BowFlex Weight Bench Series

Purchased this bench as part of the beginnings of putting together a home gym. We're short on space, so it was important that it had a small footprint. Assembly was relatively straightforward, and if you can put together a small Lego set then this should be a breeze for you. Total assembly took about 30 minutes, and you'll want a knife or a pair of scissors to work through the packaging. Allen keys to assemble everything are included. During assembly, the "heavy-duty-ness" of the frame was apparent, and I wouldn't hesitate to load this bench up with the recommended max weight (person plus weights) of 600 pounds. Once assembled and flat, it does take up some real estate; in the stowed position, that's cut down to about 1/3rd. In the fully declined position with seat lifted, decline sit-ups feel just right with the ankle bar. The flat position is rock-solid when doing bench presses, and it's very nice to have several options for incline. The mechanism for raising/lowering the bench is a spring loaded "pull pin" type which allows the upright support arm to glide easily up and down the floor leg - no grinding or scraping sensations. Once your desired position is selected, you can allow the pin to pop in place which fully secures the back rest. Optionally, you can twist the same handle to lock the support arm and leg together to eliminate any play between them. The seat has two position options, flat of course, and then raised. In the raised position, it's high enough to fully prevent sliding down the seat when doing incline work but not so high as to be distracting. With the seat raised, it's also set at the same angle as the backrest when fully lowered, providing for a great base for decline work or for decline crunches/sit-ups. The seat mechanism is simple. Lift the seat up to lock it into the up position. Lift a small red lever to allow the seat to drop back down to the flat position. The rounded edge of the seat has plenty of flex to it, almost like I'm sitting down in my favorite recliner at first. I worry that this flex may lead to long term wear and tear issues, but without knowing the internal design of the cushion (no, I'm not tearing it apart) I have no evidence to suggest that my worries are true. The ankle holders are foam, not super soft, and they seem like they'll hold up for a good while - time will tell on both items. The ankle holder folds up for storage, but the mechanism which allows it to fold up also allows for some free play. You can get it to rattle quite a bit and make some noise if you grab it and shake it, though good security of the mechanism is apparent, and I expect it to be very reliable. The feet of the bench are adjustable, so if you don't have a perfectly flat floor, it will allow you to compensate. Some have indicated that the gap between the back rest and the seat is very wide. There is truth to that; the gap is 4" when the bench is fully flat and 2" at a 45 degree incline and raised seat. At a 90 degree incline, the back meets the seat. It would have been possible for Bowflex to eliminate this gap, but it would have required a much more complex mechanism resulting in either a higher cost or a lower quality product. To be honest, I find that my butt rests perfectly in the gap on a flat bench when my ankles are under the ankle supports which allows the back rest to provide support to the arch of my back, sort of like how a good car seat provides just that little bit of much needed support. Because the seat is roomy though, there is some space to move around a little bit, perhaps to locate the gap directly under the arch of my back, but there was no way that I could completely eliminate the feeling of the gap. The best that I could actually come to getting a "gapless" sensation was to actually lie on the bench backwards with my head on the seat and spanning the gap with my neck, though even that wasn't perfect. If you require a bench with minimal gap, definitely look elsewhere. Beyond that, the quality of the material looks solid, and I'm not worried that I'll damage the upholstery. It also looks very sharp. Oh, when it's on the casters, it doesn't *quite* fit through a standard 30" doorway unless the door opens a full 180 degrees. The total width of those legs is probably 28 1/4" wide. If you can turn it and pick it up though, not a problem.

I love this bench. I bought it knowing full well that there would be about a 2 inch gap between the seat cushions, plus the wheels aren't all that useful - but I would still buy this again. The number of angles, quick change, quality of fake-leather, foot rest, sturdiness, and build quality are fantastic. It took me about an hour to put together (while watching TV too). It was easy. I do recommend checking all the bolts that come pre-done from the factory - I found many that could be tightened down - that would probably help with any wobbling that people mention. The bench is stable, people have reported that the feet get in the way of your feet, but it's not as bad as people make it sound. You can put your feet on top if you want, or like me my feet normally sit in front of those support legs so they don't get in my way (I'm 6'). This isn't a gym, the bench is not bolted to the floor so it needs to have support legs. The incline and decline is just great - I did sit-ups on the bench and killed my abs for days (yeah, I was a bit out of practice). There is the crevice between the bench and back rest which can be annoying, but I think it is worth the trade off to get a bench of this quality and versatility at this price. I did what another reviewer suggested and just have a rolled up towel that I place in the crevice for certain exercises (like sit-ups). The last thing is the wheels for moving it - due to the adjustable rubber feet that allow you to fine tune wobbling issues on a hard surface, you have to lift this bench straight up so the feet are pointing at the ceiling before you can roll it on the wheels. I'm on carpet, so the rubber adjustable feet drag on the carpet. I guess it would be good to see if the Bowflex engineers could figure out how to put bigger wheels on that without hurting the stability of the bench. Either way, it isn't that big of a deal - you can lift and roll it, you can just drag it, or could even just pick it up and move it.

This review is for the stowable bench. I bought this bench over a month ago: the long wait due to COVID-19 was well worth it. I received it yesterday and assembled it the same day. The assembly was straightforward and foolproof, all parts were accounted for and the instructions were easy to use; assembly time was about 30-45 minutes while taking my time. This bench is definitely high quality, but just under “gym quality”. The frame is sturdy solid steel and won’t be buckling anytime soon. One gripe is the quality of the backrest and seat. Although it is VERY sturdy, you can see the interior is plywood and covered with foam and a quality faux-leather covering. I have used it twice and have been pleasantly surprised and very pleased. The other gripe is that it is made in China. This may not matter to most, but after paying over $300, you would think it was made in the USA. aside from that, The knob assembly allows for you to easily adjust the back support and seat in seconds. Stowing it away is literally one touch and you are able to move it from one area to the next with little to no difficulty; the wheels ease the transition by rolling well. Space saving was the main reason for buying this version and it does not disappoint. Time will tell about its longevity, but I am glad I spent the money on this series. I also own the Bowflex Dial dumbbells with stand and have had zero complaints. I’d look to buy this brand again in the future. Money well spent. If I run into any issues in the future, I’ll update this review.

After ordering the Cap Barbell Fitness FID Bench which was less than half the price and probably the most poorly constructed piece of equipment I've ever encountered I sent it back and sprung for the slightly more expensive Bowflex bench. I was looking for something with a small footprint but still sturdy enough for rugged use. This was it. Assembly was really pretty simple and almost nothing to it. Essentially all you're doing is screwing on the padded parts and putting the foam on the leg brace. Everything else is pre-assembled. It was straight forward and easy enough. I would say be sure to get all your screws started before tightening them all the way. This will allow you some wiggle room to line up the screws as you go. I've used it for month now and had very little problems. The construction is solid and seems very well made. I even step up onto the bench when doing legs and it's plenty solid (including the padding taking the abuse from my shoes). The bar that sits in the notches to hold the bench up is a little flimsy between settings. It has rollers to slide up and down but you really have to make sure visually that it gets into the appropriate slot because if it wiggles to the left or the right it will ride the side of the notch and roll out from under you (causing it to crash down and be generally annoying to anyone else in the area). Once you get that bit figured out though it's fine. If it's notched correctly it holds my 165lb frame and 110lbs worth of free weights fine. It doesn't stow away as the frame is pretty much one solid piece but if you have a wall you can just slide it against it's not bad. It's a little over 4ft long and 2ft at the widest on the base. It has wheels on one side allowing you to pick up one end and roll it around for positioning and it's light enough to easily just move it around the room even without the wheels if you need. The leg brace is easily removable with a slide pin and I tend not to use it very much as it just kind of gets in my way. I don't do sit ups on it so I can't really speak to the experience. It's a good solid middle of the road bench as far as price and construction and I like it a lot.

This is a very nice bench by any standards and as other reviews mention, it was very easy to put together. The instructions are well-written, the diagrams clear and the whole thing is well-engineered and heavy duty construction. The manual says it can hold a 300lb. person plus 300lbs. or weight and I don't doubt that at all. It is also very easy to adjust and doesn't have a lot of little parts. It took me about 50 minutes to assemble it and I went very slowly. It is true that there are only four positions you can use on this bench, but for most people that is plenty. Also, it is a perfect product to use with a dumbbell workout. If you go this route, I recommend either Pair of Personal PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells - 5-45 Pounds in 5 Pound Increments or PowerBlock SportBlock Dumbbell Set . These adjustable dumbbells are rugged, less expensive than other brands and the safest that I know of. Some other details about the bench... the material is a medium thick vinyl and mine came with a 1 inch tear. I did not consult customer support yet, but I will update this review to reflect my experience of them when I do. I think a better material and padding would improve the product overall, but at this price point I think it's plenty rugged. If you get this bench, you can eventually get a power rack that can be used with your bench and as a squat/deadlift rack. One that I like is Phys-x Half Rack 10418 , but you there are others depending upon your needs. If you are new (or old) to this type of training, I recommend Build Muscle Lose Fat Look Great: Everything You Need to Know to Transform Your Body and Starting Strength . These are probably the ONLY two books most people will ever need on strength training, building mass, etc. They are BOTH dense with great information systematically laid out. I have other suggestions on my listmania lists, check my profile if you are interested. I also reviewed most of the adjustable dumbells on available on here.

I recently purchased the Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells (Pair) on a lightening deal along with the Bowflex SelectTech 552 / 1090 Dumbbell...

Pros: -Sturdy, everything looks and feel like quality materials that will last years. -Easy assembly, it took about 15-20 minutes to put everything together and was very easy to do. -Great packaging, I had 2 day shipping and when it showed up the box was destroyed. I'm guessing that it gets dragged and pushed and shuffled around any way the UPS guys can since its heavy, but I think they expect that because once opened the box everything was in perfect condition and each part was tightly, individually wrapped. -Efficiently adjustable, it's easy to move from incline to flat to decline quickly in the middle of working out. I bought the 552 adjustable dumbbells as well and together I can do a lot of different work outs without having a whole gym at my disposal. -Wide bench, compared to wobbly, skinny benches at the gym this one is much wider which is nice for a guy so you don't feel like have of your body is hanging off each side. My whole back fits on the bench which is comfortable and keeps my back straight to lower any chance of injury. Cons: -Lower back gap, some others have mentioned that there is a gap on the bench where it bends which can feel a little strange on your lower back. It would be nice if it wasn't such a big gap but it is well padded and is more something to get used to that something that is uncomfortable or impedes anything. -Wheels don't roll, others have also mentioned this, the wheels don't roll unless you left one end up way high so that the stoppers aren't touching the ground. I would rather have this than a bench that moves when you are working out. Recommendation: Yes, I would recommend this bench to anyone looking for one. It's great quality and something that will last a long time.

I finally bought this bench and only wished I would have purchased it sooner. Its very solid and sturdy, and has all the inclination angles needed. The 90 degree position is perfect, and makes it safe to do shoulders at home with heavy dumb bell weight if you choose. When you lay on it with weights, the backrest rocks maybe 1/8"... nothing major. I remember the expensive Cybex gym benches rocking more than that when I used to pay for gym membership. The welds are perfect on mine, nice and clean, with full powder coating over everything. No weld spatter. The upholstery seems like it will last a very long time, although I wouldn't place weights on it or do step-ups with it. Just use it as a weight bench. Its a great looking piece of equipment, AND if you choose to sell it, you wouldn't be taking much of a loss on it. Only CON is that the Amazon price on this bench varies from week to week. Some weeks its priced at the $16x price range I paid, other weeks it jumps to the full retail price. During Christmas 2014, it was sold out and backordered at the full retail price. In my case, I was ready to buy at the end of May 15, but it suddenly jumped to the max retail price for a few days. I purchased it immediately once the price returned back down. Some other comments - the front two feet are positioned right where your feet naturally want to go when you lay down. I finally adjusted myself, and just ended up putting my heels on the top of the feet. Its not a big deal, but it could be distracting if you are trying max out. Also, the open gap between the seat and backrest takes a little getting used to. Its not terrible or dangerous or severely distracting and your used to it after maybe 2-3 workouts. Its just a trade off for getting a right-priced piece of bench equipment into your house. Just buy it!