PowerBlock® Pro Adjustable Weight Bench Review

The Powerblock® Pro Adjustable Bench is compact and has a pleasant design. The bench comes with built-in wheels for easy movement and a whopping 10-years warranty. PowerBlock has made the bench comfortable to ensure you enjoy your workouts. The solid, attractive adjustable workout bench provides good value for money considering its weight rating of 550lbs.

However, how does the PowerBlock Sport Bench compare to other workout benches in the same price range? Would it be better if you invested in a FID bench with leg developer attachment to be able to engage in full body workout instead of just the upper body?

In this PowerBlock Sports Bench review, I will look at the exercise options, attachments, design, warranty and features of the equipment. At the end of the review, you will be able to decide whether the PowerBlock will be a good addition to your home gym.

Overview of Powerblock® Pro Adjustable Bench

1. Design

When looking to buy a weight bench, two of the most important features you should consider are stability and strength. The PowerBlock is a stable bench thanks to its wide rear stabilizer bar and a low center of gravity.

If you wish to combine the bench with a set of PowerBlock dumbbells, you will be happy with the 550lbs weight capacity. The bench is made from 2″ x 3″ 14-gauge steel frames and hence is strong for both home and commercial gym use.

If you are using the bench for dumbbell workouts, for example with the highest rated PowerBlock Elite 90 that can carry increments of up to 90lbs on both sides, you will still have 350lbs capacity left on the PowerBlock adjustable bench.

But more than dumbbell workouts, you can use the PowerBlock weight bench with a combination of smith machines, power cages and squat racks. The rear-mounted transport wheel, front carry handle and high weight limit make the bench a versatile equipment to have in your home gym.

The PowerBlock does not decline and hence is not considered a true FID bench. However, its 5-position adjustable seat and backrest provide support across various incline settings. You can adjust the bench from flat all the way to nearly upright.

The back support is strong and durable and features a ladder-style design. The support does not have a lot of moving parts and therefore is easy to maintain.

Powerblock® Pro Adjustable Bench Features

The PowerBlock adjustable workout bench is affordable for its range of features. The bench is made from solid materials that give it a long lifespan as is evident from the manufacturer’s 10 year warranty. Below is an overview of the features of the bench.

1. Angles

The bench has 5 backrest positions, including military and flat. In between these are 30°, 45° and 60° angles. The gap between the backrest and seat is negligible compared to other benches. You don’t have to worry your body sinking in the gap.

You can also adjust the position of the bench seat. The seat will sit downwards when the backrest is inclined, but this means you will not slip off while training.

2. Dimensions

When flat, the bench measures 50″ x 21″ x 16″ and weighs only 57lbs. You will not have a difficult time moving it around the house like it the case with most commercial benches.

The bench height of 16” means you will be steady while lifting as your feet will stay firmly on the ground.

Finally, the 550lbs weight rating of the bench is pretty sufficient for most people.

3. Quality of Materials

The Powerblock® Pro Adjustable Bench is solid and sturdy thanks to the 2″ x 4″ 14-gauge tubing used to make it. The bench has a handle and three wheels attached to the back for easy movement.

The seat and backrest are padded with upholstery cushions that are padded to provide support when you are doing your exercises. The cushions are made out of self-skimmed foam and look good, are durable and prevent the back from pains.

4. Extra Attachments

The PowerBlock Pro bench comes with an optional dip attachment. The attachment slides into the back of the bench and allows you to engage in a variety of workouts for your triceps and other parts of the body. The attachment has to be purchased separately from the bench.

The bench dip attachment can hold weight of up to 150lbs. The idea is great although some users have reported the bench becomes unstable at this weigh. The dip attachment can move about when attached to the backbone frame.

Summary of Features

• 550lb weight capacity, which is sufficient for most weight lifters
• Comes with optional dip attachment to allow you additional exercises
• 5-position back pad adjustment for full body workout
• Separate back and seat pad adjustment to ensure comfortable workouts

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Attachments Available

If you have been buying entry-level weight benches, you may not have seen them with any attachments. However, when you get to the $200 to $300 price range, you will start seeing benches with various attachments, for example lat pull-down tower, leg developer and preacher curl.

You can upgrade the PowerBlock with a Sport Bench Chin attachment with a 250lbs capacity. You can also upgrade the bench with a dip attachment that fits to the top of the back support. The attachments enable you to extend your back workouts with pull ups using various grip positions and dips to your triceps or chest workouts.

The angle of the bar will keep you away from the bulk of the base. However, the height is not enough to perform dips with additional resistance, for example by attaching weight plates and a dip belt.

The PowerBlock Bench is similar to the Ironmaster Super Bench, which allows you to fit preacher curl, sit up, chin up and dip attachments to the back support.

When it comes to pricing, the PowerBlock weight bench is about $100 cheaper than the Ironmaster (check current price). The higher cost of the Ironmaster can be attributed to its range of upgrade options, incline setting and 1000lbs weight capacity.

Exercise Options

The weight benches available from PowerBlock come in two designs; the Sport Bench and the TravelBench. Both designs do not have any form of leg attachment. Therefore, you can only perform a limited number of exercises for the lower body with them.

Coming to weight rating, both benches can hold up to 550lbs and hence are great for supporting heavy dumbbell workouts than they were originally designed for.

Below is an overview of some of the upper body exercises you can perform with the adjustable weight benches (when combined with dumbbells)

• Pullovers
• Lying tricep extension
• Concentration curls
• Dumbbell rows
• Seated shoulder press
• Seated calf raise
• Seated bicep curl
• Incline dumbbell fly
• Flat bench press
• Incline bench press

Installation and Assembly

Unlike some weight benches in the market, the PowerBlock comes mostly assembled. You will not have to spend the whole afternoon trying to figure out how to put the pieces together. The only assembling you will need to do is attaching the rear bottom support bar and the bench will be ready to be used.

Pros of the PowerBlock Sport Bench

• The bench comes mostly assembled. Therefore very minimal assemble is required.
• Has no removable parts and is therefore sturdy.
• Dip attachment option available to increase your range of exercises.
• Lightweight and easy to move around thanks to its rear wheels.
• Has a substantial weight rating of 550lbs, which is higher than most benches in its price range.
• The seat can be adjusted to decline position for more control when exercising.

Cons of the PowerBlock Sport Bench

• The seat cannot be flat when the bench is at 85 °upright position; it has to be at a decline.
• No decline position available and hence you cannot do ab crunches and decline presses.

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Warranty

The Power Block Sports Bench has a 10-year home use warranty. The pads come with a 1-year warranty.

Powerblock® Pro Adjustable Bench  Review Summary

Two of the features that make the PowerBlock Bench better than its competitors in the same price range are the dense cushioning that tapers to provide improved lower back support and high weight capacity of 550lbs.

While there is a slight gap between the seat and backrest, this is expected of most incline weight benches. Moreover, the gap on the PowerBlock is not to the same degree of most XMark Fitness benches.

The bench already has chin up and dip attachments. But if I was to suggest an improvement, that would be adding some options for lower body exercises.

While XMark dominates the affordable priced range of weight benches with attachments, the PowerBlock is still cheaper than the cheapest XMark bench in their collection. Moreover, the PowerBlock offers a similar weight capacity, considering that the XM-4419 has a weight rating of 600lbs.

Overall, if you are looking for an adjustable weight bench that is compact, has a range of incline settings and can support heavy dumbbell workouts, the Powerblock® Pro Adjustable Bench cannot be rivaled.

Pros