Freak Athlete ABX Bench Review: The Best Adjustable Weight Bench for Home Gyms (Honest Take)
This blog is base on a video from my YouTube channel. If you prefer to watch that, click here.
I'll be honest — I didn't want to love this bench.
I already love the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro, and coming on here to rave about another piece of their equipment feels a little like I'm just a walking advertisement for them. But after putting theFreak Athlete ABX Bench through a full month of real workouts (me AND my husband, because he couldn't stay away from it), I genuinely can't say anything other than: this is the best adjustable weight bench I've ever used.
And I've been training for 22+ years. I've used a LOT of benches.
So let's get into it — what makes it different, who it's actually for, and the one thing I'd change.
What Is the Freak Athlete ABX Bench?
The ABX is a premium adjustable weight bench designed for home gym setups. It's built by Freak Athlete — the same company behind the Hyper Pro (their hyperextension/GHD machine) — and it follows the same design philosophy: insanely sturdy build, smart engineering, and more versatility than you'd expect from something that fits in a dining room.
Yes, I said dining room. More on that in a second.
At a glance:
Dimensions: ~50" long x 24" wide
Weight capacity: 1,000 lbs
Backrest adjustability: 0° to 85°
Seat positions: 5 (0°, 10°, 20°, 30°, 40°)
Top pad positions: 4
Setup time: ~20-30 minutes
Starting price: ~$600 for bench alone
Setup & Build Quality
Assembly took about 20-30 minutes total. A lot of the components came pre-assembled, which I appreciated, and Freak Athlete provides an instructional video that's actually easy to follow (not the usual IKEA-style nightmare).
But honestly? What impressed me most was the moment I started putting pieces together and felt the build quality. Heavy-duty steel. Zero wobble. I literally rocked side to side on this thing trying to get it to move during filming and it did not budge. That kind of stability matters — especially if you're lifting anything meaningful or doing plyometric work.
For context: budget benches under ~$200 tend to wobble from day one and deteriorate fast. Commercial gym benches (think Rogue) are tanks but lack adjustability and finesse. The ABX hits a sweet spot between the two that I haven't found anywhere else.
Adjustability: Where This Bench Actually Shines
This is what separates the ABX from most adjustable benches on the market.
Backrest: Goes from flat (0°) all the way to 85°, adjusting smoothly with one hand. No pins to fumble with mid-workout.
Seat: Five positions (0° to 40°). The coolest engineering detail? As you adjust the backrest, the seat automatically closes any gap between the pads. Zero gap. Seamlessly. I don't know how they figured that out but it's genuinely impressive.
Top pad component: Four positions, including a fully flat option and a decline position — plus it detaches and repositions for exercises where it would just be in the way (more on that below).
Why this matters: Most "adjustable" benches give you flat and maybe two incline settings. If neither is the exact angle you need for a movement, you're out of luck. The ABX gives you enough positions to dial in what you actually want.
Space-Saving for Home Gyms
Here's the thing that sold my husband instantly: this bench stands upright vertically and doesn't wobble or feel like it's going to fall over. It's rated for it. So when I'm not using it, it tucks into a corner of my dining room and takes up almost no floor space.
At ~50" long and 24" wide, it doesn't dominate a room the way most benches do. If you're working with a home gym that isn't a dedicated garage or basement, this is a real differentiator.
Exercises I've Been Doing On It
The versatility here is genuinely impressive. Here's what I've been using it for regularly:
Upper body:
Flat and incline dumbbell press (every angle I want, not just the two standard settings)
45° bicep curls (the ATG/Knees Over Toes protocol angle — clearly marked on the bench)
Tricep overhead extensions (top pad flipped out of the way so it doesn't interfere)
Shoulder press
Chest-supported rows (top pad repositioned to support chest — game changer)
Dumbbell flyes
Lower body & compound:
Bulgarian split squats
Hip thrusts
Box jumps / plyometric work
The fact that I can transition between these movements mid-workout without a bunch of fussing around is genuinely something I didn't realize I was missing until I had it.
The Attachments (Optional Add-Ons)
Freak Athlete makes several attachments for the ABX. Here's the current pricing breakdown:
I currently have the dip attachment and it works exactly as described — locks in securely, stable enough that I'm not second-guessing it when I'm doing loaded dips.
The attachments are genuinely useful additions, not gimmicks. But even bench-only, I think the investment is worth it.
My One Criticism
I'm going to be direct: the Freak Athlete ABX and Hyper Pro attachments don't cross-compatible with each other.
I already have the leg developer for my Hyper Pro. I would love to be able to use it on the ABX bench too. Right now, that's not possible — ABX attachments stay with ABX, Hyper Pro attachments stay with Hyper Pro.
It's genuinely my only complaint, and honestly, I suspect Freak Athlete will eventually solve this since they're good at listening to customer feedback and evolving their products. But as of right now, it's something to factor in if you already own other Freak Athlete equipment.
Is the Freak Athlete ABX Bench Right for You?
It probably IS for you if:
You're building a home gym and want something that will last years without wobbling or breaking down
You have limited space and need equipment that stores vertically without risk of falling
You want enough adjustability to actually vary your training angles
You're willing to invest in quality over budget-friendly alternatives
It probably ISN'T for you if:
Budget is tight — this is an investment, not a starter bench
You prefer very cushy padding (the ABX padding is firm, which I personally prefer for stability in movements like Bulgarian split squats, but if you want to feel like you're lifting on a pillow, this isn't your bench)
You already have significant Freak Athlete equipment and were hoping for cross-compatible attachments
Bottom Line
After 22 years of training and a lot of benches, this is the one I'd buy again without hesitation. The combination of build quality, adjustability, space efficiency, and versatility for home gym use is genuinely unmatched at this price point.
It almost made me annoyed at how good it is, honestly.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. Purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I've personally tested. This is not a substitute for professional fitness advice — always train in a way that's appropriate for your individual health and fitness level.
Want help building a home gym setup that actually works for your space and goals? Book a free discovery call and let's figure out what makes sense for you.
