Anyone who has ever lifted weights knows that a sturdy bench with no wobble is an essential part of any weight room setup.
If you are looking to put together your own gym, the Fitness Gear Pro Utility Weight Bench is worth looking at. Because of its durability and multiple points of adjustment, this bench receives 4.5 out of five stars.
Pros and Cons
When you are beginning to evaluate weight benches for your home gym, it can help to put together a list of pros and cons. While your evaluation criteria may be different, the list of pros and cons below may help you get started:
Pros:
- The back pad has eight points of adjustment from fully upright to fully flat.
- The seat has three levels of adjustment.
- The bench can be easily adjusted by pulling a handle.
Cons:
- The gap between seat and bench can be uncomfortable for some users
- Decline is limited
Key Features
When evaluating a weight bench for possible use in your home gym, is important to look at some of its important features to see if they match up with what you want.
One of the major features of this bench is its adjustability. You can adjust your incline in any of eight different ways. Because the incline press is a major compound movement that can help build serious chest strength, being able to train at different levels of incline is very important for the results-focused fitness enthusiast.
Plus, varying your incline slightly each workout can help target different muscles- for an incline press, a higher incline will recruit the deltoids more, while a flatter incline relies on the pectoral muscles more. This bench’s seat also adjusts, which is important for comfort and security while lifting.
Another feature worth considering is the bench’s overall sturdiness. This bench has a steel frame and can support 600 pounds. This feature is important because this weight capacity will be enough for many lifters, unless you are very heavy, lift very heavy weights, or both.
The bench is covered in durable vinyl, which is easy to clean and wipe down.
Product Review
Now, we will evaluate the Fitness Gear Pro Utility Weight Bench based on some of the features above. In particular, we will focus on materials used and the ease of operating the bench itself.
Material Construction
As far as materials used, this is a very well-constructed bench. Whether you are just starting out with light weights or you already lift very heavy, having a bench that does not wobble is very important, and a bench that wobbles enough to fall can cause serious injury, as can a bench that breaks underuse.
While this bench’s 600-pound weight capacity may not be enough for some people, for many casual and experienced lifters alike, this rating is enough. Because the bench frame is steel, it is likely to last.
The other major material concern with benches is the ease of cleaning. While bench cleaning may not be as big of a concern with a home gym as it is in a commercial gym. But because sweat buildup can also cause your equipment padding to break down, having a bench that is easy to clean is a must.
This bench is covered in non-porous vinyl, which allows you to quickly and easily clean it, and the dark black color makes it difficult to stain.
Ease of Use
As benches go, this one is very easy to adjust and to use. Users can quickly and easily adjust the back and the seat by pulling a small handle and pushing the bench into the desired position. Aside from adjustment, using a bench is very straightforward. The multiple points of adjustment are helpful, as users can find the right incline for the exercise they are doing.
Thus, this bench is easy to use on its own, but users should take into account whether or not they need a declining capability and how this bench would be used in conjunction with other pieces of exercise equipment.
How Does It Compare?
We will now compare this bench to two different competitors, the Valor Fitness DD-25 and the Bowflex SelectTech 3.1 bench.
When comparing the Fitness Gear Pro to the Valor DD-25, it’s important to note that these benches are similarly priced. However, the DD-25 also has a declining capability, which makes it best for users who want to do movements that require a flat bench, an incline bench, and a decline bench.
While some users may prefer separate benches, a full-functionality bench like the DD-25 is ideal for those who may be short on space. The DD-25 only has five incline positions, so the Fitness Gear Pro may be best suited to those who are more particular about their exact inclines. However, those who are interested in maximizing their use of limited space may prefer the Valor bench, as it can be used with a preacher curl attachment as well as a leg accessory attachment.
Like the Valor bench, the Bowflex bench has incline, flat bench, and decline capabilities, but it only adjusts to four different positions. This bench is substantially less expansive than either the Fitness Gear Pro or the Valor bench, however. It features an eye-catching red accent at the top of the bench, so if you are both on a budget and like your workout equipment to stand out a little, this might be a good choice for you. It also comes with a one-year warranty.
Essentially, while the Fitness Gear Pro’s lack of decline capability may be a downside for some, if you don’t see yourself using a decline bench much and also are particular about achieving a certain incline (or if you just want to vary your inclines regularly, then the sturdily-made Fitness Gear Pro utility weight bench may be a good choice for your home gym.