Brought to us by the fitness company Impex, the Competitor CB 729 Olympic Weight Bench is strong. Impex is a trusted company putting fitness machines out for the last 30 years based out of Pomona, California. With a striking matte black finish and a seat upholstered to match, it sells itself. This high quality weight bench It is one large and intimidating piece of equipment that belongs in the home of any free weight enthusiast.
Bulky, Beastly and Bold
This beast has many features and selling points. It really doesn’t need to be talked up. Buying a product like this requires a little know how so for help with shopping I recommend reading ‘How to Buy the Right Weight Bench for You”. Looking at this piece of equipment you can see you are getting what you paid for.There is even the option of buying a barbell set to further your workout and strength training. The top three features for this equipment are:
5 position back pad
A five position back pad is great. It opens up the option of a full body work out. This is a good common number of positions for the seat to move into.
Leg developer
The leg developer is a great add on Impex’s part. Leg day is just as important. This extra on makes you feel your getting a steal.
2 year warranty
Two years is not that great of a warranty period. The way it should be is if you believe in your product and want others to believe in it, you should be willing to back it as long as the materials will hold up. Theses are all good things to look for in a weight bench. To be honest, they are very basic and run of the mill. The amount you pay is true to what you are getting. This is a good buy but not the best bench unless you are looking for something large and in charge.
Competition with the Universal Five Position Weight Bench, I Think not
The CB 729 blows the Universal Five Position Bench out of the water. Though the Universal Five Position is more compact and classic, the Competitor is made for serious lifting and weight training. The design is not fooling anyone; this machine is made to work. It also has a higher max weight limit. The options in attachments make this more versatile. This is the better option if you are beginner or intermediate lifter.
The Goods
Like all good things we need pros, reasons we really want to buy. These pros have a strong influence on what we purchase; making you feel you spent your money well.
The CB 729 has four major pros.
The first is that it is true to competition size; which is important for those serious lifters. Second is that it can hold up to 300 lbs. This is a good amount to be set at. Third is how aesthetically pleasing it is. Owning something as impressive as this fitness machine, will look great in your home. Fourth, all the attachments you can buy are what makes this product super efficient.
The not so Good
With the pros comes the cons. Impex has a few things to fix if they plan on having a better piece of fitness machinery. Not all of them are terrible. These are just things to keep in mind to help you buy. Some of the cons in this case include:
The seat does not lay completely flat
This could be concerning because it cuts off a large option of exercises and work out. This is an unfortunate set back when looking to tone the whole body.
Wobbly when lifting heavier weights
This scared me a little when I first came across it. I feel like it would be difficult to be stable if you are pushing near that 600 lb max limit.
Plywood is used in the seat
The plywood in the seat shows a lack of care when picking materials and I would seriously re- think this if I was a larger person.
These are all a little concerning seeing as they all could lead to injury. A plywood seat could snap under pressure. A wobbly piece of equipment could buckle under pressure as well. So make sure when really packing on the weight to use a spotter to avoid a trip to the hospital. The seat not laying flat could cause back pain via muscle spasms or a sprain. These are worse case possibilities, they may not even happen.
The Verdict
Impressively large it is the ultimate in home gym fitness products. It is large and ready for you to lift to your hearts content. This is a great choice for those of us who are ambitious. Once again, it was made to blow the competition out of the water.
It is strong durable offers many options in order to optimize your work outs. The build is sturdy. The finish is tough. Nothing beats the excitement when the Competitor CB 729 Weight Bench shows up at your doorstep.