REPFitness Adjustable Bench – AB-3000 FID – Flat/Incline/Decline

INCREDIBLE bench. Couldn't be happier. This thing is substantial. The pictures don't do it justice. Commercial gym quality equipment, really. Every bolt is HUGE, even the ones holding in the seat padding. The pads are equally as substantial. No balsa wood backing that cracks when you tighten the bolts or flexes under load here. The pads are backed with a thick slab of wood and themselves are very thick but also very firm. The frame and the back post are over-engineered compared to the competition. (I'd know, I've owned and assembled a few others. Recently returned one that I hated from a brand that rhymes with Ex-Marc.)True to the description, I had it assembled in 15 mins. Advice on assembly:1) Have ready a socket wrench with 14mm, 17mm and 3/4" sockets, and spanner wrenches to match.2) When assembling the seat, turn the bench upside down and remove the stopper bolt so you can lift out the seat post to make room for your hands. There will only be room to tighten the bolts 1/8 turn at a time with the spanner, so hand tighten before using the wrench.3) When attaching the foot assembly, don't tighten the bolt in the slotted opening so much that the foot attachment can't move freely. It is meant to move freely so you can push it beneath the bench when you don't want to use the foot hold-downs, and slide forward when you do. I think that other reviewers complaining that the pads hit them in the calves might have their foot attachment tightened permanently in the outward position.Pros:Top of seat pad is only 17.5" from the ground, just like professional benchesPads are super firm and long enough to accommodate the tallest liftersBench dips aren't a problem unlike other benches with soft pads and backrest ladder handles that protrude form the sidesMany different incline positions to suit a variety exercisesMultiple seat positions (4)Foot hold-down travels with seat, great feature, especially for decline position.Cons:No rubber on feet. You'll need a mat to protect your floor and to keep the bench from sliding. I don't recommend the CAP mat in my photos unless you're building a garage gym - it weighs 70 lbs. and stinks of rubber.When it came down to it, my decision for my new bench was between this one and the ValorPro DD-40, which is basically the same, but 10 lbs heavier and a frame made from oval tubing instead of square tubing. The ValorPro was out of stock and $30 more after tax, so the choice was easy to make. Very glad I got this one. The savings paid for the mat that I bought to go with it.

I spent a LOT of time researching benches (really, way too much time), but bottom line was that I wanted something stable, adjustable, and of course I didn't want to break the bank. There are a lot of really questionably pricey benches out there -- and when it comes down to it a bench is a very simple piece of equipment. Why are they so expensive? After all of my time investment I am confident in saying that absolutely no other bench on the market combines the features of this bench and its low price.Specifics:Delivery -- Typical, left outside of my house.Packaging -- Decent. The inner boxes were a bit torn up as Rep didn't put enough padding in place. But none of the parts were damaged.Instructions -- Complete joke. The "assembly" instructions are a single page parts diagram and then a second page of "tips." Come on, at least provide a step-by-step guide? Please visit any IKEA store to learn how it's done.Assembly -- The instructions are not completely useless; everything can be figured out from the diagram. There is some mention of videos to be watched, but I couldn't be bothered. Overall it wasn't bad but it definitely took longer than the stated 15 minutes -- probably closer to 45.The biggest issue for me was getting the seat bolted into place. The "tips" sheet shows it being done with the cushion up, which would require some extreme form of dexterity that I don't possess. After a while I realized that I could un-bolt the seat from the base of the unit (this requires removing a bolt that comes already in place from the factory) and then just flip the whole thing back -- after that the rest of the assembly was very simple.Note that the bolts are a bit on the large side. Neither of my two ratchet sets had anything quite big enough (mine go up to 9/16"), so I had to use a combination of an adjustable wrench and the provided sheet metal "multitool." This undoubtedly slowed me way down.Overall assembly includes screwing in maybe 8 bolts for the seat and back, two for the ankle pads, and then another four or so for the rest of the unit. Then you go through and tighten everything down, including the bolts that were put on at the factory.Utilization -- Once assembled, the unit feels extremely sturdy. It sits perfectly on the floor without rocking, and gives me full confidence. The pads are plenty comfortable in my opinion; sure they're a bit stiff, but it's not like I'm going to take a nap on the thing. Also I suspect that these pads will hold up better over time than softer ones would.Adjustment is simple for both the seat and the back and there are plenty of options for what I need to get done on a daily basis. One important note is that when flat or in decline there is definitely a considerable gap between the seat and back. I know this bothers a lot of people. I don't mind it and don't find it uncomfortable, but I do notice it; if you're looking for something gap-free, look elsewhere.Not much else to say. I think despite the few flaws, for the price this bench is absolutely unbeatable and will serve me for many years. I'm very happy with my purchase...and I can use the money saved to buy more weights to test that 1,000 pound capacity limit!