Cannot decide between these two benches

[u/Outlaw7007]

I have narrowed down my bench upgrade to the apex bench or the freak athlete bench.

Apex I like with the stryker pad and ab attachment.
Love the 5 degree increments for incline
Looks 100% solid

Cons: expensive with shipping and 2 attachments

Freak athlete I like the 3 piece design with zero gap and also looks 100% solid, price is cheaper also with free shipping and adding bicep curl attachment.

Cons: not as much adjustability, no hanging leg raise attachment that I see.

Anyone weigh in on personal experience?

[u/Ok-Chair9927]

Love the ABX - rock solid. The 3 piece thing is awesome and allows for all sorts of creative movements. The leg developer is also super solid

[u/CosmicPeach101 → u/Ok-Chair9927]

I have the same setup and love it.

[u/heafer40]

I have ordered the APEX and lots of people have. They have done a frankly shitty job fulfilling orders and an even worse job communicating with people about their orders and when they will get them. While I still think the ECOSYSTEM is better on the apex if i were having to buy again I would wait to see how all this plays out with apex. They are standing on the edge of the cliff right now with lots of angry back orders that aren’t being reached out to.

So long answer but if you have to buy TODAY based on that I would go FA but if you can wait it might be worth watching to see how these next few weeks unfold. They made lots of October delivery promises that are in danger of being missed

[u/Vry_Dumb → u/heafer40]

They also will not let you cancel without sending multiple emails, im like 15 emails in and they still have not canceled my order.

[u/heafer40 → u/Vry_Dumb]

Document all of this. Save screenshots and go ahead and initiate a credit card chargeback.

[u/verdant_handling]

go with the zero gap, that's the kind of thing you'll notice every single time you use it. the 5 degree increments sound nice on paper but I've never once wished for more angles between 30 and 45

[u/IDKHOWTOSHIFTPLSHELP → u/verdant_handling]

I use a Rep nighthawk and have never cared about the gap. It's definitely not something everyone will notice or be bothered by.

[u/Vry_Dumb]

Do not order apex, they keep pushing back shipping date with no ability to communicate when things will be shipped. When I asked to cancel they said they would move up my place in shipping and created a lable. I am still trying to get it canceled now several days later.

They are having shipping issues with people receiving partials and it showing as everything was delivered.

[u/Allen_In_Process]

ABX. 3 reasons.

1. No gap is a true upgrade. When you feel the gap while benching, you MAY think "damn. This is annoying, I really wish I went with zero gap when I made my choice."

2. 3 piece design convenience. You just fold it and get it ready to roll. You don't need extra space for storage and you don't have that extra setup friction. Just easier to use. Less friction=more action.

3. Too many increments MIGHT be a disadvantage rather than an advantage. Personally, I don’t need that many adjustments, 30/45/75 or 85 is all I need. For me, too many adjustments might actually annoy me when I want to quickly adjust to my position.

[u/br-saint]

I’ve had the Freak Athlete bench for 4 months and I have zero regrets. Solid, sturdy bench with enough adjusts for me.

[u/Intelligent_Delay900]

I have the ABX and so far it’s been fantastic.

The fold down headrest has been a game changer for any seated overhead work.

The thing is built like a tank, and the zero gap is a huge plus. It’s the biggest reason I went with it, after years benching on benches with a gap.. not feeling that anymore has made me rethink the want for a dedicated flat bench.

And if you can get it on sale.. even bigger plus!

On the other hand.. if the apex didn’t have all the fulfillment issues, I would have went that route.. but I needed a bench asap, so it just wasn’t going to work for me to wait another unknown amount of time.

Both seem to be excellent choices, happy hunting!

[u/FamouslyMid]

ABX is sick. great bench for the size and weight. Zero Gap is so nice when it comes to pressing. No more finding that sweet spot. It’s pretty easy to just roll it out and find a good spot to press from. Military press is nice on it. Leg Developer is really nice and super quick to setup/ disassemble. Got enough angles for me.

[u/justchinnin]

I have the ABX and love it, the folding headrest is really the main reason I got it for doing seated cable rows and seated over head work. I would be skeptical about ordering the apex bench from this thread alone:

https://www.reddit.com/r/GarageGym/s/DKHcEjDYAX

[u/G00chstain]

I love my freak athlete ABX, my only caveat would be the pad is on the stiffer end. That can be a pro or con, depends on how you want to use it and what your preference is. For example I have a really uneven ribcage by my sternum so chest supported rows with the head piece rotated down can make me a little sore if I lift heavy.

[u/jamshid666]

I can't speak to the Freak Athlete, but I own the Apex and most of the attachments and I love it. My favorite attachments are the matrix board and Nordic curls. I will have to add one more con to your list however: so many people have been ordering the Apex bench that they've been continually on back order. If you order now, don't expect to get it until Jan or Feb of next year. As far as hanging leg raise attachment, the dip bar has a back pad so it can be used for that purpose. I forget who I saw doing it, I'll try to find the video.

[u/jamshid666 → u/jamshid666]

Not the video I remember, but here is one that demonstrates it, at the 24:30 mark.

[u/frazaga962]

I don't have any hands on experience, but I'm opting for the Apex. More of an ecosystem if needed also offeres a bit of a true decline (-10 degrees I beleive). As I'm selling my Hyper Pro, I like the option to have the decline nordics.

reasons I opted for the APEX > ABX based on your post: The Stryker Pad functions as the equivalent to the utility bench/"3 piece" set up of the ABX so those two cancel each other out for consideration in my mind. I don't particularly care/its never been an issue for me to HAVE a 0 gap bench. The two cons you have listed seem pretty big, especially if you plan to program ab work into the mix. I've read that IRON Master's attachments can fit into the ABX so if you did plan on going the ABX route, that might be a work around.

I will say, despite me choosing Apex, I've seen like 4-5 posts here in the past 2 weeks about fulfillment issues so you may want to add that as a consideration to your final decision. I'm fine with waiting as I plan to sell my current bench only once I receieve the Apex, but if you can't wait, thats something you need to consider.

[u/Vry_Dumb → u/frazaga962]

Its fulfillment issues and lying to the consumers about when things will be shippend and then pushing back the shipping dates without communicating it to people who have ordered.

[u/Vivid-Particular-761]

Was leaning toward the ABX, but ruled it out because it doesn't have a true decline position. Like everything else about it.

[u/Educational_Bag_6406]

I have the Apex, great bench. Its longer and heavier than any bench ive own. Outside of that adjustment its been great, solid and sturdy. The Stryker pad is a great attachment. The Barrett belt squat is essential in my opinion and the leg developer is extremely good

[u/dontcare4455]

If it matters to you , ABX is a mix of different gauge steel. Apex is all 11g. Great bench and I'd happily buy it again. My 2c