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".
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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:
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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 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.
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:
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Adapted from the Nebula 1080 "Awesome" Utility Bench
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Weight: 94LB
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Length: 52"
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Pad Width: 12"
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Height: 18"
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Footprint: 51 1/4" x 22 1/2"
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Steel: 2 x 2" and 3 x 3" 11-Gauge Steel
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6 Adjustable Seat Settings
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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.
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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.
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.