REP fitness AB-5200 adjustable bench vs Rogue Combo rack
This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness AB-5200 bench and the Rogue combo rack. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Rogue combo rack
The rogue combo
rack comes in at a price of $2500 and is the ultimate rack for your powerlifting meet. This overview was first published in "
which rack to buy from Rogue". See for yourself whether this rack is the right choice for you or you might want to steer to other options from Rogue.
What else to consider from Rogue
Most popular Rogue racks in 2020
Attached you find which Rogue racks have been most popular on Marathon-Crossfit.com in terms of views of their reviews and click through rates to Rogue Fitness for purchases. If you want to learn more about the details of the composition of the data you can read the full analyses under what were the most popular Rogue products in 2020.
The most popular rogue racks based on views of their reviews on Marathon-CrossFit in 2020 are:
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The
RML 390 F is a half-rack from Rogue that does not need to be bolted to the ground. This makes it a very likely candidate from Rogue to have a very high sales volume. The small footprint and reasonable price further underpin this. Compared to the
RM8 it is affordable so popularity is more likely to directly transfer to sales.
You can read the full review of the RML 390F on my blog here.
The
RM4 Fortis is a cheaper version of the RM4 Monster rack from Rogue. You will have fewer color options and get fewer pins and extras with your order. This is a good option if you want more space in the rack than with a half rack without shelling out thousands of dollars.
You can ted the fu review of the RM4 fortis rack here.
Overview of the combo rack
The Rogue combo rack is the gold standard from Rogue for powerlifting meets. It has been designed for the environment of a powerlifting meet where you have professional athletes of different sizes stepping up to the platform.
The Rogue Combo rack is IPF certified and manufactured in Columbus Ohio. Special features are the lever arm jack, telescoping uprights which can be angled and the removable bench.
The rogue combo rack comes in black and weighs 505lb. It is 77.25'' long when the bench is attached. The total width is 80.25'' and the inside width comes to 43.5''. When it is fully extended the maximum height is 78'' for the squat and 17.5'' for the bench press. The Notes are cut from 3x3 Gauge steel as with all products from the Rogue Monster series. The overall footprint of the
combo rack is 77.25'' x 80.25''.
Pros of the combo rack
This rack is sturdy and can be easily adjusted. It also does not need to be bolted down to the ground as Rogue is making use of their flat foot design. This is handy if you are putting up a competition in a local hotel or on any stage where you are not allowed to bolt a rack into the ground. Another advantage is that the uprights can be angled. This is great when you have very big athletes competing who want to grip the
bar outside of the
J Cups as they are so massive. The removable bench will safe time for your meet is you do not have to haul off one piece of equipment of the stage and replace it with another. You will also get a
westside Monster bench and squat stand in one purchase. This saves money if you are serious about power and strength and know what you are doing.
Cons of the combo rack
The first con is the price. For 2.500$ you can also get an
RM6 from Rogue or two midrange
RM4 or R4 racks.
This rack is also not user-friendly. It has been designed with a powerlifting meet in mind. To operate it most effectively you need 2 - 4 spotters who get everything ready for the athlete. Great in a powerlifting meet. Suboptimal when you are training by yourself or have a gym where beginners will just wreck themselves with the setup. There are also no safeties for the squat as a spotter crew is assumed. This is the right piece of equipment for someone who wants to get a powerlifting meet organized and done with as little waiting time for the crowd and athletes between lifts as possible. The home gym or commercial gym owner will make their lives unnecessarily hard.
Alternatives to the combo rack
For 2.500$ you can get the following other options from Rogue
If you are looking at the
Combo rack I am quite sure that you are serious about lifting and probably already own a gym or seriously consider to build a massive home gym. If you are not planning to become the local powerlifting meet go to point or you do not have a serious team of powerlifters around to work the
combo rack while someone lifts, consider getting something else.
The
Rogue RM6 rack is a great option for anyone starting a home gym who wants storage and rack space combined in one rack. You can also upgrade this rack with the
Monster Lat pull down and
Rhino belt Squat Drop in. Innovation at Rogue also always comes first for the Monster line and trickles down from there. If you have the budget and want the best for your home gym, this can be an excellent choice instead of the
combo rack.
The
Rogue Rhino monster Belt Squat saves you money compared to the
combo rack and is a great option for someone who has space and already owns a rack to squat and bench press in. If you own a gym think about what your clients need. If your clients are mainly powerlifters who compete often, you might want to get the
combo rack. If your gym has a more mixed clientele and many older powerlifters with lower back problems, you definitely want to
get the belt squat.
If you are opening your first gym or a new gym you will probably be better of investing the money in a
Monster or Monster lite rig. For 2.500$ you will get one of the shorter ones. This will give you more options to create revenue streams, as the rig can be used for more different styles of training.
A rig sets you up for powerlifting, CrossFit, Weightlifting and Tabata classes. The
combo rack is for powerlifters only.
The
Prone leg curl can be an option for a commercial gym or home gym owners who want to present more options for leg development. If you have a lot of bodybuilders or footballers in your gym this might be the better option than the
combo rack.Overview and review of the REP fitness AB-5200 adjustable bench
This is an overview of the REP fitness AB-5200 bench including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which rep fitness bench to buy. Follow the links for more details.
Related articles
REP AB-5200 Adjustable Bench $469
The
REP AB-5200 is the current top dog among the REP fitness benches. It is easy to adjust, has a minimal gap between the lower and higher pad, and can be easily rolled around with it included pair of rolls. The full specifications of this bench are:
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This product was designed by REP in the USA and is a Patent Pending Product.
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11-7 gauge steel throughout 2x3" steel frame with a 1,000 lb capacity.
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7 back pad adjustments with laser-cut degree markings in 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 85 degrees.
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3 seat pad adjustments to find the perfect angle.
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High-grip pad material with an ultra-dense foam core, backed by 3/4" plywood.
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Ladder back design with cage. Nylon cover over bolts to protect the paint on the ladders.
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Urethane-covered back pad handles.
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Oversize stainless-steel handle and wheels with a low lift-off point for easy maneuverability.
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Thick steel wheel guards to protect the wheels when being maneuvered, and to lessen tripping hazard.
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Space-saving design allows the bench to be stored in an upright position.
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Stainless logo plates.
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You can not go wrong with this bench except for the price. This the most expensive bench from REP and you might opt for something else to push your savings further. Compared to the competition from Rogue Fitness you are saving a lot as you are still staying under $500 where the top range of Rogue fitness products can take you close to $1000.
Pros of the REP AB-5200 Adjustable Bench
The big pro of this bench is that it is easy to use and transport even though it is beefy. The horizontal handle at the base of the bench makes it easy to lock up and roll around. This makes it great outside the rack bench for all purposes on a free-weight area.
The incline options run up to 85 degrees and it can also be stored upright when in the flat position. This makes it easy to put this bench against a wall when it is not being used to free up some space. I personally also like that the highest option is not a true 90-degree angle as this is easier to train in while putting less strain on your shoulders.
REP Fitness also has three extra features on this bench compared to Its main competitor Ro hue Fitness. The mechanics for putting the bench up and down are protected by a little rail. This makes a lot less likely to catch your fingers in them. The angles for the different inclines are numbered so that you always know which degree you are training on. The last bonus is that REP Fitness offers different color options for its benches where Rogue only comes in black.
Cons of the REP AB-5200 Adjustable Bench
The seat has a gap and the lower part is always quite short. If you have a very big backside or it happens to fall on the gap in your bench press setup then you might want to go for the
REP zero-gap bench instead.
Compared to other bigger benches from competitors this bench is fairly light. Within the REP range, it is the beefiest you can get, but other vendors offer some bigger benches specifically for powerlifters. This is only a consideration if you intend to be ch press more than 700 lbs on a regular basis on your bench. For all other scenarios, I personally think that the
AB-5200 is more than enough.
The last thing is that this is the most expensive bench from REP Fitness you can get. That is nOt the definition of the ultimate bargain, even though REP fitness will already save you a lot of money competed to Rogue fitness.
Alternatives to the REP AB-5200 Adjustable Bench
The
REP zero Gap bench is a good alternative if you think you need a longer lower seat and no gap in the bench pad. The
Zero gap also works with a push pin setup for the different incline settings which makes it more secure once it clicks in. The downside is that it can be a pain to adjust mid-session.
The
Rogue AB2 adjustable bench works with a push pin mechanic and comes very close to the
REP fitness Zero gap bench design. If you want your bench from the best vendor around and like the push pin design, this is it. I personally think that this bench is a little pricey even for Rogue standards.
The
Rogue adjustable bench 2.0 is the closest design from Rogue to the
REP AB-5200. I own this bench myself and if you have any worries about a gap I can assure you that it is virtually nonexistent for the
Adjustable bench 2.0. Price-wise it is close enough to the
AB-5200 to consider it if the rest of your gym is also from Rogue.
The
TITAN max adjustable FID bench is TITAN’s approach to a beefy adjustable bench. Titan Fitness is the low-cost competitor in the home gym space to REP fitness and Rogue fitness. They are known to have more quality issues on minor things like the coating and welds but make up for it with dumping prices.
Conclusion for the REP AB-5200 Adjustable Bench
The
REP AB-5200 is an excellent bench for the price tag and will be beefy enough for all your needs in a home or commercial gym. You can not do a lot wrong here unless you are super worried about the gap in a bench, which this model has a minimal one of. The best alternative would be the
Rogue adjustable bench 2.0 it a slightly higher price.