BowFlex 5.1S Bench

So I'm a large man and I have always been Leary about equipment bc growing up we had wal mart special and this bench has blown me away this is by far the best bench I've seen and I've been in a fe gyms the sturdiness reminds me of the high end Olympic sets the army and most colleges have how ever those are non adjustable this is just amazing

LOVE THIS BENCH! First, it was pretty simple to assemble. Second, moving and storing it is even easier. Third, I love its 6 angles from decline to 90 degrees. I have a small home gym so space is limited being able to easily collapse and stand up this bench (either against a wall or free-standing) is the best feature. Its overall comfort and flexibility are a close second. If you're looking for those things you'll also love this product.

This bench is great for the price. It stores easily and is very stable. Many people complain about the gap between cushions, and depending on your body is justifiable. It's not hard for me to position myself so that the arch of my back is over the gap and avoid the uncomfortableness. For this reason, I'm not dinging the 5 stars.

Good looking sturdy product. Had to hammer a couple spots that were bent to the point where the bench couldn't be assembled. Not sure if it was from factory or shipping. I assume factory because the edges were gnarled but still painted. On the bottom so it's not visible now. So minor I'll still keep the recommendation.

I use the bench with dumbbells. The different settings means I can hit each muscle group. I find adjusting the bench to be both easy to perform as well as quiet. I would recommend using some sort of mat or ground covering. I began using the bench on a painted concrete floor and quickly had to get a mat for the ground to prevent the bench from slipping/moving while exercising.

This is the best and most comfortable bench I have ever owned. The only thing I would suggest changing is how you adjust the angles on the bench. Instead of having to unscrew and pull the knob maybe incorporate something into the bench handle that you can squeeze to release a locking mechanism that will also lock the bench in position in a safe way.

Very sturdy and good all around bench. The only thing I don't like is the gap in the lower portion of the bench. Depending upon which exercise you are doing it can become slightly uncomfortable. It would be nice if they could fix this, or at minimal make a piece to put in that area while working out.

Pros: - It looks nice and has good weight to it. It's heavy enough to feel sturdy and light enough to be able to wheel around. - Assembly wasn't too difficult. It took my wife and I about 30 minutes to unpack and assemble, and I usually take things fairly slowly to make sure they're correct the first time. - There's a good range of angles. From decline, to flat, to various inclines, to straight up. - The 4 feet feel very stable Cons: - The bench and seat have a wooden frame, and the bolts that connect the metal frame to the bench and seat simply thread directly into the wood, with no type of "lock washer" to keep them from working themselves back out. We've been using the bench for ~2 weeks, and all of the bolts connecting the frame to the bench and seat were very loose already. I've removed them, applied threadlocker, and tightened them again. If that doesn't work we might try gorilla glue to hold the bolts in place. I know you have to check them every so often to ensure they're tight, but these were on the verge of falling out after 2 weeks (and I assure you, they were very tight to begin with). This should be something you have to do every 6 or 12 months, not every 2 weeks. - It's nice that the bench can be stored upright, but the footprint of the upright bench isn't really that much smaller than the footprint of the bench when folded down. Maybe 50%. It's nice, but it's not like a bench that can fold flat and mount on the wall out of the way. - The wheels are too small. They work well if you are on concrete, tile, hardwood, or some other hard surface, but if you're like us and have a home gym set up in your home office or spare bedroom with carpeted floors, the wheels are too small and don't roll well over the carpet. The ~60 lb weight of the bench just sinks into the carpet and you have to slide the bench around moreso that roll it around.

There is a major flaw with this bench. There is a knob you tighten and loosen when you want to change angle of your bench. Well I tighten it has much as I could but obviously it was not tight enough so I ended up flat on my back with my weights in my hands. I will just say my body has not felt good since this has happened. My suggestion is to make that knob so you can put it through the metal like a pin, I am sure I am not the first to have this happen to. To be honest I will be very nervous to use this brand new bench again. So buyers beware.

If you are a serious lifter, I would not recommend this bench. The front legs do not allow for proper foot placement and form when bench pressing. The bench seat is too wide to step over when you have heavy dumbbells in your grips, or if your workout partner does not have long legs. One of the forward seat extension supports, where the bench bottom seat splits, broke the first day of use and now it sags more than the other side. I have other benches for equal or less money that far out perform this bench. I am extremely disappointed in the construction and quality of this bench. I love most all of the Bowflex products, however, this is one that I do not recommend anyone purchase.