REP fitness FB-5000 bench vs Reflex incline bench

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness FB-5000 bench and the Reflex incline bench. Follow the links for more details.

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".

What else to consider from Rogue

Most popular Rogue bench

This is an overview of the most popular Rogue benches based on views and click throughs for purchase on Marathon-Crossfit.com in 2020. If you want to dig deeper on the details of the data you can read what were the most popular rogue products in 2020.

These were the most popular rogue benches on Marathon-CrossFit.com in 2020. The rankings were as followed:

The Rogue AB3 is the most expensive bench you can get from Rogue. In return, you get a monster of a bench that can do incline and decline bench presses. I am not a huge fan of decline bench presses, especially for a home gym where you might pin yourself without any help around. Therefore I lean more towards the AB2. You can read the full review of the AB3 by following this link.

The Rogue AB2 is the little brother of the AB3. It is the same bench except that it is missing the mechanics to do decline benches. This makes it the best value for money bench from Rogue in my opinion. You can read the full review of the AB2 via this link.

The Rogue west side bench 2.0 is the bench of choice if you weigh more than 120kg and you are a huge fan of the west side method. In my opinion, you can get no bench which is as sturdy at this price point. This bench allows for all the band variations you can dream of and can take a 1000 pound bench press as long as you bolt it to the ground. If you are not a monster, this might be a little overkill. You can read the full review of the Rogue Westside bench 2.0 by following this link.

The Rogue adjustable bench 2.0 is a cheaper design than the AB2 which does the same thing. I personally prefer the pin and lock system of the AB2 as it is sturdier and leaves you with less risk of catching your fingers in it. The adjustable bench 2.0 is easier to adjust but more likely to slip a notch during exercise when not put in place correctly or catch a finger in the mechanics. You can read the full review of the Rogue adjustable bench 2.0 via this link.

The rogue combo rack could also be listed under racks. I chose to list it under benches because if you buy this instead of a power rack, you buy it for the competition bench and not for the squat stand. Compared to other combo racks in the market the price is decent and you will get a high-quality combo rack. It is not recommended if you are not already an experienced lifter. You can read the full review of the Rogue combo via this link.

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.

Overview and review of the REP fitness FB-5000 bench with wide pad

This is an overview of the REP fitness FB-5000 with wide pad including pros, cons, and alternatives. The original was published under which rep fitness bench to buy. Follow the links for more details.

REP FB-5000 with Wide pad $189

The REP FB 5000 is a great value-for-money flat bench and comes highly recommended by multiple reknown Youtubers as a good alternative to the Rogue Utility bench. The full specifications of this bench are:

Total Height: 16.75"
Total Pad Length: 48"
Back Pad Width: 13.75"
Weight: 62lbs
Total Footprint: 7.25 SQFT
Designed with Competition Standards
3% Tolerance

Heavy-duty 3x3" 11 gauge steel frame with even thicker connecting plates.
Durable vinyl upholstery with 3" thick pad with plywood base. Connects with four (4) bolts. Two (2) extra bolt holes on frame for future pad compatibility.
16.75" height from floor to top of pad.
3-foot design for ease of leveling.
Welded metal endcaps.
Handle and wheels for easy transport.
Available in 4 colors: Matte Black, Hammertone Red, Hammertone Blue, Metallic Black. Please see the image above for the difference between the Matte and Metallic Black finish.

Great beginner bench when you do not want to invest in an adjustable bench when you don’t mind that your bench is imported.

Pros of the REP FB-5000 with Wide pad

The pros of the REP FB-5000 are:

Meets competition specifications
Handles 1000 pounds
Single post
Price
Easy to move
Grippy cushion
4 post attachment of the pad
Value for money

The list of pros for this one is long and best summarized as a competition standard bench for a very low price. The single post design helps you to simulate the bench press setup in a powerlifting competition at home. Compared to the Rogue competition the pad is better attached to the gram with 4 instead of four frames.

Cons of the REP FB-5000 with Wide pad

The cons of the FB-5000 are

Relatively light
Not adjustable
No decline
Instability when you sit on it

This is a great bench for bench pressing. If you are looking for a multi-purpose bench for your home gym for hip thrusts, step-ups, resting between sets, and other things you might to do with a regular bench, then the FB-5000 is not great. While the single post design is great for setting up for the bench press it takes away stability for all other exercises you might want to do with a bench.

Alternatives to the REP FB-5000 with Wide pad

The Rogue Utility bench is the better option if you are looking for a general-purpose bench that can be used to do all kinds of exercises.

The TITAN hefty bench is TITAN’s approach to a thick pad low-price bench. If you want a thick pad for cheap then this is the road to travel.

Conclusion for the REP FB-5000 with Wide pad

The REP FB-5000 is hailed as one of the best benches for the money in the market. I personally would say that if I am already looking at the REP fitness way I would upgrade to an adjustable bench on my budget. One of the greatest weaknesses of the Rogue fitness bench portfolio is the jump from the flat bench to the adjustable bench setups which you do not have with REP.