REP Health BlackWing Adjustable Bench Evaluation

As an ISSA-certified personal trainer with a house gymnasium setup of my very own, I imagine there are a number of important items of apparatus you might want to achieve smashing your objectives: a dependable barbell, a sturdy squat rack, and a high-quality weight bench (plus some bumper plates and dumbbells). When you don’t essentially need to go the adjustable route along with your dumbbells, investing in an adjustable weight bench is a brilliant technique to maximise your train choices. In spite of everything, true FID benches (flat, incline, decline) assist you to practice your chest, again, shoulders, and different goal areas from nearly any angle, which may go a good distance in serving to you obtain your strength- and muscle-building goals.

On the subject of the adjustable bench market, nonetheless, it’s not at all times straightforward to discover a answer that satisfies all the necessities our Breaking Muscle crew of licensed private trainers, energy and conditioning coaches, and CrossFitters search for — together with building high quality, portability, and ease of use — and nonetheless offers nice worth. However due to some intelligent design work by REP Health, you’ll be able to 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 evaluate, we’ll break down how one of many business’s most modern producers blended the very best options from its prime 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 know-how 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 completely different pad widths (12.2 or 14 inches), has a weight capability of 1,000 kilos, and meets Worldwide Powerlifting Federation (IPF) competitors peak requirements, making it well-suited for powerlifters and broadly constructed athletes.
• Obtainable in six colours, this zero-gap bench could be saved upright to depart extra room in your energy rack, weightlifting equipment, and different home gym equipment.

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Professionals

• The BlackWing is ultra-versatile, as it may be utilized as a flat bench, incline bench, or decline bench. Not solely can you utilize the ladder-style system on the again pad to select from 12 completely different angles, however you may also use the pop-pin adjustment on the seat pad to modify 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 need to cope with an annoying hole between the seat and again pads. This distinctive know-how significantly turns out to be 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 a number of helpful options to the desk, a $600 price ticket would possibly make it too costly for some folks. If you happen to’re working with a tighter gym equipment budget, the REP AB-3000 is a rock-solid FID bench that prices almost half the value.
• Whereas it’s designed to be saved vertically, this adjustable bench doesn’t precisely earn prime marks for portability. Tipping the scales at 131 kilos, the BlackWing requires some strength and endurance to maneuver, which may grow to be bothersome for those who transfer your bench round usually.
• The non-obligatory leg curler attachment felt extra like an afterthought to our testing crew, because it doesn’t appear to be created 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 elements equivalent to building high quality, portability, and padding, we developed a proprietary scoring system to rank essential elements that make up a terrific bench.

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Score

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 elements equivalent to building high quality, portability, and padding, we developed a proprietary scoring system to rank essential elements that make up a terrific 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 pretty big footprint, we firmly imagine it’s a worthwhile funding for critical lifters seeking to degree up their house gymnasium setup. 

Value and Worth

REP priced the BlackWing at about $600, increased 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 vast pad choice 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 Collection Adjustable FID Bench by Titan Health is often priced at $529.99 however solely has a weight capability of 600 kilos.

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

Development High quality

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

REP devoted ample consideration to the finer particulars, too. As an alternative 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 wonderful grip-ability, nevertheless it additionally provides to the BlackWing’s premium aesthetic. 

REP additionally improved the person expertise by together with knurled handles for adjusting the incline and utilizing laser-cut numbers on the body so you’ll be able to simply see which angle you might have the again pad set to. In the meantime, grooved rubber toes give the bench added stability by protecting it firmly anchored to the ground. Plus, you’ll be able to select from 5 body coloration choices (metallic black, white, crimson, blue, military inexperienced, or matte black) to make sure your bench suits in with the remainder of your private home gymnasium setup. 

Each the seat pads and again pads come lined in REP’s new CleanGrip vinyl, which our testing crew believes is the very best 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 things from dumbbell chest flyes to rows to overhead presses, I imagine 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 resolution 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 somewhat extra budget-friendly. Our testing crew didn’t encounter any supply points, which speaks volumes about how properly 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 bunch of items of gymnasium gear, take into account this to be on par for a totally adjustable bench. Nevertheless, REP didn’t embrace any instruments to help with this course of. To convey your BlackWing to life, you have to to have a ratchet and sockets available, in addition to somewhat little bit of endurance to place all of the items in place.

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

Dimensions

Undoubtedly on the bigger aspect, a totally assembled BlackWing measures 59.5 inches lengthy, 25.8 inches vast, and 17.2 inches tall, placing it firmly throughout the IPF competitors normal. 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 choice compares favorably to one thing just like the Titan Collection 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 choice is a giant profit from a consolation and efficiency standpoint, as a wider again pad will present extra help. Nevertheless, understand 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 toes add to the general stability of this heavy-duty bench. The entrance foot measures 14.8 inches vast, which provides 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 spite of everything, nobody desires 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 crew 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 forms of vinyl REP has used on their benches. Not solely is the matte black materials further grippy, nevertheless it’s additionally a breeze to wash. So, even for those who’re breaking a critical sweat in your storage gymnasium, you received’t have to fret about your bench struggling any floor injury 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

Primarily based on its dimensions, the BlackWing has a reasonably sizable footprint of 10.7 sq. toes. In truth, at 59.5 inches lengthy, it’s properly 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 tough 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 a number of the burden off. If you wish to retailer the BlackWing vertically, you’ll have to have a minimum of 3.1 sq. toes of house 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.

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

Efficiency and Ease of Use

Is the juice definitely worth the squeeze with the BlackWing? Primarily based 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 backwards and forwards utilizing the Zero-Hole function that’s made their AB-5000 mannequin significantly widespread.

Noticeably lighter and fewer cumbersome than its predecessor, our crew was impressed with the way in which REP applied 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 things 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 sturdy efficiency and user-friendly design.

Incline Ranges

As a real FID bench, the BlackWing provides 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 completely different again pad angles ranging between -8 to 85 levels. Apart from the ample angle selections, the testers additionally loved the added sturdiness of getting the adjustment arms situated contained in the ladder rail. This helped cut back any wobble that will have occurred at incline angles, and in my expertise, this can be a widespread concern 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).

Total, that is the place the BlackWing actually 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 might have the final word instrument to get the job completed. We scored the BlackWing 5 out of 5 stars on this space.

Obtainable Attachments

You possibly can take your BlackWing expertise to new heights for those who’re prepared to pay the proper value. For about $110, you should buy the non-obligatory leg curler attachment that was particularly designed to suit with this ultra-versatile, ultra-stable adjustable bench. Nevertheless, it is best to mood your expectations about simply how useful the attachment is.

Though our testers have been keen to check the curler’s means to carry out Nordic curls, they have been in the end left disenchanted by the expertise. Between skinny foam and an absence of a toe kick plate, the curler proved to be lower than superb 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 mentioned, the attachment isn’t a complete bust, as you should utilize it to develop your belly muscle tissues with sit-ups, crunches, and different core workout routines. In the end, 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 strong window to make the most of the BlackWing and nonetheless be lined, the coverage isn’t fairly nearly as good as a few of REP’s opponents.

Rogue, for instance, presents 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 person. Plus, it offers a three-year guarantee on sewn objects — a two-year leg up on REP.

In the meantime, Pressure USA stands behind its frames with a lifetime guarantee, together with a 10-year coverage on transferring components and one 12 months of protection for upholstery and attachments. This is applicable to gear used completely in non-public indoor house settings, equivalent to basements and garages.

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

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Specs

From its IPF-compliant peak to its stainless-steel finishes, the BlackWing presents 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 shouldn’t 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 more in-depth take a look at its compatibility with attachments. 

Dimensions

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

Trying beneath, the entrance foot is 14.8 inches vast, 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 take into account top-of-the-line values for a budget-friendly house gymnasium bench. However, the REP AB-4100 solely has a weight capability of 700 kilos.

Suitable Attachments

REP designed an non-obligatory Leg Curler Attachment particularly for this bench. You possibly can 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 whenever you buy the bench. The leg curler is bought individually for about $110. 

REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Buyer Evaluations

It’s no shock that the BlackWing has garnered nearly 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 skill 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 tremendous 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 elements. From a value perspective, the BlackWing is true on par with Rogue’s Adjustable Bench 3.0, which prices just below $600 for the usual mannequin. Nevertheless, that determine jumps to $695 for the stainless-steel model — almost $100 greater than the $600 BlackWing. 

Nonetheless, you get extra flexibility with REP’s latest bench, as you’ll be able to change between 12 again pad angles in comparison with simply 10 for the Adjustable Bench 3.0. Whereas each benches assist you to set the seat pad angle at 0, 15, and 30 levels, the BlackWing presents 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. In that case, you’ll need to go together 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 toes
• Guarantee: Restricted lifetime on the body

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Remaining Verdict: Is the REP BlackWing Adjustable Bench Value It?

If you happen to worth versatility, it’s arduous to not put the REP BlackWing on the prime of the very best adjustable bench record. With 72 potential combos and nil gaps, you may get inventive along with your exercises and by no means have to fret about not feeling totally supported. Plus, although the leg curler attachment lacked the identical polish because the bench itself, it nonetheless provides 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 wonderful building and skill to do something you can ask for (and extra), it’s value paying somewhat extra for a very distinctive adjustable bench which may simply be REP’s best design work so far.

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