REP fitness AB-5100 bench vs TITAN seated stationary bench

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness AB-5100 bench and the Titan seated stationary bench. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the TITAN seated stationary bench

This is an overview of the TITAN seated stationary bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally posted in Which TITAN bench to get? Follow the links for details.

Overview of the TITAN seated stationary bench

Price: $125

The TITAN seated stationary bench is a great addition to any professional gym to be combined with a smith machine or rack to do seated overhead presses or curls. You will probably only need one or a maximum of two on the floor while you fill the rest with your fleet with incline or flat benches. For most home gyms this is a waste of time, money, and space. The full specifications of this bench are:

Perfect for seated strength workouts like dumbbell curls, shoulder presses, military presses, and more
High-quality steel and pads for a robust and durable design
Back pad at a slight angle for comfort and easier should movement
Handle and wheels for easy transportation
Overall Height: 36-in.
Overall Footprint: 31-in x 41-in.
Back Pad Dimensions: 19-in x 11.25-in.
Seat Pad Dimensions: 13-in x 11.25-in.
Product Weight: 38 lb.

This is a very niche application for people who struggle to balance on a normal incline bench or who overhead press so much, that they need a fixed setup rather than an adjustable setup for seated presses to stay safe. This only applies to very few gym users and that is why most people won't even need this bench.

Pros of the TITAN seated stationary bench

The pros of the TITAN seated stationary bench are:

Low price
Fixed setup
Sturdy bench

For what it does this bench is sturdy and well built and comes at a low price. If you are in the market for something like this, you will definitely fulfill your need and be easy on your wallet with this addition to your gym.

Cons of the TITAN seated stationary bench

The cons of the TITAN seated stationary bench are:

Limited use cases
Space requirements
Not adjustable

I am not a huge fan of this bench, as I think there are a lot of better options to fill your space with than the seated stationary bench. Unless you are aiming to break the world record in the seated overhead press I do not see much of a point to get this bench instead of a proper adjustable bench. The triangular base provides a lot of stability, but at the same also eats up quite a bit of space. This product is not badly manufactured, it just has very limited use cases and therefore I do not see the point.

Alternatives to the TITAN seated stationary bench

Alternatives to the stationary bench are:

If you are looking into this bench it is most likely because you want to do some form of the overhead press. It is also advertised for curls, but for those you do not need a special bench. The Max FID bench is TITAN's flagship adjustable bench. It can be used for inclines, declines, and is also sturdy. In return, it comes in at over $400.

The FID adjustable bench is the little brother of the MAX. The build is less sturdy to save cost, but you still can do inclines and declines.

The Incline bench V2 is the cheapest adjustable bench you can get from TITAN. It can only be adjusted for inclines and is the lightest out of these three.

Conclusion for the TITAN seated stationary bench

The TITAN seated stationary bench is one of these products that you will use when you first go to the gym because you do not know any better. It is also ok for very specific applications like very heavy overhead presses or when the athlete has to sit down to do curls. Other than that, in my opinion, it is a waste of space.

Overview and review of the REP fitness AB-5100 bench

This is an overview of the REP fitness AB-5100 bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which rep fitness bench to buy. Follow the links for more details.

REP AB-5100 Adjustable Bench $399

The REP AB-5100 bench is a good option with a push pin design that can also be turned into a decline bench. The only drawback of this design is that this is one of the benches with the widest gap between the two pads from REP fitness. The full specifications of this bench are:

11-gauge steel frame.
1,000 lb capacity.
Seven back pad adjustments & four-seat pad adjustments with laser-cut degree markings on a stainless steel wear guard.
Three large steel supports on the back pad and two on the seat pad for rock-solid stability.
Pivoting urethane grip handle and wheels for easy portability.

Total Height: 17.25"
Total Pad Length: 53.25"
Back Pad Width: 12.25"
Pad Gap: 3"
Overall Footprint: 7.5 SQFT
3% Tolerance

This is a great bench to convert into a decline bench. Otherwise, you might want to opt for the REP AB 5200 or REP AB-5000 instead.

Pros of the REP AB-5100 Adjustable Bench

The pros of the REP AB-5100 are:

Labeled degrees
Big and beefy
Heavy bench
Decline bench (attachment needed)
Pushpin safety
Wheelguards

The design is big sturdy and will meet the needs of big athletes who want to move big weights but do not have space for a dedicated be ch press station. The pushpin mechanism will provide further stability when benching.

The REP AB-5100 can also be turned into a decline bench. For this, you will need to purchase an additional attachment that comes in at slightly under $100. This is a nice upgrade option for anyone who wants to do everything with their bench.

Cons of the REP AB-5100 Adjustable Bench

The cons of the REP AB-5100 adjustable bench are:

Heavy bench
Hard to move
90 degrees
Pushpin adjustments
4-inch GAP

This bench is heavy and can be hard to move sometimes. While this is great when everybody is big and burly and might not be the best portable bench to get in a commercial setting with mainly average-sized humans.

The highest incline is an exact ninety degrees. I always find that to be quite uncomfortable for overhead presses as it easier to lean against a setup that still provides a 5-degree tilt in the highest setting.

The push pin adjustments can be hard to adjust. Compared with the fact that this bench is heavy this can get annoying. I am personally not a huge fan of the pushpin design on any bench as it does not allow for quick and easy adjustments.

The bench has probably the widest gap between the bottom and top pad compared to other be benches out of the REP fitness lineup. This allows for decline settings at the cost of a possible annoyance for flat benching. This is why o prefer the 5200 or 5000 models I am also not an advocate for decline benching.

Alternatives to the REP AB-5100 Adjustable Bench

The alternatives to the REP AB-5100 bench are:

The REP AB-5200 is my personal favorite among the REP fitness benches. It is easy to adjust and move for a beefy bench and can be stored upright. The only drawback is the price.

The REP zero Gap bench is in a similar price range as the 5100 but provides the possibility the adjust the lower pad in a way that there is no gapping. If you really struggle on benches with gaps based on your build then this is the one to get. The downside is the pushpin mechanics. I always hated those and I just would not use benches that are being adjusted this way.

Conclusion for the REP-5100 Adjustable Bench

The REP 5100 adjustable bench is the best model from REP fitness if you are looking for a decline bench option. Otherwise, I would recommend the 5200 or 5000 models if you do not care about the decline.