4-in-1 Seated Chest Press Machine

My local gym got rid of their machine bench press, replacing it with free weight benching. I much prefer using machines since I don't need anyone to "spot" me on those and it just feels safer altogether, allowing me to use more weight. I therefore looked around for a machine that I could install at home, since benching is one of my favorite exercises.I picked this machine primarily because it was advertised as folding up nicely. That's important to me because I don't have a lot of space to work with.Setup was very easy. The instructions say that you need two people to set it up, but that's really not necessary; I did it all myself in under 30 minutes. There are two sizes of bolts/nuts and you will want to use a ratcheting socket wrench to attach them, since the included wrenches are frankly useless (I actually used two wrenches per attachment which made everything go a lot faster as I could ratchet from both ends). You really need to gronk down the bolts hard so that it's stable.The hardest part of assembly is, ironically, the lightest part -- putting on the bench. This is because the drawings are so tiny that it's difficult to see which holes are for the bolts and which are for the restraining pins. I needed to use a magnifier for that.One other irritation is that the bearings fall out of their sockets pretty easily while you are assembling pieces; there is no lip that keeps them in. There are four of them and they are held in place with cable ties during shipping, but one of mine was missing a tie and the bearing were just loose in the box. Since they are assumed to be in the right place, they aren't referred to in the instructions, so it took me a minute to figure out where they went.Once it was put together, though, it was very stable. I picked up some used Olympic-sized weights from a local sports store and started using it. The armature is incredibly smooth -- actually smoother than the machine that I had been using at the gym. There are weight clips for Olympic-size weights, though you barely need them since the handles are angled up. (It also supports 1" weights, though there are no clips. and I actually recommend the 2" size anyway -- if you don't already have weights -- since they are much easier to put on.)I love this machine so much I am using it every morning, not just on "chest day." It folds up nicely when I'm not using it (see picture), though I tend to only fold up the bench as I prefer to keep the weights on the arms rather than taking them off and putting them on all the time. Besides bench presses, I also do (with the bench folded up) suitcase lifts and shoulder shrugs, and it all feels totally natural. (I haven't tried the foot cushions for situps/crunches yet, since I tend to use an exercise ball for those.) I will probably start using the bench for free-weight bicep curls as well so save my back some pain.I am taking off one star, and while you might think it's because of the assembly issues, it's actually because of the weight storage. Although there's plenty of room on the front of the legs to have placed weight spindles, they are actually placed on the back, and therefore very difficult to get to if your machine is up against the wall. I've ordered a couple of weigh holders that are intended to go on a wall and instead I will just drill them into the front legs to make weight storage more convenient.

I think they've got a newer version of this now where the bench is a little wider. This one isn't too narrow, but it's still a little narrow. Don't count on doing incline bench with this as it's really awkward to have your rear end near on the ground. That said it's still a great bargain press machine. Setup is simple and the bench will fold up easily. Bench pin to lock it flat not really needed, so folding it up just means lifting it. Joints still smooth despite being outdoors (though out of the rain) and surprisingly no real wobble out of it. I suppose the best compliment I can give is that it's a budget press machine and I have no desire to replace it with something better.

Good bench press. The bench could have been a little bigger, but it does the job.

Despite some flaws, for the price it's a good option for home gyms. It had scratches in the paint and the incline for incline presses is limited; it also feels uncomfortable for shoulder presses. However, it performs its function very well for flat chest presses and abdominal exercises. It feels smooth and works the chest very effectively.

Wonderful machine, completely rehabbed my shoulders. I'm 64 and had actually stopped benching years ago because my shoulders sort of hurt but weren't injured. I got this and gradually set the stands lower and lower, using embarrassingly light weights at first, lifting until I ran out of steam since there is no bar to get trapped under. The "pain" vanished and I am getting full strength through a larger range of motion than ever before, including when I was a teenager. Plus, you start the lift from down low, so there is no bounce to make you think you're stronger than you really are.I also stand over the bench and do shrugs and calf raising.The bench tilts up when not in use, which opens up options for placing the machine.I put a little cleat on the wall in back because the weights are very close to the balance point of the machine and I don't put weights on the back posts.Very happy.