Few pieces of equipment in a commercial gym get more use than a flat utility bench. So, it makes good sense to have a flat bench in your home gym arsenal. Trouble is, there are so many to choose from. Which one should you buy? As this review will show, there is a vast difference between the Five Star Flat Bench from Ironmind Enterprises and the $75.00 flat utility bench sold at your local sports store.
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If you want to build a home gym you will no doubt be scratching your head wondering where to start. My advice to anyone who wants to build a home gym is to think in terms of priorities. In my view, the first piece of equipment anyone should buy for a home gym is a solid, strong flat utility bench. In the past week, one was gifted to me. Low and behold it came from one of my favorite strength companies : Ironmind Enterprises.
Ironmind conceived of this bench some 12 years ago, and over the years it has undergone few changes – until now. Their new design of the flat bench is unique. There has never been a better time to try it. I believe it is one of the best benches on the market and for many reasons. It is called the Five Star Flat Bench. This post is a full review, with photos and impressions, but first some background.
As most of you know I have been in and out of the hospital fighting a combination of weight loss, Cystic Fibrosis and Pneumonia. This post marks the beginning of a long climb out of a pit of de-conditioning unlike anything I have ever experienced, courtesy of the lengthy hospital stays.
Exercise is so important when you begin to recover from illness, and sometimes the level of de-conditioning a person can experience is so severe that traveling to a gym is just not going to work. Trust me when I tell you that when I was released from the hospital I was barely able to stand. A week later I am still having a hard time moving around much without getting out of breath or running out of strength. And since training at a gym is not an option, I was forced to look into putting together a home gym again.
Two friends of mine have been coordinating a fund drive to help me gain access to some strength tools, and they asked me what I needed. Two companies immediately came to mind. One is Ironmaster, from whom I obtained my Quick Lock Dumbbells and Ironmind Enterprises, from whom I obtained all my racks and dip handles over the years.
Ironmind Enterprises has been in the business of building some of the strongest and best strength tools in the world. It’s one of the most respected strength companies in the business. Their propensity for innovation is what makes Ironmind stand out, not to mention the toughness of the tools they make, many of which are found in Olympic Training Halls all over the world as well as gyms and universities. However, the innovative designs of their tools make them ideally suited for the home gym environment. I have had a home gym since 1994, and I started out with Ironmind tools. I found their Vulcan Racks (for benching, squatting and dips) and their Pillars of Power safety racks to be tougher, stronger and easier to use than than anything I could find at most of the gyms I have trained at. I cannot think of any higher praise than that!
So, after hearing my glowing praise for Ironmind Enterprises, my two friends began the process of picking and choosing from the Ironmind Enterprises web site. They asked me what I needed most and I told them: a bench!
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As I mentioned, when you begin to build a home gym, you need to think in terms of priorities, and especially if you have a tight budget. The first item on anyones list should be a flat utility bench that can handle as much poundage as you can throw at it.
The reason a good quality flat bench is so vital to your strength program rests in the fact that 95% of all your exercises (bench press, dumbbell rows, dumbbell presses, dumbbell curls and more) will be done on it.
Needless to say, since you will be using the flat bench for the majority of your training, it just makes good sense to have the best bench you can find. That means buying a bench with super strong weld points, stiff tubing, with a deck that is wide enough to allow for step-ups, bench rows and the like. You want a bench that does not rock back and forth and allows for a firm foundation upon which to stand or lay down. You want a bench that is so strong you do not have to worry about it standing up to the pressure and loads brought to bare on it when perform your exercises. Well, the Five Star Flat Bench from Ironmind meets all of these criteria in spades, and it has a few unique design features thrown in which make the bench superior to any other flat bench you can find.
Photos of the bench are scattered to the left and right. You can click on the thumbnail images to see a larger view of the image. Several photos are posted here to allow for a better understanding of what makes this bench to superior to anything you will find in stores.
In this photo, you can se the bench from a good angle. The padding is in place. The padding is very, very firm and offers better support for the body than any other bench padding I have experienced. It is non-slip and offers terrific traction. It will not slip and slide or otherwise shift out of place under duress. And it can be easily removed and set aside for exercises requiring a more solid surface, such as step-ups, stiff legged deadlifts and the like.
What I like about this design concept is that you do not always want to have a padded surface. Sometimes only a stiff metal surface will do and padding-off is not an option with any other bench I know. In the case of the Five Star Bench, it is. Just peel it off and set it to the side. When you are ready to use padding again, simple lay it back into place. There is no sticky residue to mess with, no velcro strips. Just lay it on the bench and the composite material does the rest. Within seconds you are ready to go back to doing your favorite traditional exercises.
In terms of strength, you will always want a bench that is capable of taking more abuse that you can throw at an object in ten lifetimes. The reasons for this has to do primarily with safety. That said, it is also nice to know that a small investment of $300.00 gets you a bench that will be handed down to your kids and their kids and their kids kids.
Benches need to be stable and solid. Benches that have lots of bolts and nuts tend to loosen over time and get wobbly. Solid, one piece benches with strong welds are the only way to go. And this bench fits the bill.
In the last two photos I have stood the bench on its end to give you some perspective. The bench is long as flat utility benches go. There is plenty of room here, even for really tall people. It is 48″ long, with a 12″ wide deck. The height of the bench is a perfect 17″ tall with a base that measures not quite 16 inches (15.5 by my calculations – a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and a ruler on my SOG Power Plier – heheh). This is ample room for the largest of athletes, and smaller athletes will love it.
And you want to talk about strong? How about a bench that can support 4000 pounds! In the last shot, you can see an up-close view of the underside of the bench. Notice the beam of metal along the underside of it? This adds untold rigidity to the landing deck. When you pick this bench up, the sheer a weight alone lets you know that this is not your average flat bench. It weighs around 60 pounds.
In conclusion, this is one tough bench and you can bet it will will last. The design is stout and sturdy and it is pleasing to the eye. This is the perfect flat bench that doubles as a lifting platform when you need it. It gets 5 stars from me.
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Thanks for the review; there’s hardly any first hand info on this bench available online.
Is this the newly redesigned Ironmind bench or one of the previous benches? If you get a chance, could you verify that the top measures 10″ across (vs. 12″ on the new model)?
Congrats on the awesome equipment (and buddies!), and good luck on your road to recovery.
Thank you for your comments. And thanks for the visit.
This is the newest model of the bench and it is 48″ long with a 12″ wide deck. The height of the bench is a perfect 17″ tall with a base that measures not quite 16 inches (15.5 by my calculations). These dimensions result in a bench that feels very stable when you are on it. And as Ironmind states in their catalogue, it’s strong. I am not sure how they tested it, but the the catalogue states that in one test it held 4000 pounds. This is remarkable for a bench that weighs approximately 60 pounds.
I am very pleased with it. More posts on this bench will follow as I am structuring a strength program around the design of it. Should be fairly interesting.
Nice review.
I really like to do incline bench presses. I’ve thought about just getting a bench like this one and placing one end on top of a 18″ or 24″ plyometric box to do inclines with a barbell.
Do you think it is sturdy enough to angle it at that height for inclines?
Do you think I’d have any trouble with the removeable pad if I used the bench for inclines?
Thanks!
I like inclines as well. And yes, this bench works fine when placed on an angle. I built a multi-tiered plyo-box that looks like a small set of stairs. I wish I had a diagram for you. Anyway, this allows for 2-3 different angles instead of just one.
The only caution I have is to make sure you have the bench base on a solid rubber base of some sort, such as a home made lifting platform like the one suggested at Ironmind. Look here: http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/ironmind/Main/homesweathome6.html
Having the bench on one of the rubber sections or some sort of rubber pad will keep it in place.
The removable pad will not slip off once there is even a few ounces placed on top of it. It is a very unique material with some incredible grip/sticky feel with metal. Pretty cool.
My only real suggestion is that if you feel you are going to do lots of incline work, then scrap the idea of the 5-star bench. Consider getting one of these:
Ironmaster Super Bench http://www.ironmaster.com/store/Super-Bench-pr-3.html
I have one of these and it is quite durable and a very affordable bench at around 250.00 The bench is very, very solid. Weighs around 75 pounds or so, and the padding is dense. The padding for the seat could be a bit denser for my taste, and the shape of it could be a bit more tapered.
For about three times as much money, here is a an even more solid adjustable bench (I think it costs around 850.00) that would be as solid as the Ironmind bench and offer the adjustability you want.
http://www.power-lift.com/product_details.php?product_id=2
Power Lift USA is a gold star company. University after university has their weight rooms stocked by Power Lift. It cost top dollar, but the equipment has no equal.
As for me I am happy with my 5-Star
Hope this helps.
Thanks! You’ve been very helpful. I’m still a ways from off from purchasing a bench, so I will continue to learn about adjustable benches as well. For a flat bench the Ironmind 5 Star just seems like the sturdiest and most versatile I can find.
I have been doing incline bench pressing on a flat bench at my gym. I find it gives me way better leverage when I load up the weights for dumbbell pressing, and it’s much easier to lower the weights off to the floor when I’m done. On an adjustable bench I always end up wrenching my shoulder. I also like the ability to remove the pad.
The Ironmaster Quicklocks look fantastic, but I’m skeptical about their Super Bench. It appears to measure very high off the ground for Flat Bench Presses. But I’ll try to keep an open mind.
Thanks again!
Still have the Ironmind bench? I have the Ironmaster Super Bench. How do you think the two compare?
Thanks.
J.
Hi J.
Yes, I still have the 5-Star and I love it. It’s the most solid bench I have ever used, in or out of the gym.
The Superbench from Iromaster offers the great adjustability, and that is a great plus, however I think I prefer the 5-Star because of the firm wide surface. Also, I like being able to remove the pad so I can do step ups on a more solid, non-flexing landing strip.
Looks like the padding just lays flat on the bench top. You mentioned that the padding wont slip while your using it… what about when you move or tilt the bench around- does the pad slip off then? Does it get annoying to have to reposition the pad all the time?
Hi John.
You know, that is an interesting question and its somewhat hard to answer, because it is a “yes and no” kind of thing. I tend to be compulsive about stuff. I like things in order. Can’t stand for things to be crooked even a little bit, whether it be books, lawyers, politicians, preachers…you name it. So, at first it sorta drove me batty. However, as I began to use the bench for a variety of things, I began to appreciate the utility of the bench and the ease with which the pad came off and went back on.
When I am doing step-ups and bent over rows from the bench, even when I do pullovers, I like having a solid steel surface to work from. When doing chest work and the like, I prefer staying put in one place, which is when having this pad comes in handy. As little as a pound or two is all this material needs to stick to the top deck like glue. It really is very cool. Then of course you have the strength of the bench itself which is a plus.
In the final analysis, once I was able to exoerience all the benefits of this bench, I quickly got use to the pad being crooked every so often.
As an aside, I am brainstorming for ways to keep the pad in place when I tilt it up for inclines and such.
thanks for the reply- Im the same way and worry that a crooked pad (even if its just as functional) would annoy me to no end. On the other hand I really like how you can remove the padding for step ups . I guess Ill just have to continue thinking on it.
thanks again
Hi John. Listen, if you are considering this bench I can say with confidence that you will not be displeased or let down. It has exceeded my every expectation. For the record, I get no kickbacks from Ironmind in telling you this.
Furthermore, I also belong to a gym, but if I know I am going to be doing bench work for that day I train at home. No exceptions. I cannot stand the benches at my gym. They wobble, rattle, and just overall do not offer me the confidence I get from my 5-Star bench.
The only time I train at the gym are on days I am doing dead lifts or squats or calf work. My apartment just will not accommodate these movements at present. Other than that, all bench work, chins and dips and dumbbell work is done at home.
Thanks for the great review. First time I hear about Ironmind. I was thinking about buying NewYorkBarbell power lifting bench http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/pro99990.html which is rated at 6,000 lbs, but after reading your review, I’m debating, I really like the look and functionality of the Ironmind Five Star Flat Bench.
With all due respect to York I am really glad I went with the 5-Star Flat Bench. When shopping for a flat bench, one reason I preferred the 5-Star over other benches is that the deck of the bench is a full 12 inches wide. The feet are a bit wider than that even, so the bench is super stable. I also liked the one peace construction. I never have to worry about bolts becoming loosened over time. And yeah, I like the look of the bench as well. Add to that the fact that the cushion is removable and it was no contest for me.
True, it’s pretty expensive for a flat bench, but I think a good bench should be expensive up to a point. In my opinion though, the 5-Star is overpriced. Yep. I said it. The bench I love the most is also a bench that I think is overpriced, as are most of Ironmind’s tools. Having said that, I also think Ironmind’s tools are the best, so I am willing to pay the premium price tag that comes along with owning one of their pieces of equipment. In the 17 years I have owned Ironmind tools, never once have one of their pieces of equipment broken or failed to perform in some way. I just live Ironmind.
Thank you for providing this review. My husband has been looking for one of these for a while. He is always wanting to get the best quality for the money. I may have to surprise him with this for his birthday that’s coming up. =)
He will not be disappointed at all. It is a terrific bench. The best I have ever used, in or out of a gym.