Intro
Rep Health is thought for having a few of the greatest benches for the worth. All the time sizzling sellers. They’ve gone by way of iterations through the years to excellent the designs. Any discussions on-line about flat benches of this kind have to incorporate Rep’s benches.
The FB-4000 is what Rep calls their Comp Lite Bench, designed to be a lower-priced model of their FB-5000 Competition Bench with thinner padding (2″ vs 4″ thick) and a thinner gauge body (14-gauge vs 11-gauge metal). I anticipated the FB-4000 to be loads heavy obligation for my functions, in order that’s what I went for.
I’m all the time excited to get new tools to check out on the uncommon event that I want one thing. On this case I haven’t owned a bench in a few years. I do know, sounds bizarre. Till now I felt there have been loads of lifts I might do and not using a bench. Lastly I acquired bored with one-arm pushups to approximate the bench press motion.
Disclosure: Rep gave me a reduction that did have an effect on my resolution to go forward and check out it out.
Packaging and Situation
The Fedex package deal regarded tremendous. No delivery harm obvious from the surface. Three plastic straps have been nonetheless intact.
This high quality inspection signoff I imagine is finished in China the place the manufacturing facility packs it, not in Rep’s Denver headquarters. Like everybody who sources from China, Rep receives every unit in a package deal able to reship.
Previously, most tools like this that I’ve acquired from different corporations has had satisfactory packing, nearly all the time some scratches because of the metallic items banging round. The 5 items of this bench have been packed excellent. No loopy overpacking, simply the proper sizes of cardboard bins and bubble wrap as wanted. All the pieces was in wonderful situation. The {hardware} was all organized neatly in a shrink-wrapped plastic and cardboard pack as proven, as an alternative of the {hardware} all wadded up collectively up a taped up bag.
Plus, no styrofoam. Thanks! There have been really little styrofoam bits that have to be from another product’s packing. I think about the Chinese language manufacturing facility that packed it has every kind of different issues on the packing line.
Meeting
The included diagram is nice however has no steps. A bench like that is easy sufficient. When you get this bench, or the FB-5000, take a minute to learn this part first and it’ll prevent a while.
Just a few suggestions to bear in mind:
- They embody two crappy wrench plates as proven, though you solely want one due to the kind of bolts this has. You probably have instruments, throw away the included wrenches and seize your ratchet and a 17mm and 19mm socket, or 11/16″ and three/4″. That might be all you want, aside from the knife to open packaging.
- The principle body, pad, and again leg are all symmetrical. You gained’t screw up.
- As with bolts in all places in your life, put the bolts on loosely to get all of them aligned within the holes, then wrench tighten them and transfer to the subsequent half.
Typically with gymnasium tools you need to loosen and retighten some bolts after you flip the unit upright in order that it resettles all items flat on the ground. Due to the way in which the items match on this bench, that’s not obligatory.
Craftsmanship and Sizing
The pad dimensions are fairly near the marketed 45.25″L x 12″W x 17″H. The peak is extra like 16 3/4″. I’m 6ft tall. I don’t advocate you get a bench any larger than 17″ until you’re over 6ft and you favor a tall bench.
Whereas I can’t say for positive as a result of I’m not a welder, the body welding all appears clear to me, with no gaps or sharp feeling spots.
So far as the body, it’s 14-gauge with 75mm (2.95″) sq. tubing with thick connector plates welded on. The massive tubing measurement and positions of the connector plates appear to stabilize the body very effectively to make up for the comparatively skinny wall tubing.
The bolts are carriage bolts, easy spherical heads with a sq. neck that matches into a good sq. receptacle, making the match pretty precise as an alternative of the {hardware} gap slop with typical hex-head bolts you would possibly see in different gymnasium tools that may result in individuals over-tightening the bolts to stop motion (I bumped into that with my Titan squat rack). This design additionally means the body holds the bolt in place, requiring just one wrench to tighten the nut.
Really feel and Ease of Use
Right here’s what actually issues! How’s it really feel? Does it get the job carried out comfortably and safely?
It’s sturdy and gained’t wobble below you in any respect. The connecting plates are oriented appropriately to trigger the bench to take a seat completely flat, which isn’t all the time the case for benches and different tools. The stable really feel is one factor I like about flat benches vs adjustable flat/incline benches which have a danger of a slight wobble as a result of there needs to be sufficient looseness within the hinge to permit for angle adjustment.
The pad is agency and is rarely going to backside out, at the least not for me. Feels excellent.
The size is nice. I can get my head and my ft midway on the bench comfortably, if I wished to press in that place as an alternative of ft planted on the ground. I’m 6ft tall.
I just like the 12″ pad width as effectively. It offers my shoulders a tad little bit of assist on the underside finish of the vary of movement.
The deal with and wheels work good. The wheels are over an inch off the bottom, larger than they should be. It’s important to tilt the bench up at the least 30 levels to roll it (sure, I’m psychotic sufficient to examine with an angle stage). Mainly, after I elevate the deal with and stand with my arm hanging loosely at my aspect, the wheels are in touch the bottom and it rolls. When you’re various inches shorter than me, which may not be the case and also you might need to elevate your arm just a little. Minor subject. In any case, you possibly can’t simply elevate the deal with barely to roll it, it’s a must to convey it up 30 levels.
Notice that the FB-5000 has wheels that sit nearer to the bottom.
I like the only entrance foot that doesn’t intrude with your personal ft placement. That’s one motive I acquired this type of bench, generally known as a three-post bench. It doesn’t matter what bench you purchase, I counsel you to search for that characteristic. It’s only made this fashion on benches which have a heavy obligation sufficient body to be secure and not using a splayed-out entrance foot.
By the way in which, sorry for the shortage of coloration in most of those pics. They aren’t greyscale images. That’s my gymnasium coloration. The bench has some brilliant coloration choices. I wished matte black, the least distracting.
Whereas it’s not an marketed characteristic, you possibly can tilt it in opposition to the wall for storing out of the way in which, sitting on the sting of the pad. It stays there good. I’ve seen some benches have an higher body that stands proud sufficient that it’s fully resting on the body on this place, to avoid wasting any squishing of the pad, however I prefer it the way in which it’s. The pad is agency sufficient that the froth gained’t buckle.
The backpad’s upholstery has an fascinating textured floor with a little bit of stretch to it. All of Rep’s benches use this. Whereas I’m not going to present it a severe check with my knife as a result of I need to preserve this bench, I wouldn’t be shocked if it holds as much as some sharp abrasion higher than conventional vinyl kind upholstery and lasts a very long time with out cracking. Simply guessing, primarily based on the feel.
Once I sprayed the backpad with water to simulate lots of sweat, it acquired solely just a little slippery with my shirt off, not too unhealthy. I don’t have one other bench useful to match it to, however I think the bizarre texture of it makes it much less slippery when moist than conventional vinyl upholstery. That is most likely the explanation they went with this materials.
On the draw back, the pitted materials makes it tougher to towel sweat off of, with moisture staying caught within the 1000’s of crevices. Not so pleasant for a number of customers who would really like a dry trying bench to leap on. It additionally would possibly dissuade you from utilizing cleaners which may keep in there for some time and contact your pores and skin, though if it’s a sort that evaporates it’s tremendous.
On all benches I do know of, the upholstery is secured across the wooden backboard (hidden inside) with staples. It’s a tried and true technique however doesn’t all the time look that nice. This bench hides the staples effectively, across the again of the hem fold and one other set inside the folds as proven. Very glossy. The stitching appears flawless. I believe they need to have added a pair extra staples down the size of the bench within the spot proven to make it just a little safer. Simply nitpicking.
Conclusion: The way it Stacks As much as Competitor Fashions
Whereas I nitpicked some issues as a result of that’s what I do, I’m completely happy about getting this bench and might be protecting it!
Get it provided that you’re the one individual utilizing it, due to the problem in absolutely toweling off sweat as I described. Now that I’ve felt it, I just like the tough feeling of the upholstery regardless of that subject.
The bench is an efficient design and works in addition to I had hoped. Rep charges the bench at 700 lbs, which incorporates your physique weight. For 99%+ of our readers, that’s loads. If you’d like a full competitors grade bench, the FB-5000 is the heavier obligation one which that is primarily based on and is far the identical in building however with thicker wall metal and a thicker pad.
A number of corporations now have benches of roughly this design, with I’m positive some variations that aren’t apparent at first look. The value of the FB-4000 is interesting. You would possibly moderately doubt whether or not it’s clever to go along with one of many lowest-priced benches of this design, and on this case my opinion is the FB-4000 is a stable alternative.
