So I took the plunge and ordered the Super Bench. Now I'm checking out the attachments. I'll definitely need the crunch and leg extension attachments. The others are optional. I'm on the fence for the preacher curl and chin up attachments. Any thoughts on those? Which attachment do you find indispensable and which one do you regret buying? Thanks!
http://www.ironmaster.com/store/Super-Bench-c-2.html
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03-31-2008, 08:37 PM #1
Which Ironmaster Super Bench attachments should I buy?
Last edited by greenleaf; 03-31-2008 at 08:41 PM.
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03-31-2008, 08:55 PM #2
- Join Date: Apr 2006
- Location: New York, United States
- Age: 46
- Posts: 163
- Rep Power: 350
I have all the attachments...The dip and chin up attachments are good. What I liked about the chin-up is the adjustable heights. I was going to buy a power tower, but my ceiling was too low for it. With the superbench chin-up attachment I can put it low enough to get enough head room for a pull up. The only attachment I don't like is the preacher, Personally I think it is set up too low the way it connects to the bench, leaving your back in an awkward rounded position, and I'm not a big guy (5'7"). I used it once and now it sits in the corner of the weight room. I wrote to ironmaster to see if there was an extension to make it higher and they told me to put the bench at a slight incline. So basically its a standing preacher. Bad design IMO. Everything else I am happy with though
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03-31-2008, 08:57 PM #3
- Join Date: Mar 2008
- Location: Gainesville, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 890
- Rep Power: 825
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03-31-2008, 09:24 PM #4
I'm also 5'7" but at 145lbs. How do you like the height of the bench on flat position? Can you rest your feet firmly on the floor when you flat bench?
How stable is the chin up bar for you?
How's the leg extension attachment since there are no handle bars on the side to keep your upper body stable during leg curls?Last edited by greenleaf; 03-31-2008 at 09:27 PM.
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03-31-2008, 09:52 PM #5
Damn that thing sure has a lot of accesories...from a pulldown to a wheel kit, LOL, stands, everything...
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03-31-2008, 10:07 PM #6
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04-01-2008, 12:17 AM #7
- Join Date: Mar 2008
- Location: Gainesville, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 890
- Rep Power: 825
The height is fine for me. I can rest my feet firmly on the floor. The chin up bar, however, is not very stable. It tends to shake when I use it. I don't have the leg extension attachment so I can't speak to that. Overall, it's a great bench. My only dislikes are the instability of the attachments and the seat as it is rather small.
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04-01-2008, 12:21 AM #8
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04-01-2008, 12:23 AM #9
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04-01-2008, 12:42 AM #10
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04-01-2008, 06:40 AM #11
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04-01-2008, 06:59 AM #12
I don't own the pull up attachment but I do own and use the dip attachment. I weigh 195-200 pounds. I find that the base of the bench is stable but I do get a little wobble through the attachment. The movement seems to come from the fit of the attachment into the bench. While it wobbles I don't find it to be excessive. If you really wanted to you could probably remove the wobble with some duct tape. In the end I think the extra wobble might actually be beneficial in that your muscles have to compensate for balancing during the exercise. In regard to weighted dips, they are possible. I simply flip the dip attachment to the other side (padded side of bench). The exercise chart that comes with the bench shows the exercise being performed on the backside of the bench. I'm not sure if flipping the attachment to the opposite side affects the integrity of the bench, but it seems solid enough to me. If you still want to do weighted dips on the side of the bench the manual shows there are other ways to make this possible; weighted vest, chains, etc.
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04-01-2008, 08:17 AM #13
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04-01-2008, 09:19 AM #14
I think you have to have the crunch attachment if you want to use it at a very steep decline. I also have the curl attachment and it seems fine to me, I'm not much on curls but sometimes...curls for the girls you know. I use my rack for dips and pull-ups.
I kind of wish I had the wheels so it would be easier for the fiance to move around. She's really getting into compound movements and needs similar functionality to me....but at 125 pounds moving a 60 pound bench is more of a chore for her than I like.
For all those that knock this bench, it isn't perfect but it is darn good. I'm a big guy and I lift heavy and it works fine for me. If I had the room, I'd have a 17 inch flat bench to more accurately replicate meet equipment but life is about choices. I gave up a competition bench so I could get the rack and IM and I get more diversity in my workout (squats and rack deads among others).
Best,
B
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04-01-2008, 10:04 AM #15
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04-01-2008, 12:01 PM #16
I just want to say that I have the Super Bench along with the Pull-up, Leg, Dip, and Crunch attachments and love and use them all. I honestly don't regret buying any one of them. I also have their 120lb Quick Lock DB's and absolutely love those as well. Pretty much I don't think you can go wrong with any of the attachments.
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04-01-2008, 12:22 PM #17
- Join Date: Mar 2008
- Location: Gainesville, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 890
- Rep Power: 825
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04-01-2008, 12:26 PM #18
- Join Date: Apr 2006
- Location: New York, United States
- Age: 46
- Posts: 163
- Rep Power: 350
Well actually thats one thing I didn't like about the bench, here's a quote of mine from another thread.
How stable is the chin up bar for you?
How's the leg extension attachment since there are no handle bars on the side to keep your upper body stable during leg curls?
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04-01-2008, 07:37 PM #19
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04-01-2008, 08:42 PM #20
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04-01-2008, 10:55 PM #21
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04-01-2008, 11:04 PM #22
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04-02-2008, 05:52 AM #23
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04-02-2008, 12:36 PM #24
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04-03-2008, 05:58 AM #25
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04-03-2008, 07:47 PM #26
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04-04-2008, 04:18 AM #27
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04-04-2008, 05:58 AM #28
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04-04-2008, 07:15 AM #29
- Join Date: Apr 2006
- Location: New York, United States
- Age: 46
- Posts: 163
- Rep Power: 350
Here is a pic of the preacher installed in the flat position. When I sit on the bench sitting upright with a flat back my elbows just reach the preacher pad, which kindof defeats the purpose. The preacher should sit higher on the triceps area. Here's a pic (I was going to sit there in the pic to show you but I didn't have anyone to take the pic)
Now after contacting IM to see if they had an extension kit to raise it up higher, They told me to increase the incline of the bench and use it that way. So in this position it not actually like standing like I mentioned earlier, it is better explained as compared to sitting on a sport bike. Personally I don't like it. But here's the other pic.
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04-05-2008, 01:31 PM #30
I finally got my bench and really liked it. I'm checking out some attachments. The preacher curl looks OK to me but the dip attachment looks "dangerous" with that arc thing like a blade right below your balls.
Can the leg extension attachment accommodate non-Olympian plates like those made by Cap with the smaller hole?
Last edited by greenleaf; 04-05-2008 at 01:34 PM.
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