STB09-1 Herculean Folding Weight Bench, BE003

This is the second weights bench I have purchased. The first was the cheapest folding barbell bench from Argos around 5 years ago, it is very similar. I have purchased this one for my University accommodation, the other is still going strong. They are both good benches, especially for the price; very robust, can fold up to save space and have holes for optional fly and leg attachments. For my long legs and long arms, these attachments are not ideal. However, for the price they are fine and provide the option of differentiation during workouts. My biggest issue with the leg attachment is that I am a runner and cyclist so need a lot of weight to test my legs. When too much weight is attached to the leg curl however, the bench is not heavy enough to stop itself from toppling forward, so if you want a heavy duty leg trainer look elsewhere.I am 6ft 2in tall and this bench is a good length for me. It is slightly higher off the ground than standard gym benches but balancing is not an issue. The maximum I bench at the moment is 80KG and I do so on a regular basis. Other than some chipped paintwork, neither bench has shown any signs of breaking or degrading in performance over time and regular use.I would recommend this bench over the York fitness folding Bench from Argos, because the barbell racks have a slightly wider span. This means that I no longer have to worry about my arms touching the metal either side of me unless I position myself correctly.This bench has 3 incline settings, but DOES NOT have a decline setting. It is difficult to comfortably fit a head between the bar and the bench of the highest incline setting, when bench pressing heavy weight this should only be done with a spotter for safety! (I've dropped 70KG on my head before, it's not as fun as it sounds.)The bench was easy to assemble and came with all the correct pieces as well as the necessary tools. This one even came with a training program to stick on my wall. Just to inform people who do buy this bench, the screws of the smaller part of the padded bench are already inserted, they just need to be unscrewed and reinserted to attach it to the frame.The orange styling looks nice and the padding is comfy enough. A more expensive bench would have a wider and better padded design, but for the price this is very acceptable.Perfect delivery, unbeatable price, fantastic product. 10/10.

For what its worth this bench gives me what i need. Practicality!It easy to store and durable with any weight.The only downer is the assembly! Good Product!!

I have had a few weight benches over the years, but this is by far and away the best one I have used. First and foremost it is very well designed and looks and feels incredibly strong - which it needs to be. When I have used it for bench pressing it feels very stable as I lift and replace the weights (without a spotter).I bought this primarily to use as a leg raiser for my quads after a knee op and for this it fits the bill very well. My only one minor gripe would be that some of the foam cylindrical pads do move a bit, this I resolved very easily by wrapping some gaffer tape on the rods that the pads sit on.Overall very pleased, it folds down easily, is well engineered, works well and is a nice looking piece of kit.

I've had a simple folding bench which has served well for the last 37 years, but is getting a bit ragged. I also wanted a bench with a leg curl/extension attachment to build some knee strength.. There seems to be a whole crop of benches just now which all look almost identical, but this was one of the cheaper in this style being on offer.It comes stoutly packed, and marked which way to open. Cut the straps and tape then flip the box.For a nice change, the instructions are right on top when you open up, rather than being the last thing you find. All fixings are very clearly identified.Construction is in heavy box section steel, and everything bolts together pretty well. The instructions could be a little clearer, particularly the assembly of the leg curl attachment. Definitely take your time, and as no spares are included if you have any washers left over, you've missed something! Finished, it looks good, with a tough looking black finish. There's an easy adjustment for incline pressing, with a clever locking rod to support the backrest. There are also slip-in locking pins to secure the bar whilst loading on or changing plates. The instructions give clear guidance as to maximum combined weight of user plus plates. The leg curl attachment is easy to unbolt and remove, which is good as you can't really do pressing with it in place.However, there are some issues with this bench, which I think will probably apply to any others in the same style.1. Bench height. The 'deck' is 510mm from the floor, and at 5 foot 7 I can't get my feet flat on the floor! This is not good for bench pressing, but may go hand in hand with getting enough height for the leg raise attachment. My old bench was 100mm lower and felt far safer for bench pressing. I've included a picture which shows the difference in height, and spacing of the uprights.2. This bench is foldable. To simplify the folding action it has been made with a single connecting rail front to back, but this allows quite a bit of 'wiggle' in use. Just for comparison my old bench had twin rails front-to-back, and whilst still foldable felt stiffer.3. The gap between the uprights is just over 600mm, which puts the cradles for the bar atop the uprights exactly where the knurled hand-grips on my bar are! It forces me to start with a narrow grip on the smooth part of the bar, which feels awkward.In summary: Decent quality materials. Sturdy box section. Easy incline adjustment. Offers leg curl and extension. Lock pins for use when loading plates a nice touch. Easy fitting/removal of leg curl attachment. Takes a little care in assembly.Bench height a problem for shorter users- you need longer legs than mine to get feet securely on the floor. Folding action allows noticeable flex in use. Uprights are (in my opinion) awkwardly placed.In some ways this feels like a bench designed by someone who took ideas from other benches, but who doesn't actually use an exercise bench themselves. If you don't need a folding design to save space, look for a rigid bench.Coming back to this review- I've just come straight from a workout session and have to reduce this to 2 stars. The combination of upright spacing and bench height makes bench pressing feel very unsafe. Perfectly OK for leg curls and extensions, but definitely not suited to any kind of heavy pressing. Sorry.I'm going to end up using my old bench for barbell work, and reserve this for leg work. I wouldn't recommend this item, sorry.

Due to scheduling, I sometimes can't get to the gym, so I bought this bench for the garage. I already have bars & plates. I've had about 75 kgs on it for bench pressing with no concerns for its strength. You can't barbell bench press on an incline, but I dumbbell press for that anyway and that is fine. The leg frame works surprisingly well, at least for me. It folds up nicely and only takes about 3 minutes to set up.

Far too small and im only 5'9", it feels unstable and wobbles. You're unable to do an inclined barbell press due to the tiny gap between the bench and the bar. If you put and weights on the leg press make sure you have a heavy barbell on the bench at the same time counter the weight if not it'll topple over. Its not worthy of 1 star but zero was not an option.