REP Health BlackWing Adjustable Bench Evaluation

As an ISSA-certified personal trainer with a house gymnasium setup of my very own, I consider there are just a few important items of kit you should achieve smashing your targets: a dependable barbell, a sturdy squat rack, and a high-quality weight bench (plus some bumper plates and dumbbells). When you don’t essentially must go the adjustable route together with your dumbbells, investing in an adjustable weight bench is a great technique to maximise your train choices. In any case, true FID benches (flat, incline, decline) help you practice your chest, again, shoulders, and different goal areas from nearly any angle, which might go a great distance in serving to you obtain your strength- and muscle-building goals.

In the case of the adjustable bench market, nevertheless, it’s not at all times simple to discover a answer that satisfies all the necessities our Breaking Muscle staff of licensed private trainers, power and conditioning coaches, and CrossFitters search for — together with building high quality, portability, and ease of use — and nonetheless gives nice worth. However due to some intelligent design work by REP Health, you may benefit from the flexibility of a dozen ladder-style changes and the consolation of a gap-free lifting expertise concurrently. 

On this REP BlackWing adjustable bench overview, we’ll break down how one of many business’s most progressive producers blended the most effective options from its high fashions right into a beastly bench that’s constructed like a tank and performs like a boss.

Key Takeaways

• The BlackWing Adjustable Bench combines the ladder-style changes from the REP Health AB-5200 with the redesigned ZeroGap™ seat expertise from the REP AB-5000 to provide the better of each worlds in a single well-built bench.
• The REP Health BlackWing is available in two totally different pad widths (12.2 or 14 inches), has a weight capability of 1,000 kilos, and meets Worldwide Powerlifting Federation (IPF) competitors top requirements, making it well-suited for powerlifters and broadly constructed athletes.
• Obtainable in six colours, this zero-gap bench might be saved upright to depart extra room to your energy rack, weightlifting equipment, and different home gym equipment.

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Execs

• The BlackWing is ultra-versatile, as it may be utilized as a flat bench, incline bench, or decline bench. Not solely can you employ the ladder-style system on the again pad to select from 12 totally different angles, however you may as well use the pop-pin adjustment on the seat pad to change between six angles starting from -10 levels to 45 levels.
• REP’s patented ZeroGap™ function removes a possible distraction by making certain you’ll by no means must cope with an annoying hole between the seat and again pads. This distinctive expertise notably is useful when performing a flat bench press, as you’ll be seamlessly supported from finish to finish.
• This heavy-duty FID bench is constructed to final utilizing 11-gauge metal for the body and REP’s new CleanGrip materials for the padding. The Colorado-based firm additionally deserves credit score for giving the BlackWing a premium look with high-end finishes like stainless-steel knurled handles and laser-cut logos.

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Cons

• Though the BlackWing brings plenty of helpful options to the desk, a $600 price ticket may make it too costly for some folks. Should you’re working with a tighter gym equipment budget, the REP AB-3000 is a rock-solid FID bench that prices practically half the value.
• Whereas it’s designed to be saved vertically, this adjustable bench doesn’t precisely earn high marks for portability. Tipping the scales at 131 kilos, the BlackWing requires some strength and endurance to maneuver, which might develop into bothersome in the event you transfer your bench round typically.
• The elective leg curler attachment felt extra like an afterthought to our testing staff, because it doesn’t appear to be produced from the identical high-quality supplies because the bench itself. Plus, whereas it carried out adequately for sit-ups and crunches, it fell in need of expectations as a Nordic curl answer.

Our Breaking Muscle Workforce has ample expertise making an attempt out each place on quite a lot of adjustable benches to carry out lifts just like the bench press, overhead press, and flye variations. Assessing components reminiscent of building high quality, portability, and padding, we developed a proprietary scoring system to rank essential parts that make up an excellent bench.

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Ranking

Our Breaking Muscle Workforce has ample expertise making an attempt out each place on quite a lot of adjustable benches to carry out lifts just like the bench press, overhead press, and flye variations. Assessing components reminiscent of building high quality, portability, and padding, we developed a proprietary scoring system to rank essential parts that make up an excellent bench.

Right here’s how the REP BlackWing scored in every class:

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench In-Depth Evaluation

Although it’s actually not essentially the most budget-friendly bench, the BlackWing undoubtedly delivers rock-solid worth. REP fastidiously crafted a high-end piece of gymnasium gear that stands out for its versatility, sturdiness, and construct high quality. Regardless of a hefty price ticket and a reasonably large footprint, we firmly consider it’s a worthwhile funding for severe lifters trying to stage up their dwelling gymnasium setup. 

Worth and Worth

REP priced the BlackWing at about $600, greater than their different adjustable bench fashions. For comparability, the most recent model of the AB-5200 begins at $549.99, whereas the AB-5000 is on sale for $449.99, as of this writing. Remember the fact that the huge pad possibility prices an extra $20, and the leg curler attachment is bought individually for about $110.

From a competitor standpoint, the Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0 — which does have a small hole between the seat pad and again pad — usually prices about the identical ($595) because the BlackWing. In the meantime, the TITAN Sequence Adjustable FID Bench by Titan Health is often priced at $529.99 however solely has a weight capability of 600 kilos.

Though the BlackWing might not match everybody’s price range, it nonetheless brings nice worth. Not solely do you get a real FID bench that has a seemingly countless array of adjustment potentialities, however you additionally get REP’s patented ZeroGap™ seat expertise. As somebody who’s all about getting essentially the most bang to your muscle-building buck, I feel the BlackWing boasts greater than sufficient strengths to justify its higher-end price ticket. Our testing staff rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars for value and worth.

Development High quality

“Steady” is the phrase that instantly got here to thoughts for our testing staff when making an attempt out the BlackWing. REP used premium supplies to supply a top-notch bench that feels greater than able to withstanding all of your exercises for years to return. Comprised of 11-gauge metal, the BlackWing’s body is a rock-solid piece of engineering, offering glorious stability and total help.

REP devoted ample consideration to the finer particulars, too. As a substitute of utilizing plastic adjustment knobs like they do on the AB-5000, they opted for stainless-steel on the BlackWing. A knurled, stainless-steel deal with not solely makes the bench simpler to maneuver due to its glorious grip-ability, but it surely additionally provides to the BlackWing’s premium aesthetic. 

REP additionally improved the consumer expertise by together with knurled handles for adjusting the incline and utilizing laser-cut numbers on the body so you may simply see which angle you’ve the again pad set to. In the meantime, grooved rubber ft give the bench added stability by protecting it firmly anchored to the ground. Plus, you may select from 5 body coloration choices (metallic black, white, purple, blue, military inexperienced, or matte black) to make sure your bench matches in with the remainder of your property gymnasium setup. 

Each the seat pads and again pads come lined in REP’s new CleanGrip vinyl, which our testing staff believes is the most effective materials the corporate has used so far. Additional grippy and simple to wash, it’s precisely the kind of vinyl lifters search for, as a grippy materials can forestall you from sliding round on the bench and feeling unstable and unsafe.

As somebody who makes use of an adjustable bench for all the pieces from dumbbell chest flyes to rows to overhead presses, I consider nothing is worse than laying down on one which feels slippery or has tears in it. The thick, matte vinyl REP used on the BlackWing is the kind of design determination that helped this bench earn all 5 stars for building high quality.

Supply and Meeting

With free delivery on all orders, REP makes the ordering course of slightly extra budget-friendly. Our testing staff didn’t encounter any supply points, which speaks volumes about how nicely the bench was packaged and dealt with.

Assembling the BlackWing did take a while (round 20 minutes). Our product testers, who’ve assembled a whole lot of items of gymnasium gear, contemplate this to be on par for a completely adjustable bench. Nevertheless, REP didn’t embrace any instruments to help with this course of. To carry your BlackWing to life, you have to to have a ratchet and sockets readily available, in addition to slightly little bit of endurance to place all of the items in place.

General, we scored this bench a 4.5 out of 5 stars for supply and meeting.

Dimensions

Undoubtedly on the bigger facet, a completely assembled BlackWing measures 59.5 inches lengthy, 25.8 inches huge, and 17.2 inches tall, placing it firmly throughout the IPF competitors customary. Weighing in at 131 kilos, it’s additionally fairly heavy in comparison with a few of REP’s different benches. For instance, the AB-5000 is 20 kilos lighter, and the AB-5100 ideas the scales at 95 kilos.

In the meantime, the BlackWing comes inventory with 12.2-inch-wide pads that may be upgraded to 14 inches for an extra $20. Whereas the usual possibility compares favorably to one thing just like the Titan Sequence Adjustable Bench (which comes with a 12-inch-wide pad), the BlackWing is 1.2 inches wider than the Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0. For extra sizable athletes, having that possibility is a giant profit from a consolation and efficiency standpoint, as a wider again pad will present extra help. Nevertheless, take into account that the 14-inch-wide pads are not compliant with IPF guidelines, because the width can not exceed 12.6 inches.

The design of the entrance and rear ft add to the general stability of this heavy-duty bench. The entrance foot measures 14.8 inches huge, which supplies higher anchoring and appears to be the inspiration behind the BlackWing’s title. All in all, we scored this bench 4 out of 5 stars for dimensions, with the load being one of many solely drawbacks.

Padding

Skinny padding can result in skinny endurance for lifters. In any case, nobody needs to lie down on a bench and really feel as if the metallic body is digging into their again. Fortunately, the BlackWing has thick cushioning that places our staff of testers in a cushty place to execute all of their lifts.

Furthermore, the padding is wrapped in dense CleanGrip vinyl that appears and feels higher than different sorts of vinyl REP has used on their benches. Not solely is the matte black materials further grippy, but it surely’s additionally a breeze to wash. So, even in the event you’re breaking a severe sweat in your storage gymnasium, you gained’t have to fret about your bench struggling any floor harm so long as you wipe it down after your final rep.

From a padding perspective, we scored the BlackWing 5 out of 5 stars.

Footprint and Portability

Based mostly on its dimensions, the BlackWing has a reasonably sizable footprint of 10.7 sq. ft. The truth is, at 59.5 inches lengthy, it’s nicely forward of different REP benches and is among the longest adjustable benches in the marketplace. Whereas the AB-5200 is simply an inch shorter, the AB-5100 is 5 inches shorter than the BlackWing, with the AB-5000 falling proper within the center at 57 inches lengthy.

These dimensions, together with weighing 131 kilos, make the BlackWing a bit difficult to maneuver round and retailer vertically with out a little little bit of effort. Nonetheless, our testers appreciated the knurled deal with and rollers for serving to take among the burden off. If you wish to retailer the BlackWing vertically, you’ll must have not less than 3.1 sq. ft of area to accommodate it. Fortunately, the bench’s closed ladder system additionally assists with the storage course of, because it prevents the arm of the again pad from sliding misplaced when the bench is positioned upright.

General, being able to cut back the bench’s footprint by over a 3rd is a giant profit for dwelling gymnasium house owners with restricted area. Nevertheless, due to its massive footprint and heavy body, the BlackWing scored 4 out of 5 stars for footprint and portability.

Efficiency and Ease of Use

Is the juice well worth the squeeze with the BlackWing? Based mostly on our testers’ experiences, it met the bar from a efficiency standpoint. REP hit a house run with its new adjustment techniques, making it easy to slip the seat forwards and backwards utilizing the Zero-Hole function that’s made their AB-5000 mannequin notably well-liked.

Noticeably lighter and fewer cumbersome than its predecessor, our staff was impressed with the way in which REP carried out the distinctive spring-loaded pop-pin and ratcheting system to make clean and safe changes to the seat pad. Although just like the system used on the AB-5000, they felt it was a transparent improve and simpler to make use of.

Most significantly, the BlackWing supplied a secure platform for our testers to carry out all the pieces from spider curls to chest-supported dumbbell rows. Having a sturdy bench that may go from a flat place to being tilted again to -8 levels in a matter of seconds with none hiccups ought to offer you peace of thoughts and loads of confidence heading into your exercise. The BlackWing obtained all 5 stars for its robust efficiency and user-friendly design.

Incline Ranges

As a real FID bench, the BlackWing offers you the choice to coach on a flat bench, on an incline, or at a decline. By incorporating a closed ladder-style adjustment system, REP made it doable to select from 12 totally different again pad angles ranging between -8 to 85 levels. In addition to the ample angle selections, the testers additionally loved the added sturdiness of getting the adjustment arms positioned contained in the ladder rail. This helped cut back any wobble that will have occurred at incline angles, and in my expertise, it is a widespread challenge with cheaper benches.

As well as, REP designed the seat pad to have the ability to go from -10 to 45 levels. That sort of vary separates the BlackWing from different adjustable benches just like the AB-3000, which has 5 seat pad changes, and the Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0, which solely has three angle selections for the seat pad (0, 15, and 30 levels).

General, that is the place the BlackWing really shines essentially the most. Whether or not you need to get stronger on the incline press, develop your delts from an upright place, or construct your decrease chest on a decline, you’ve the final word software to get the job carried out. We scored the BlackWing 5 out of 5 stars on this space.

Obtainable Attachments

You’ll be able to take your BlackWing expertise to new heights in the event you’re prepared to pay the best value. For about $110, you should buy the elective leg curler attachment that was particularly designed to suit with this ultra-versatile, ultra-stable adjustable bench. Nevertheless, it’s best to mood your expectations about simply how practical the attachment is.

Though our testers had been keen to check the curler’s capacity to carry out Nordic curls, they had been finally left disenchanted by the expertise. Between skinny foam and an absence of a toe kick plate, the curler proved to be lower than ultimate for executing this brutal hamstring train. Plus, even with the 14-inch-wide model, our testers discovered the again pad to be too skinny for the BlackWing to be a real Nordic bench.

That stated, the attachment isn’t a complete bust, as you should use it to develop your belly muscular tissues with sit-ups, crunches, and different core workout routines. Finally, although, the curler didn’t obtain the identical consideration to element from REP because the star of the present. In comparison with the BlackWing itself, the supplies used on the curler — like using plastic knobs over stainless-steel — felt a notch beneath. For these causes, this bench obtained 4 out of 5 stars on this class.

Guarantee

REP Health features a 10-year guarantee on bench frames, together with a one-year guarantee on sewn objects. Whereas that provides you a stable window to make the most of the BlackWing and nonetheless be lined, the coverage isn’t fairly pretty much as good as a few of REP’s rivals.

Rogue, for instance, gives a restricted lifetime guarantee on frames that voids if a product has been broken resulting from negligent or defective use, alteration, upkeep, storage, or dealing with by the consumer. Plus, it gives a three-year guarantee on sewn objects — a two-year leg up on REP.

In the meantime, Power USA stands behind its frames with a lifetime guarantee, together with a 10-year coverage on shifting elements and one yr of protection for upholstery and attachments. This is applicable to gear used completely in non-public indoor dwelling settings, reminiscent of basements and garages.

So, though REP’s guarantee coverage is stable, it falls in need of a few of its rivals. Due to that, we scored the BlackWing 4 out of 5 stars on this class.

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Specs

From its IPF-compliant top to its stainless-steel finishes, the BlackWing gives many engaging options in a single well-built bundle (or bench, on this case). REP designed this bench to deal with heavy masses time and again by using high-quality supplies that should not have any bother holding up over time. Listed below are the entire specs for the BlackWing, beginning with a full breakdown of its dimensions and ending with a better take a look at its compatibility with attachments. 

Dimensions

The REP BlackWing measures 59.5 inches lengthy, 25.8 inches huge, and 17.2 inches tall for a complete footprint of 10.7 sq. ft. This 131-pound FID bench has a seat pad size of 15.6 inches with a 38.2-inch lengthy again pad that’s obtainable in two totally different widths (12.2 inches or 14 inches). So, whether or not you’re a broad athlete who wants huge pads or somebody on the smaller facet who wants the usual dimension, the BlackWing might be tailor-made to your physique sort.

Trying beneath, the entrance foot is 14.8 inches huge, with the rear foot measuring 10 inches wider. The entrance deal with is 6.9 inches lengthy with a diameter of 25 millimeters.

Supplies

REP spared no expense when it got here to the BlackWing’s building. Made with 11-gauge metal, this bench is constructed to take a pounding — and proceed performing. Plus, REP well swapped the AB-5000’s plastic adjustment knobs for stainless-steel ones that look (and really feel) like a transparent improve.

In the meantime, the seat and bench pads are lined within the firm’s new CleanGrip matte vinyl, which is thicker and appears extra sturdy than earlier vinyl produced by REP.

Weight Capability

The REP Health BlackWing has a weight capability of 1,000 kilos. This is similar ranking because the AB-3000, which we contemplate the most effective values for a budget-friendly dwelling gymnasium bench. Then again, the REP AB-4100 solely has a weight capability of 700 kilos.

Appropriate Attachments

REP designed an elective Leg Curler Attachment particularly for this bench. You’ll be able to insert the attachment into the built-in receiving submit on the BlackWing’s again body to carry out core workout routines, decline presses, and Nordic hamstring curls. 

Remember the fact that the attachment is not included while you buy the bench. The leg curler is bought individually for about $110. 

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Buyer Critiques

It’s no shock that the BlackWing has garnered virtually unanimous 5-star opinions on REP’s web site based mostly on its specs, versatility, and efficiency. Though a number of customers highlighted how heavy the bench is, the spectacular construct high quality and talent to have a zero-gap lifting expertise stood out as overwhelming positives. 

Described as “distinctive” and “amazingly sturdy” in separate opinions, the BlackWing’s high-end finishes and advantageous particulars make it a house run within the eyes of nearly everybody who supplied suggestions on REP’s web site.

REP BlackWing vs. Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0

The Rogue vs REP adjustable bench battle comes down to some key components. From a value perspective, the BlackWing is correct on par with Rogue’s Adjustable Bench 3.0, which prices slightly below $600 for the usual mannequin. Nevertheless, that determine jumps to $695 for the stainless-steel model — practically $100 greater than the $600 BlackWing. 

Nonetheless, you get extra flexibility with REP’s latest bench, as you may change between 12 again pad angles in comparison with simply 10 for the Adjustable Bench 3.0. Whereas each benches help you set the seat pad angle at 0, 15, and 30 levels, the BlackWing gives extra versatility with three extra angles (-10, 8, and 45 levels). 

One main distinction to think about is whether or not you favor your gymnasium gear to be made within the USA. If that’s the case, you’ll need to go along with Rogue, as REP manufactures a majority of their merchandise in China. Nonetheless, that’s not essentially a knock on the BlackWing (or any of REP’s benches), as we’ve constantly discovered them to be well-constructed and well-performing.

Rogue Adjustable Bench 3.0

• Dimensions: 17.5” H x 52” L x 11” W
• Weight capability: 1,000 kilos
• Supplies: 11-gauge metal, vinyl cowl, rubber ft
• Guarantee: Restricted lifetime on the body

Check Price

Last Verdict: Is the REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Price It?

Should you worth versatility, it’s laborious to not put the REP BlackWing on the high of the most effective adjustable bench listing. With 72 potential combos and nil gaps, you may get inventive together with your exercises and by no means have to fret about not feeling totally supported. Plus, though the leg curler attachment lacked the identical polish because the bench itself, it nonetheless offers you much more train choices.

In fact, the BlackWing’s $600 price ticket places it extra within the premium bench class than the budget-friendly one. However between its glorious building and talent to do something you may ask for (and extra), it’s price paying slightly extra for a very distinctive adjustable bench which may simply be REP’s best design work so far.

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