How To Get Six Pack Abs

Review by Morrell Deedes:

This is a surprisingly sturdy, lightweight bench to use for dumbbell exercises. Not only is it affordable, but it is easier to put together than the average treadmill. The manual’s instructions for putting the bench together are clear and easy to follow, and it offers good advice on how to get started coming up with an exercise routine. The bench’s backrest is adjustable (a hard-to-find but important feature), so you can do the full range of dumbbell exercises.

Customers should know before buying that the bench is designed to support a maximum user weight of 250 lbs with a combined dumbbell weight of 100 lbs. So, although you cannot use this bench for lifting massive weights, it is ideal for people who are just starting out or who are focusing on fitness instead of extreme bodybuilding.

Review by J. Jurist:

Easily assembled, compact and sturdy. Great ab bench, dumbbell chest bench, and good for back work. Leg bars make isolation curls a little difficult, but otherwise a solid product.

Review by Shane Schofield:

This is a good weight bench. I use mine for bench press, tricep extensions, and,with addition of ankle weights, leg extensions. Ie is very solid despite its light weight. I weigh 300lbs. It also serves as a nice bench to sit on. very comfortable.

Review by A.J.:

This bench was easy to assemble, and, once put together, the bench was solid, i.e., it didn’t wobble. The padding is good and the overall quality is good. The only downside I have seen from the bench so far is that it could use a wider base for doing exercises like dumbell flies… This could be considered a good thing, though: you have to use your core and bring the weights up evenly. This could also be due to that fact that the bench sits on thick carpeting. For and free shipping, I have no complaints.

Review by Customer:

It only took me about two hours to set the whole thing up, and it’s very comfortable and perfect for a beginner to weight training. I gave it a four though because the tools included to set it up were sub par at best, I had to use my own tools to construct it if I didn’t want to spend 5 hours haha. Also, the written directions were somewhat lacking, but the pictures were amazing help.

Review by Bob R.:

I’ve been working out with weights for 15 years but have been out of the game for the last several due to personal reasons. A few months ago I was told by my Dr. that I need to lose about 25 lbs. so I decided to get back in the game after a 2 year hiatus. However, because of my very limited time and having 2 young children at home, I did not want to go back to the gym at this time. I’m away from my kids enough during my work day so I decided to set myself up at home. The problem was, as it is with most people, I have very limited space and certainly don’t have a large extra room I can dedicate as a home gym.

I bought this bench because the price was appealing and because I needed something that would fold up and take up less space since it’s being stored in our bedroom. I was actually surprised at how sturdy it is for a folding bench. The bench is solid and folds up and stores very easily in a small corner of our bedroom. The mid width is perfect for my 6′ bar. It will handle 6′ and 7′ bars but you won’t be able to use it with a bar less than 6′ long (the distance between the uprights is too wide for shorter bars). It’s very stable and wide enough that you don’t pinch your hands when re-racking the bar. It’s not as heavy duty, stable or wide as an olympic size bench but it’s less than half the price of a good olympic width bench and takes up much less space as well. And there are no folding olympic width benches available that I know of (not to mention I don’t have the room for a bench that wide). The uprights have a good range of adjustment heights and can be turned around to do squats. The adjustment pins seem a little thin to me but this isn’t a gym quality olympic bench and it is not rated to hold a dumptruck like those benches.

On the down side (and the only minor reasons that I did not rate it a 5), the back rest pad is spaced a little far away from the seat pad making for an uncomfortable gap under your lower back when doing flat presses. It’s not detrimental to the exercise as your lower back doesn’t touch the pad when doing flat presses anyway, you just need to make sure that you slide down far enough toward the leg developer so that your butt is fully supported by the lower pad. The backrest pad really could have been moved a little closer to the lower pad to close up this gap some and decrease the overhang of the pad at the top end (see comment about squatting). With inclined presses, it’s not an issue, only when laying flat on your back. Also, the top of the backrest pad extends a little to far past the uprights and is partially in the way when aproaching the uprights from the top end for doing squats. Ideally, you should pivot the backrest up and out of the way to use the bench for squatting, a minor inconvenience.

One other downside is that the owner’s manual does not tell you what the weight capacities of the bench are. This information is not posted on any web sites I visited when shopping for a bench either so I had to contact the manufacturer to get this information. Incidentally, the maximum weight for the uprights is 300 lb. and the maximum weight for the leg developer is 100 lb. I think the weight capacity for the leg developer is a little low but when using the heavier weights one could always do one leg at a time, effectively doubling the weight capacity per leg. I think this is a minor compromise considering the low cost of the bench.

Assembly was very easy and took only about 45 minutes. They even give you the tools you will need to assemble the bench. The assembly instructions were pretty good with only 1 or 2 minor discrepancies that anyone with any type of common sense could figure out. Bolt holes all lined up, the finish is very good and there are not a lot of parts to get lost.

Overall, I would rate this bench as an excellent buy. For people looking for a good quality stable bench for the home that does not cost a lot, takes up little space when stored and can handle a full 300 lb. load, this bench fits the bill very well. Of course if you are a serious bodybuilder who needs to squat 500 lb. you will need to look at full sized olympic benches and cages, but you should already know that. This bench was not designed to do the work and hold the weight of a full cage, but it doesn’t take up the whole room either. This bench was designed for the average person looking to get/stay in shape at home and it meets that goal very well. The average person working out at home typically won’t need to load more than 300 lb. on the uprights.

I would not hesitate to buy this bench again.

Review by Michael G.:

This bench is great for those without a lot of space. It folds up real nice and stays that way with a locking pin that pops in, plus a manually installed pin underneath that you can add also. It was easy to put together, comes with the tools you need (but use your own if you have them) and is a sturdy bench. I use mine with a 6-foot, 15-lb aluminum bar (200 lb load capacity) and together they make a perfect home workout center. Comes with leg extension/hamstring curl attachment which is easy to get on/off (but you need tools for the nut/bolt that holds it in place). Finish is a nice satin gold color (looks good) and quality of manufacture is good also. The supports are wide enough so that one person can load weights without the bar tipping.

Only two nitpicks: #1: the weight supports wobble some at the higher settings,and at the highest setting – for squats – it is just right for my 5’8″ frame; taller folks will bend down some to get under the bar.

#2: the gap between the seat and back support is too wide (on my bench, it is exactly 3 and 3/4 inches). It should really be no more than 2 inches. But although the large gap is a little annoying, it does not bother me. Taller/shorter people may be bothered by it, though.

Review by housewifeman:

This is a small bench and low to the ground. I am 5’10″ 170lb and my son is 6’2″ 222lb and we both use it easily, so the smallness is an asset for our limited area but the size does not limit any exercises. We use dumbbells a lot and this bench is perfect for those exercises. Easily adjusts in seconds and is sturdily built. We already have a bench that is attached to our weight machine and I thought this new bench would get limited use but its portability/movability and its ease of adjustment have made it our main bench. We also put the back at a high angle and use it for dumbbell preacher curls. Extremely happy we got it!

Review by Barrett Withers:

This is a super bench for the price. It has 4 different height adjustable positions and each leg can be either folded or reclined to a different angle to further incline or decline this bench. Also both legs can be folded to make a great floor bench for floor presses as well or to simply be tucked away until your next workout. This is a great product that came already put together right out of the box. If all of best fitness’s products are of this quality then they’ve got a new full time customer.:)

Review by Patrick D. Goonan:

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.

Review by Michael Avitabile:

I considered this bench among many others and chose it for it’s sturdy, attractive design and the reasonable price tag. There aren’t many features of this bench other than what you see; in fact, there probably aren’t any beyond what is shown. I’ve purchased other benches in the past with a more abundant array of features, and I have been let down by both their effectiveness and the weak design of the bench itself. It almost seems like you’ve got to be willing to sacrifice the quality of the bench in order to gain some of these extra features. I prefer to have a solid bench with less features, and thus I chose this model, and have been very satisfied by doing so.

The incline and decline feature is VERY simple and I prefer it over to retractable pin style of incline/decline that is common in many other benches. Assembly was easy and seemingly impossible to do incorrectly, and the end result really does look stunning. I have used this bench for a variety of dumbbell exercises and stretches and have not run into any problems or shortcomings. The leg brace is a nice substitution for an inclining seat, though in all honesty I would probably prefer the seat to have some movement.

Overall, I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this product for anyone looking to do basic to moderate exercise from home.

Review by Asilverguy:

Got this bench for my teenager, so he could do some basic workouts. Box came very quickly, all parts intact. Everything was clearly labeled and took about 90 minutes to put together( I used a ratchet set in addition to the wrenches supplied). The bench has all the basic element you need. However my complaints are these: the benches/pads are mounted on very cheap and flimsy particle board, so if you are a big guy..order another bench.

Second: the arm curl attachment is basically useless, being that it is mounted poorly and doesn’t allow for proper arm extension. If you want to do seated exercises with the bench up, it is designed to hold up and support you with on slim metal pin that slides in the back.

Finally, this bench is not for tall people..I mean over 5’9″…you have to slide way back to use the leg extensions machine,and wind up sitting in the space between two pads.

This bench is suitable for home use, with light weights. However, for heavier lifting, higher weights and bigger guys, get something more substantial.

Review by BookWorm:

This baby is NICE. I read so many assembly horror stories on other fitness equipment, that I was almost dreading the arrival of this.

(I’m a pushing-50 woman, so don’t think a woman can’t put this together)

It came today, and it wasn’t “SOME assembly required”, it was “ALL assembly required”. But I had it done in 1 hour and 15 minutes, with no missing parts, no misaligned holes, no bloodshed, heck, I didn’t even have to cuss at it!

It’s a good thing I’ve never been one to follow directions exactly, because the first one was “With the help of an assistant…”.

Well, I didn’t have one of those. The only assistant I needed was my step stool to lean the uprights against while I attached a cross piece, and then I was good to go, as it was freestanding after that.

The directions were extremely clear, the packaging of the parts was excellent, everything sealed and clearly labeled. The overall packaging was great. It even had the wrenches, but they are the cheap cut-out kind, use your own, if you have them, if not, these will work, just not as comfortably.

Since I won’t be loading it with the kind of weight a man would, I can’t speak to how much it will take, but it is sturdy enough for me.

I’ll try to remember to update later after it has some miles on it.

UPDATE 4/28/10: I do agree with “asilverguy” who said the arm curl is basically useless. I thought maybe I was just too short for it. I prefer curls with barbell and dumbbells, anyway, so it’s not a huge loss as far as I am concerned. But if that feature is important to you, you may want to reconsider.

Review by Greg B:

Pros:

It’s very versatile for workouts

Sturdy

Well balanced

Price!

Relatively small

Cons:

Is pretty stiff when trying to adjust

When you are putting on the backrest make sure you dont tighten the screws too hard, the metal threading inside isnt too strong and now I only got 3/4 screws holding it in.

Overall:

Well worth the price and great for at home.

Review by Frank A. Racioppi:

The weight bench was easy to assemble out of the box and the instructions were specific enough to stay on track. Once assembled, the bench is solid, easy to use and adjust. It’s a good value.

Review by CFH:

This Marcy “Classic Standard Bench with Arm Curl” is exactly what we were looking for in a home weight bench. My son and I wanted to start a weight lifting program to compliment the martial arts training we recently started and selected this bench because of the built in arm curl attachment and leg attachemnts. Here are my observations:

+ Sturdy; I am 5’10″ 230lbs and feel very secure on the bench

+ Easy to Assemble; took two of us (both mechanically inept) about one hour to completely assemble, included all of the hardware on a well marked card and only required us to provide an adjustable wrench

+ Versatile; the bench is adjustable to three position which allows different muscles to be worked and the Arm Curl and Leg attachments add additional functionality

The included “Basic Weight Training Booklet” is just about useless, but there are many on-line resources with good information so it isn’t a big issue.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Review by B. Fanning:

I have been planning on buying a bench for a few months and finally decided to buy one and I thought this was the best choice taking into consideration it had a lat bar. Its pretty good for a beginner, but kinda cheap. The lat bar and arm curl can’t hold much weight, but I wasn’t expecting much anyway for 0. It is more comfortable than some benches, but could be better. The assembly was a bit of a pain. It took me about a total of 6 hours to assemble, taking into consideration I am not very mechanically inclined. The lat bar is designed for standard weights, but the arm curl supports both standard and Olympic. For 0 it was a pretty good buy, but if you are a person who works out often, I would recommend spending a little more and buying something better.

Review by Kriget:

Easy to assemble. The bench press part is good. The leg curl/extension is okay. lat tower bit disappointing but usable. Overall functions well good for a beginner to advanced user but not for heavy lifting.