you might want to have a look at the reflex range to make your dollars stretch.