This was precisely what I was looking for at this time. The ideal for me is to eventually upgrade to a power rack, but with low basement ceilings, it will have to be a 6' rack. So for now, I got this. I'm not moving a ton of weight, so the rack and the spotter arms more than suffice.
Critiques:
The spotter arms are good, but I wish they were a bit longer. Also, they don't go high enough to useful for an incline bench press. Nor do they go low enough to be useful for a decline bench press.
The rack itself is sturdy, but it does wiggle more than I'd like. It hasn't made me nervous or anything, and feels solid enough for what I'm doing.
The bench doesn't decline nearly enough, and it doesn't incline into a full sitting-up position. So if you envision doing sitting military presses and using the inclined bench to support your back, just discard that hope.
The caps on the ends of the legs on the bench itself come off very easy. I need to gorilla glue them on to keep them from popping off.
Changing the height of the arms on the rack might be a pain to some. You have to unscrew and re-screw the knob that holds the arms in place. In reality, it's not really a big deal. Takes just a few seconds.
Bench isn't very comfortable, and the material seems cheap. It's holding up so far, but I haven't had it for long.
Finally, mine came without the Olympic tube attachment for the leg extensions, and it has been a pain in the rear to try to get in touch with someone to take care of the problem. Contributing to that problem is my bench didn't come with a serial number, so the warranty/registration service will not register it. So that means I can't get anyone to send me a new tube to attach to the leg attachments.
Things I love:
Very light and easy to move around. I can pick the bench up and move it where I need it with no problems. It's light, but it feels very sturdy.
The rack and the bench are two separate pieces. The Olympic bench I had before was just one big piece, and it drove me nuts. With this bench, I find it easy now to do flyes without my weights clipping the rack arms or without having to hang my rear off the end.
The bench has multiple incline positions, and it is VERY easy to switch between them.
The spotter arms are easy to move around, and they feel secure when they are on.
The leg extension attachment feels sturdy and smooth.
I like the placement of the feet of the bench. If you're not 6'2 or so, your feet may have trouble reaching the ground on the bench press. However, you can put your feet on the feet of the bench (you'll see what I mean), and push off on them. Works great.
It was very simple to put together. I took my time, and put it together in roughly an hour and by myself. You shouldn't need a second person to put it together, though having an extra pair of hands would be useful at times.
Doesn't take up much space, yet is very versatile.
Definitely a great beginner/intermediate rack-bench combo.
Despite the critiques listed above, I really like this bench, enough to give it five stars. The critiques are just preferences, and really don't take away from the product itself...outside of possibly the spotter arms not going higher and lower.
| Brand | Gold's Gym |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 6 Kilograms |
| Material | Alloy Steel |
| Color | gold |
| Product Dimensions | 23"D x 45"W x 15"H |
| Frame Material | Iron |
| Weight Limit | 600 Pounds |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00043619214864 |
| Manufacturer | GOLD'S GYM |
| UPC | 043619214864 |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 45 x 18.5 x 16 inches |
| Package Weight | 114.6 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 45 x 23 x 15 inches |
| Brand Name | Gold's Gym |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Part Number | GGBE1486 |
| Size | Large |
