Honestly, I used to think workout benches were just fancy furniture – total waste of money. My setup before? Couch cushions stacked on flimsy plastic chairs for chest presses. Almost smashed my face twice doing dumbbell flys when the chair legs slipped on sweat drips. Absolutely embarrassing.
Why Weider Specificially?
Went down this rabbit hole comparing benches for a month like it was my job. Saw the Weider one at my buddy’s garage gym last summer. Threw 250lbs on it doing incline presses – thing didn’t even wiggle. Got home and immediately tore apart online reviews:
- That damn THICK padding – 4 inches of foam that doesn’t pancake after two months like cheaper ones
- Teardrop gap design – lets your shoulders actually rotate properly on declines without feeling like you’re gonna slip off
- Adjustments with teeth – none of those flimsy pin systems that snap mid-set when you’re grinding out reps
Unboxing & Assembly Disaster
Delivery dude left this giant box that barely fit through my front door. Nearly broke my toe dragging it to the basement. Assembly instructions might as well have been hieroglyphics – spent 45 minutes trying to figure out which bolts went where. Ended up brute-forcing it with my impact driver. Pro tip: tighten every bolt again after the first week once things settle.
First Month Brutal Truth
Game changer doesn’t even cover it. Tried incline bench with 90s dumbbells – zero wobble. The wide legs? Didn’t trip over them ONCE doing step-ups like I did with my old cheap bench. That back pad angle? Cranked it steep for shoulder presses and actually felt my delts burning instead of my lower back screaming. Started hitting chest twice a week because suddenly benching didn’t feel like spine roulette.
Where It Actually Shines
- Plate Storage – That under-seat rack holds all my 45s so I’m not scavenging plates mid-superset
- Grip Tape – Sweaty back after deadlifts? Still didn’t slide doing hip thrusts on this thing
- Decline Situps – Locked my ankles under the rollers and finally stopped rolling off like a tipped turtle
Eight months later and it’s still rock solid. Worth every damn penny for the back pumps alone. If your “bench” is currently textbooks on a folding chair? Stop torturing yourself already.
