Updated 12/25/2023 (It's still awesome and have not had a single issue with this!)
Update 12/20/2016 (over 5 years after purchase):
I just finished working out using this bench again. It is so rare to find such a quality piece of equipment I decided I had to write a thank you to the company in the form of updating this review. This has held up perfectly. It is as solid now as it was the day I put it together and I have never had an issue with it. This bench and an awesome treadmill are the major pieces in my home gym and I am thankful for them everyday. Unless you are under 150 pounds, I would not risk a flimsy weight bench like all of the others I saw when I first purchased this. If this does not convince you by itself, add your weight to the maximum amount you ever expect to lift and then compare the maximum weight load of the benches you are considering purchasing. My old bench broke while doing dumbbell presses for just this reason. It was my fault for not reading the maximum weight load.
Original Post 2011:
This is an incredible piece of equipment.
I had to purchase a new bench when my last bench broke. I am 250 pounds and have worked my way up to 95 pound dumbbells for flat bench press. Sitting on the bench holding these is a total weight of approximately 450 pounds. If you check the other bench options on Amazon(I had to find PDF owner's manuals on line to do this for most of them), some will only take a total of 250 lbs. Others say a user weight of 300 pounds but give no indication of the amount of weight you can lift in addition to that. Kind of an important piece of information given the purpose of a weight bench. The bow flex bench can take 300 pounds of user weight and 180 pounds of weight on top of that giving a total of 480 pounds. That was too close for comfort, but clearly my second choice. This bench is suggested take 800 to 1000 pounds of total weight. And it was not much more than the bow flex bench. This also can go from decline to military press for positions. This thing is built like a tank.
Even though this would have been my choice based on maximum weight and number of positions for the price, it has another huge benefit. That is the ability to get a leg workout in your home. I had previously just accepted I would not be able to do leg workouts at home. No longer. This thing gives a great leg workout also. And the leg part comes off easily which is very important for me. I hate having it attached when I am doing flat bench press.
The bad, or at least less than ideal:
1) My bench may have been opened by someone else and sent back. All of the pieces were there, but the finish on some of the bars had been scratched due to rubbing up against each other during shipping. Straps and cardboard that looked like it would have protected it had been cut and were still in the box. It does not look very bad, just does not look new. Since I am primarily interested in the solid workout this allows, this is not a huge deal to me.
2) The assembly instructions had one piece out of order. The handles should not be put on until after the seats are attached. A little frustrating, but easy to resolve once you realize the seats won't go on with the bolts that need to be tightened prior to putting the handles on.
3) The thing is huge. I ended up turning around the front legs to reduce the footprint in my weight area. It is high also. This is necessary to provide decline all the way up to military press with the design. Being 6'4", it was surprising to feel that way. But by my second workout, it feels totally natural.
Overall, I don't think I could have done better for under $270.00 in a single piece of equipment. If you have the space (and you should check), this is a great buy.
I am very satisfied with this in my first week.
| Brand | Body-Solid |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 55 Pounds |
| Material | Blend |
| Color | Black |
| Product Dimensions | 72"D x 28"W x 31"H |
| Frame Material | Alloy Steel |
| Weight Limit | 600 Pounds |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 54.49 x 23.15 x 8.07 inches |
| Package Weight | 45.36 Kilograms |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 72 x 28 x 31 inches |
| Brand Name | Body-Solid |
| Warranty Description | Body-Solid Lifetime In-Home Warranty and Full Commercial Warranty. |
| Model Name | Body-Solid FID46 Fid Bench |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Body-Solid, Inc. |
| Part Number | FID46 |
| Included Components | Fid Bench |
| Size | One Size |
| Sport Type | Weightlifting |
