XMark Adjustable FID Weight Bench, 11-Gauge, 1500 lb. Capacity, 7 Back Pad Positions from Decline to Full Military Press Position, Ergonomic 3 Position Adjustable Seat XM-7630

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Houstonian1 - Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2016

The XMark XM-7630 is a commercial grade very high quality weight bench.

The XMark XM-7630 is a commercial grade heavy duty and very high quality weight bench. I am writing this after two years of ownership and the bench looks almost brand new even though my wife and I use it almost daily. The bench has extra thick and very high quality padding. The materials and components are all high quality and consist of heavier gauge metal. There is a two inch gap between the butt pad and the back padding, but that gap is because of the heavy duty swivel bolts securing the butt pad (which raises and lowers to horizontal) and the back padding (which also raises and lowers) to the frame itself. The gap does not bother us at all. Although the unit is heavy because of quality materials, the frame includes two wheels and a moving handle so moving around the room or house is easy. This has been an excellent purchase and I would recommend this bench to anyone looking for a higher quality and longer lasting bench than the less expensive benches you may find at the typical sporting goods store. I purchase online almost daily and rely on other reviews to guide me to smart purchases. I write both positive and negative reviews, as can be witnessed from my review history, based on my experience. If you find this review helpful, please click the "yes" button below.

3.0 out of 5 stars

By ZerOxShadows - Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2020

It's a Love-Hate Relationship

I found this bench particularly hard to review as there are certain things I love about it, then there are some things I absolutely hate. I found it best to split the review into different categories and provide my ratings for each. Quality (5-stars) The quality of this bench is impeccable. It perfectly hits that comfortable sweet-spot where the padding is buttery soft but still firm enough that you have a solid foundation to workout on and don't feel like you're sinking into the bench. It is super sturdy, reliable, and the craftsmanship is flawless. No manufacturer errors or cosmetic blemishes. I feel safe using this bench and that allows me to clear my mind of unnecessary worries and focus on my workout. Price & Customer Service (5-stars) That leads me to price. For $360 and free shipping, you'd be hard pressed to find a better quality bench. I combined Customer Service because, personally, when I consider the price of an item it goes beyond the actual item but also for the reliability of the brand's customer service. Whenever I have a question, they reply promptly via email (I received a response within 24 hours) and they typically ship within 1 business day from the time of purchase. I have bought several items from X-Mark (barbells, Olympic plates, bench, rubber mats) in the month of July and have always been more than happy for what I paid for. Packaging, while it may be the last thing on some people's minds, is always top notch. In the era of online shopping, this is a huge plus. As stated, all my purchases have been large or heavy and I have never received an item that was damaged. Their packaging almost ensures that the customer will receive their products undamaged. Functionality (2-stars) I found that while I do love the quality and enjoy how comfortable the bench is, it very impractical. The problem comes from the idea that you can use this as a decline bench. When companies do this, they try to do too much and turn what should have been a home-run product into something not as great. The added decline function led to the front seat being extremely wide (16 inches at the widest point) so you can hook where your knees bend and higher overall (19 inches from floor to top of the bench when laying flat) to compensate for the function of being able to position the backrest lower than flat. Side note: This problem is then compounded by the fact that when you do position it in decline, the end of the seat is raised higher but the foot pegs is in a fixed position. Meaning, unless you have extremely long legs, there is no way you will be able to have your feet hook onto the foot pegs to hold you in place while you do your decline exercises. And when when you think about the number of decline exercises that can't be done to the same effectiveness as doing them flat or on an incline, the number of decline exercises is zero - making the decline feature unnecessary for my workouts. My wife on the other hand, may use the decline feature for barbell hip thrusts (to lay on starting from the floor) and that's it. The wideness of the seat is my biggest gripe and I actually do not look forward to my chest workouts because of this bench. It is a lot more difficult than it needs to be to get in and out of the bench because you can't just stand up and walk away like you would in a commercial gym where the seat is actually narrower as it gets to the end (the complete opposite of this bench). You kinda have to stand up and wide stance shuffle your way past the seat or just place the dumbbells on the seat and swing one leg over the bench and dumbbells to get out. On paper this doesn't seem too bad but imagine having to this before and after every set, which gets a lot more troublesome when you have larger/heavier weights. As someone who primarily uses the flat and incline features, it's just not practical and becomes very awkward. I don't like to drop the weights and I feel unsafe when I have to get out with heavier dumbbells while holding them. Lately I have just decided to place them on the bench seat (even during incline) and just swing my leg over to save the stress on my lower body joints. The added height is a minor issue, but an issue nonetheless since most benches are around 17.5 inches - 18" inches. After a month of use there is still some awkwardness of not really knowing where is the best place to put my legs for different upper body exercises and I find myself alternating between the foot rest or the floor. Not the biggest issue but it definitely felt better when there was no question on where to put my legs and I could better drive from the floor for all my exercises. Lastly I also want to point out that the gap between the seat and the backrest is pretty massive. From the lowest point of the joints to the highest point of the bench while laying flat is 2 1/4 inches. The gap between the seat and the backrest is 2 inches. The indent (where the cushion of the backrest and seat start to slope down towards the joints) is a whopping 7 inches from end to end. When I am using this as a flat bench, I almost have to treat the back rest as a separate bench entirely so my hip doesn't sink into the area of the gap which would lead to my lower back curving. My concern for this as a preventative approach to future back or hip pains. I have been bodybuilding since I was 17 y/o and have not suffered any major pains or injuries in the past 13 years and have only become more conscientious of my body as I get older. Overall, I couldn't be happier with the quality of this bench and X-Mark as a reliable brand but the functionality and design of this bench leaves plenty of room for improvement. If this bench was designed without having to accommodate for decline feature, it would be a home run product. But from my experience, I can't recommend this bench if you're trying to replicate a long-term commercial gym setup for heavy weight exercises. With regards to availability due to COVID-19, X-Mark seems to have the most available equipment online compared to their competitors (Rogue, REP, etc.). That isn't to say that they are in the same league but it is simply a commentary on needing a solid product now versus waiting indefinitely. I am 5'8" and 175 lbs.

3.0 out of 5 stars

By C Schott - Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2017

Just not right when using heavy weights

I can't recommend this bench. The reason I am giving it 3 stars and not less is that the third party seller let me return it. Also, like others have stated and the reason I initially bought it, it is sturdy. I have no doubt that it can hold a lot of weight. It did not wobble with initial use and all the bolts and weldings seemed very sturdy as well. I was looking for something well made and in that regard it fit the bill. There are two big negatives that should make you think twice about purchasing this bench. 1) Its height off the ground is too high and 2) The padding is too soft. For the former, when using incline the height makes you balance your feet on the thin, oddly placed, foot bar. Its just not a very good base for pressing heavy weight. Its also awkward getting heavier dumbbells into place in incline. I assume it is higher off the ground for decline, which is awkward as well because of the placement of the rubber foot bar. Its like they didn't consult anyone who uses even moderatley heavy dumbbells when designing it. For #2, the pad is just a little to soft. You shouldn't feel like your sinking in. Again, heavy weight problems. The real issue is it's a very well made bench that's uncormfortable or just not practicle. There are good benches out there that are less expensive and perfectly capable for those who use lighter weights.