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REP fitness FB-5000 vs Reflex Military bench

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | May 31, 2021 4:00:00 PM

REP fitness FB-5000 vs Reflex Military bench

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

 

Overview and review of the Reflex Olympic Military bench 

The Reflex Olympic Military bench comes in at $1.905 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 Military bench

 
The reflex Olympic military bench is a solid bench to securely do your seated military bench presses. This is a big piece of metal which will never break on you. No matter how big your athletes and the weights they will move, the reflex will not go anywhere. If you have problems with shifting benches based on your floor or the sheer size of your athletes than the reflex is the solution. The specifications of the Reflex military bench are: 
 
  • Combination of 3×3 11ga. & 3/16-walled fully  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.
  • Weight storage.
  • 1in high-density foam pad.
  • Product weight 155 - 465LB
  • Length 38”-54.5”
  • Width 48”
  • Height 58” - 74.5” 
 
As long as you have the floor space and very big athletes, the Reflex military bench is the right solution for you. 
 

Pros of the Reflex Military bench

 
With the Reflex bench, you have the same set up for your military press each time you or your athletes step into the machine. With the weight of the machine, your athletes will be secure no matter how big the challenge. This is a great machine for a serious gym that reminds of the golden days of bodybuilding. 
 

Cons of the Reflex Military bench

 
The Reflex military bench takes up quite a bit of floor space and is pretty limited in its applications. This makes it not an ideal option for home gyms or group class environments with changing demands. 
 

Alternatives to the Reflex Military bench

 
Alternatives to the Reflex Olympic military bench are 
 
 
The reflex decline bench tailors to the same idea as the military press machine. The decline bench press is a machine where you would need more security as for a military press. Therefore your money might be placed here unless you have a lot of bodybuilders in your gym or just like big things. 
 
The reflex incline bench press has a fixed bench for incline bench presses. This makes a more secure setup as with a free-standing bench. This comes at a higher cost and a bigger need for floor space. 
 
The Rogue AB3 bench would give you the option to move below $1000 while still being able to move the bench and allow for different setups. This is the only bench from Rogue which can also be used for decline bench presses. 
 

Summary of the Reflex Military bench

 
The Reflex military bench will help with security and the same set up for military presses. If you want to move big weights on the seated military press this is the machine for you. Especially if you considered the ISO leg press you might want to consider the reflex range to make your budget stretch further. 

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.

 

Related articles

 

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.
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