DTX Adjustable Weight Bench With Barbell Rack Leg Extension & Arm Preacher Curl

When readings review for this bench (and others) I couldn't help but notice people complaining about things they simply don't understand how to use, such as the leg attachments, butterfly attachments etc... But anyway I hope other people find this review helpful. The instructions are perfectly fine. It took me about 10 minutes to construct (however I have owned previous benches and gyms so I have experience with this). I only needed an adjustable spanner and one of those flat ones to hold one side. The inventory list in the instructions is incorrect - it state things like 8 x sponge rollers but there is only 6 (and only 6 needed just like in the pics). It also had some of the amounts of washers and nuts incorrect so at first when I was sorting the pieces into piles (this took longer than actually assembling it) I thought "oh no there's pieces missing" but I went ahead and assembled it anyway and discovered I had the exact right amount of pieces and it was the inventory that is wrong/out of date. The actual instructions consist of pictures but it's all very self explanatory. The bench itself: -pros The bench is light weight and easy to move around. If you need to save some space when it's not being used it can just be flipped on its side/back. The bench feels sturdy, in fact it's the sturdiest bench I've ever come across and feel quite safe using it. I've had equipment before that has arrived half rusted with paint missing, I had nothing like that with this bench, indeed it looks very slick and decent quality so far.. I am able to use all of the attachments with this bench (I am 6 foot tall) with no problems. -cons: The bench does have a couple of cons and there is room for improvement. It would be nice if the butterfly attachments could just unscrew or click into place like the preacher curl attachment, and it would be good if these were adjustable. The butterfly attachments need bolts so if you want to keep taking them off that will interrupt your workout and get annoying - luckily I have no problems keeping these on. (see below). The width of the bench is a little on the narrow side, more so than some other benches, it's not a problem if you are slim built but if you are heavy then there might not be much room. The vertical bars that hold the barbell feel a little too close together although at this width you can get away with using a slightly smaller than ideal barbell (30 inches between the weights minimum). -the attachments and bench usage The length of the bench is fine, standard bench length really. I don't know what some people expect, I have concluded that they simply don't know how to use weight benches. You are not supposed to be able to lay down completely flat on a weight bench (head to toe). You are supposed to use your legs to help with balance etc..I am 6 feet tall and the length of the bench is fine, you get on and slide into position...If you're like 8 feet tall then you might have issues but then you'd be used to things like that and know what to expect.. The preacher curl is great and it's fast and easy to remove, no spanners needed, the height of it is adjustable. The leg attachment is likewise very good. Some people have complained that it's too close to the ground and their feet don't fit - you are using it incorrectly. When you do sets with this your leg isn't supposed to start at a 90 degree angle, you are supposed to start at about 30/40 degrees (your heel would just be above the floor and your leg would be at an angle). Otherwise you put unnecessary strain on your joints and tendons. Like wise for the preacher curls. I don't know how people are using them or if they are used to doing flat flyes incorrectly but I have no problems with it. Again you are not supposed to have your forearms out stretched, they are supposed to be angled otherwise you use the wrong muscles for that exercise. Now to talk about the actual bench press, the main part of the bench. Some people have complained that the butterfly attachments get in the way of the bench press. Again, you must be doing something wrong because I have no problems and I'm 6 foot tall. The only way that your arms can hit the butterfly attachments when using the bench press is if you are positioned incorrectly or if you are lifting the bar incorrectly. When you perform a rep the barbell should be parallel to your chest - (inline with your nipples). The bar should not be going anywhere near your head. Another thing people forget is that on the down motion of the rep your elbows should never go below 90 degrees (keep them level with your back). If they go down past that position then they will start to hit the butterfly attachments at some point (a good reminder that you are doing it wrong, this puts stress on your joints that is only going to damage them). The vertical bars that support the barbell are quite close together and like what others have said you want to grab the bar right where they intersect. A longer barbell would probably be beneficial with this weight bench. And also don't forget to keep your back flat, no arching! So far I'm very happy with this purchase. I bought it primarily for the bench press and preacher curl. I wish the bench press bars were positioned better but the leg attachments and butterfly curls coupled with its light weight and sturdiness help raise this bench above most of the other cheap ones. I just need to invest in some better weights!

Considering this is under £100 it’s a decent bit of kit for home work outs providing you have the space. Easy to assemble, easy to use, seems steady, no complaints.

I bought this bench and have been using it for heavy exercises for about a month. It’s worth mentioning I’m about 5”9 and I’m stocky with average limb proportions. I quickly realised the butterfly curl was not possible due to how close to the top of the bench they are located, so I removed them. Also that the leg curl would not take a weight heavy enough the he used for anything apart from conditioning, so I also removed that. Another problem I encountered was how close the higher level of incline caused the bench to be to where the barbell sits, meaning it is a struggle to use incline bench. Also the space between the two poles that hold the barbell is too narrow, meaning that I have to adjust my grip once to barbell is off the holding poles. I would not recommend this bench to anyone the same size and build as myself Apart from all of this the bench is good quality, easy to build and is sturdy when assembled correctly, the preacher curl attachment is the main reason I invested in to this bench and also the ability to remove it quickly aswell

6ft guy, wider than average. Negatives first. The barbell supports are pretty much by my shoulders but with a little shift its bearable. Butterfly's are useless, if you're buying this for them then keep browsing. Preacher pad needs removal for leg work, leg fixings come loose fairly easily and the pads slip. Incline press you'll need dumbells, there's no room otherwise. Also adjustable dumbells may struggle to fit in the barbell cradle, if you think your bar is short then use the dumbells without the extender. Some ugly welds, if you like a beautiful product this isn't it. The instructions are horrible. Positives. It's sturdy, surprisingly so. It's cheap. Easy picture diagram in the manual, construction is pretty quick.

Very happy with this purchase. Arrived quickly and well packaged. Even though the unit doesn't fold away, it's compact enough to not need a great deal of space. The instructions are a little tricky. I had to read and re-read to understand the components properly. Although I didn't have the inventory problem some reviewers have mentioned. If you take your time and group all the parts together you won't have a problem. One *important* thing to note is you will need your own tools to put it together. I bought a cheap spanner/wrench set from Argos to assemble. A couple of "gotchyas" to be mindful of when putting it together. The base of the left and right arms need to sit "outside" of the stoppers on the main frame before you fix them on. I fixed one on and got it stuck because the arm was in front of the stopper. And make sure the bar that supports the long body and shorter seat cushions is the right way round before you start fixing it to the header and footer of the unit. The instructions don't show this terribly clearly but they do if you look closely. I assumed that the preacher curl would allow you to use the roll bar underneath for bicep curls. It doesn't I'm afraid, no matter what position you set the preacher cushion to. It's perhaps not meant to but I know I've done it on similar units. This is a nice looking compact and sturdy unit in a high-gloss black finish, and as one reviewer has already said, bench presses with the bar bell won't hit anything if you perform them correctly. The bench is sturdy in all positions and very comfortable. Worth the buy for beginner/intermediate weight training enthusiasts.

Great product although one part of the instructions was incorrect regarding a screw size but otherwise easy to assemble, great quality feels just like the equipment you would find in the gym. Haven't tried out the leg curl or arm curls but I can guarantee the arm curl is going to be awkward with body position also a bit disappointed that the main head board doesn't incline or recline as much as I would like but that's a minor problem at the price. Would buy again and would recommend if you want to do basic chest press exercises, it's not great for back exercises as you need the chair to recline further, also the barbell gives you little room to manoeuvre but again a minor gripe.

The distance between the bench press supports is narrow, shoulder width to be precise, so the floor in the design is not obvious until you go to use it. You have to raise the weights holding outside the support, which when replacing them back on the stand with out a spotter is a bit worrying. The supports on the bench press are so narrow that if you have a standard 5' bar, remove a weight from one end and watch the other end crash to the nice wooden floor and put a big dent in your living room floor if your lucky enough not to be chinned by the end of the bar nearest you flying upward. so it needs 2 people to load and unload a bar more than shoulder width apart. A tad dangerous in my opinion, its not mentioned in the not so easy to read instructions. The fly press, what a waste of time, I mean it really is a waste of time unless your hands are where your elbows are, even if you are shorter in stature and even then you will not get a full range of movement. The bolt on the thigh extension should have a plastic nut cover on to stop it mercilessly removing the flesh from your right hand leg when you use it. Oh and it does not store flat, from a storage point of view it has none, unlike most others, when its built it is there until you unbuild it. but this does have the fly press which does not work . NO I would NOT recommend. TBH if I had realised what it was like earlier I would have fired it back but I bought it as a present and didn't actually see it until it was too late. Just my opinion, some may have differing opinions, the choice is yours but if you buy one and agree with my findings just come back and give a "helpful" tick to prove my point. Have a wonderful day

This is the first all in one bench set I have bought for home use, and it seems (so far) to be holding up well. Build quality is very agreeable. But please beware of the instructions. The bolt lengths listed in the manual vs what you will get in the box are NOT accurate, but with a bit of intuition and following the exploded assembly drawings, you should be just fine. This fits nicely into my home and has given me the rest of the tools to continue working out without the need for a gym!