Customer Reviews

Cap Barbell Fitness FID Bench

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(65)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This is a surprisingly sturdy, lightweight bench to use for dumbbell exercises. Not only is it affordable, but it is easier to put together than the average treadmill. The manual's instructions for putting the bench together are clear and easy to follow, and it offers good advice on how to get started coming up with an exercise routine. The bench's backrest is adjustable (a hard-to-find but important feature), so you can do the full range of dumbbell exercises.

Customers should know before buying that the bench is designed to support a maximum user weight of 250 lbs with a combined dumbbell weight of 100 lbs. So, although you cannot use this bench for lifting massive weights, it is ideal for people who are just starting out or who are focusing on fitness instead of extreme bodybuilding.

(Update: November 28, 2010)

Well, it has been a little over a year since I have been using this bench. I started out using 5-pound dumbbells with it at least 5 days a week. Now I am able to use 25-pound dumbbells on the same routine. Not once have I had the slightest bit of trouble with the bench. Durable? I would have to say so. My original 4-star rating still stands.

I'm an inch or so over 6 feet and my head is almost at the edge of the bench when doing lying-down chest dumbbell workouts (after scooting down a bit). It may not matter to you but just mentioning since I like to lift my feet up to the foot-rest to keep my lower back down.
Putting the bench together is a bit of a pain and I don't think the weight holders are useful -- at least not for someone with my arm length.
Overall though, its good enough for your basic exercise needs, so I would say, go for it.

I weight 191 Lbs and workout with dumbells. The bench is quite sturdy. No complaints.

I'd been looking at benches for quite some time now that I've gotten more into strength training than I'd ever been before and decided the space in my workout room was worth it...

Most were simply a bench. Some had ankle support...I was eyeing a $250 when I came across this one on Amazon...that had more.

Now granted it has a weight limit on it, but I think that's more because you can do sit ups on this one and to support very heavy weight may require a wider bench of more weight...but this is very heavy and other than that, it seems like it would work with twice the weight limit.

I LOVE the backrest moving up and down...in simply a flip of your hand...all the way down for situps, a bench, flip around with the back all the way and face the other direction laying on the seat and raise and lower your legs for core work, lean on the bench or lay on it for arm work...it was solid but I think that takes a lot of work to get to that...with a two-man building team which I'll touch on in a moment.

In the photo it looks like this is red, it's actually a dark tan faux leather with ample padding and a yellow logo. What you may not notice in the photo is that it also has 4 hooks underneath that hold two dumbbells for easy access.

There is even a one step way of folding this up for easy storage via one pin.

To me, it's phenomenal al this has for the price...far more than the ones way more expensive. That said, I know why.

You are paying for convenience to pay more...this is a two-person job putting together and that's coming from someone who puts every piece of furniture etc together in this house because I have a world of patience and ability to read directions...but you have to have one person hold a wrench as another tightens it (tip: use a ratchet set and a wrench rather than 2 wrrenches). And you have to decipher the directions they haven't updated...like it tells you to put together a few pieces in the directions that they already put together and they labeled a part number 30 in the directions but there is no part labeled number 30,,it was 20...but get past all that and you have a superior bench.

That said, using two people to ensure that every screw is uner taught is something you have to do in a weight bench...you want it sturdy. We did so and this is incredibly solid. But I also have a horrid bruise days later on my index finger from fighting to ensure it was all tight and that wasn't easy and took time with a wrench that slipped and grabbed my finger instead.

Conclusion: It took an hour and 2 people to put it together (not actually doing it but figuring and reading the directions along the way very carefully) but I saved over $200 from the bench I almost got that did far less and I couldn't be happier. If you have patience and know how to tighten a bolt, I'd say you'll love it. If you bench an estreme amount of weight or want to throw things if it takes you longer to build something, I'd say go with a commercial bench. I wish they'd made the middle 2 pieces one piece...that was the hardest part but I think they split it into 2 to make it ship in a more compact box but I think they could charge more if more pieces were put together prior--For me, I love it and building it was a bit like labor pains...you may hear some cussing out of character during, but it feels worth it in the end. Ordinarily for the building time I'd knock off a star in my review, but I feel they compensated for that by putting so much into a bench that costs so little...so I feel they took this into account and it made it worth it for me.

Easily assembled, compact and sturdy. Great ab bench, dumbbell chest bench, and good for back work. Leg bars make isolation curls a little difficult, but otherwise a solid product.

This is a sturdy bench but I found that it appears to be sized for someone smaller than myself. Actually, I'm not even a big guy. I'm 5 foot, seven and it just doesn't work for me. First off the gap between the seat and the back is more than I had expected and when I do sit-ups on it my back side is just on the edge of the seat near that gap so each sit-up is a little more than uncomfortable. The other thing I noticed is that when you put the back up in a 45-degree position, for pressing hand weights, your head no longer has any support and you end up with neck strain. This bench would be great for someone smaller than me.

Size:
I'm 6-feet and, uh, "hefty". The bench seems sturdy enough but is only marginally comfortable for me. IMO would be fine for smaller/thinner people and my 5'7" "normal" sized wife finds it comfortable.

Assembly:
Not too hard. Directions are reasonably clear and call for two adjustable wrenches, hammer, and one each Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers. I didn't need the hammer or screwdrivers as the pieces requiring them were already in place. As far as wrenches, I have a collection of metric open/box-end wrenches, sockets, and ratchets and these made assembly far easier than adjustable wrenches. Most of the nuts have 13mm heads, most of the bolts 14mm heads. A couple of bolts/nuts required 17mm and 19mm tools.

The directions also said two people were needed for assembly ... maybe it would have been a little easier at times, but I did the entire job by myself without problem.

Surprise:
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the front support leg is designed to fold up under the seat to reduce storage space as I hadn't seen this feature mentioned in any description. Just remove an "L" shaped rod (easy to do) and push the leg back. To set-up, pull the leg out to the upright position and insert the "L" rod.

Overall: We're very pleased with this bench and plan to use it a lot.

Good shipping time. Received about 2 weeks from date ordered to an APO (Army Post Office) in Germany. Big plus for APO shipping.

Everything works great for me. I have no complaints or problems with this bench personally. Larger/taller people may want to read the rest.

If your not good with assembling things like this or furniture, the assembly instructions may be a little confusing. Not so many parts though, just might take a bit more concentration. Assembly took about 25 minutes. I don't think its good for very tall or big people. I weigh 160lbs and 5'4" tall and only use 20 or 25 pound dumbbell sets for multiple workouts. Incline may be a problem for those taller than 6'5" or those who have a broad back. Back piece of bench is short and skinny. Last thing, i don't think it would handle massive amounts of weight, so light to medium weight training is ideal.

Otherwise, its a great product for the price. Well, for the average size people.
Hope this info helps.

Great product for the price. It is designed for those that are 5ft 7inches or less which is perfect for me. It is sturdy and easy to use. Light and mobile. Doesn't take up much space at all. The compromise is that it is a short bench. When flat it can support the length of my upper body and head. When placed at a 45 degree angle it does not support my head when doing dumbell presses. My head hangs off the top of the bench.

It works well for leg lifts and decline situps. For the price you cannot beat it. Compact, sturdy, comfortable, easy to move around. I am very happy with the product.

I received the box quickly but it was missing some critical parts. I called the toll-free number, sent 2 emails and called again. The company has poor customer service, no one answers the phone. I finally received an email back confirming that the parts were 'ordered' two days later. I received everything yesterday (a week later) and put it together. As far as function, it does the job and it's sturdy and stable enough. I was disappointed in the customer service of the manufacturer, that's all.