REP fitness FB-5000 bench vs Rogue AB2

This is a comparison between the Rep Fitness FB-5000 bench and the Rogue AB2. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Ab2 Adjustable bench

The AB-2 bench comes in at $815 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".

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 AB2 Adjustable bench

The Rogue AB2 bench comes from the designers of the Nebula 1080 bench which has been on an established reference in the fitness industry. The Ab2 includes 6 different seat settings and nine back positions. This makes it a strong piece of equipment for any home gym which needs versatility and space-efficient setup. The specifications of the Rogue AB2 bench are:

Adapted from the Nebula 1080 "Awesome" Utility Bench
Weight: 94LB
Length: 52"
Pad Width: 12"
Height: 18"
Footprint: 51 1/4" x 22 1/2"
Steel: 2 x 2" and 3 x 3" 11-Gauge Steel
6 Adjustable Seat Settings
9 Adjustable Back Pad Settings (from flat bench to 78 degrees upright)

This is the upmarket version from Rogue if you do not want to do decline bench presses.

Pros of the AB2 Adjustable bench

The AB2 has a pin design which keeps the bench firmly in place. It is heavy duty and well made and gives you more options than the cheaper versions from Rogue.

Cons of the AB2 Adjustable bench

$815 can still be a hefty price tag for a bench. As you are not buying any kind of structure with this and probably did not consider yourself that much of a beast to look into the Reflex options, you might as well want to save a little more on the bench itself. This bench has the price of a rack.

Alternatives to the AB2 Adjustable bench

Alternatives to the AB2 are

The AB3 is the weapon of choice if you need a bench that can be moved around and used for incline, decline, and flat bench press setups. It comes in at a slightly higher price tag than the AB2 and makes more sense in my opinion if you are looking for a high-end bench.

The Rogue Adjustable bench 2.0 would probably my personal choice for a bench from Rogue. This is the middle priced bench which covers any need you might have. Production costs are lower compared to the AB2 as not as many holes need to be drilled. It still does the same with fewer options to adjust the bench. To be honest, in practice you will most likely only use one incline, one decline, and the flat position anyway.

The Rogue Flat utility bench would be my tool of choice if I had to equip an entire gym with Rogue benches. They have multiple options for customization and are only a fraction of the cost f the AB2 and AB3. You basically get 4 of these four one AB2.

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.