New FID Bench

New FID Bench

I got a FID (Flat, Incline, Decline) Bench for my home gym over three years ago (fall 2005, now being November 2008), but I have never been very satisfied with it. The pad that was initially on it was too narrow, so I replaced it with a pad from another bench. But when I did, the pad got stuck at a slight angle, so when I would bench I would be coming up at an angle. It also seems rather unstable. Plus, it is too high for me, so I have to put planks on the floor for my feet to touch.

When I injured my hamstring I thought it would be good to get a leg curl machine. It will help with rehab and maybe help prevent another such injury. I could have gotten a leg curl attachment for my current FID bench, but it costs $100, and I couldn’t see spending that kind of money for an attachment to a bench I really didn’t like. So instead, I’ve been looking for a new FID bench with a leg curl attachment.

I found some online, but they were quite expensive. So I went o my local Dick’s Sporting Goods. And to my luck, they had a very nice looking and sturdy FID bench with leg curl attachment on sale, $300 for $200. But it took me 15 minutes to find a salesperson, then another half an hour for him to figure out that the only one they had left in stock was the floor model. I told him I’d take the floor model, but the salesperson told me he couldn’t give me that one. But he took my name and phone number and said he would try to get one shipped in from another store.

By the time I got home, he had left a message on my home phone that the bench would be in in a week. But then the next day I got a call that the bench was already in. Since my dad was going to the area anyway, and since the back seat of his car drops down to extend the trunk, he went and picked it up for me. But when he brought it to me, without even taking it out of the car, I could see from the labeling on the package that it was not the right bench.

I called the store, and after being put on hold several times, and being transferred from person to person, finally talking to the manager, and being on the phone for over 45 minutes, they finally figured out that they had given me the wrong bench. Meanwhile, they said they would not be getting any more of the right bench in stock since it was actually a clearance sale, but that I could have the floor model. That’s what I wanted in the first place!

Since the bench they gave me was still in his car, my poor dad had to make another trip to the store to exchange the benches. But to make up for all of the hassles, they gave me another $20 off, plus another $10 off for using my “Dick’s Scorecard.”

In any case, after all those hassles, I got me a new $300 FID bench for just $170. It has not just a leg curl/ leg extension attachment, but also a preacher curl attachment, plus a stand for putting both attachments in when not in use. There are even wheels on one end to make it easy to move around. And one advantage to getting the floor model was I didn’t have to take the time to put it together. As a bonus, it is red and black, my favorite color scheme. And hopefully this bench works out well, and the leg curls help to rehab my hamstring.

I tell this whole story as these types of problems have occurred with almost every piece of equipment I have purchased for my home gym. But eventually, I’ve gotten them worked out. See Setting Up a Home Gym for further details in this regard.

Below are some pics of my new bench. Click any pic for a larger image.

The bench in the flat and incline positions. It has four incline positions, up to 90 degrees.

The bench in the decline position and with the leg curl/ extension attachment.

The bench with the preacher curl attachment and both attachments in the stand.

By way of update, it is now September 2014, and this bench is still in perfect condition, even the pads show no signs of wear. The leg curl attachment worked great for rehabbing my hamstring injury, and I haven't sustained another one since. I don't use the preacher curl attachment much, but the bench itself works great for doing incline and decline benches (I have a separate bench for doing flat benches).

Powerlifting and Back Pain

The first book is geared towards the beginner to intermediate powerlifter. It presents sound training, competition, dietary, and supplement advice to aid the reader in starting and progressing in the sport of powerlifting. The second book details how I overcame years of crippling low back and was able to return to the sport of powerlifting.

Starting and Progressing in Powerlifting: A Comprehensive Guide to the World's Strongest Sport

Overcoming Back Pain: A Mind-body Solution (Second Edition)