The F704 Flat / Incline / Decline System Bench is a great dumbbell bench, but it was specifically designed to work with the BODYCRAFT XFT, RFT, Jones Machines and the F430 Power Rack, plus it will work with most brands of Smith Machines and Racks. As the bench inclines, the pads slide back staying in line with the bar, so you spend less time maneuvering the bench forward and back. No need to turn the bench around when performing exercises like a shoulder press. Expand your workout by adding the F711 Leg Extension/Curl/Hold Down and the F710 Arm Curl Attachments. See OPTIONS for details.
*Note: This bench does not include the leg hold down, The locking F711 Leg Ext/Curl Attachment is available for purchase. See OPTIONS for details.
dreinha5 –
Just as the description indicates, this bench can be used in any configuration inside a power rack or smith machine. Conventional flat-incline-decline benches have to straddle the back lower bar of the rack to be able to lift off the rear supports. That’s not an option if you have a lat attachment. Because the front of the Bodycraft bench slides backwards, there are no such clearance issues even at full incline.
Quality is excellent in my opinion, far superior to my Marcy (Impex) AB4050 FID bench and at least as good as the Bowflex 5.1.
Only negatives to note:
Full incline isn’t as inclined as other benches I’ve seen, probably only 80 degrees, not a problem for some (If you want to be fully upright what do you need the bench for) but if you insist on this feature, you should know it’s not available.
Assembly instructions differ slightly from actual product. The assembly is still obvious and foolproof, and the engineering on what you actually have is superior to what is shown. Must have been redesigned with making a correction to the manual.
E. S. Franke –
Title says it all. I’m a light guy, but this is built like a tank and would withstand several times my weight without a problem.
I got this to be able to use in a power rack. It is the only Incline/Decline bench that you can incline yet still use at the back of a power rack, due to the sliding mechanism. This lets you fit it all the way in there, saving space in your workout area. Especially helpful if your rack is near or against a wall – other benches need to be put through the rack and stick out the back. Otherwise, you incline bench off the front of the rack – I don’t want this, because I want to squat off the front! I can have a dedicated squat bar and a bench bar and not have to change them every workout.
Instructions seemed incorrect at times – it seems like this product was revised at some point with some slightly different parts but the instructions were not updated to match. Still, it isn’t rocket science to figure it out.
James B –
All in all, a good bench, if not overpriced . As has been mentioned in other reviews, I am not a fan of the space between the seat and the the bench as I would prefer to have all of my back firmly supported at all times under a loaded barbell. So far, this has proven not to be a problem as much of a preference, but decide if that is a dealbreaker for you before buying. I bought the bench to compliment the Bodycraft F730 power cage I purchased from Amazon thinking it would properly fit the cage (which it does) and missed that there was a gap between seat and bench in flat position. I primarily only use the bench for flat bench press but wanted to have the option to do incline, decline work. I did not lower my rating based on that as most adjustable FID benches that I have used are like that (tho not as big of gap). Just throwing it out there for those who might find issue with it
As far as the bench moving into flat, incline, decline positions, it does the job very nicely.. The roller pads at the end of the bench? Not necessary in my opinion, even a possible distraction at times. Easily worked around though. Again, my preference.
Finally, putting the thing together. The instructions were more of an exploded diagram and I had all sorts of difficulty assembling it. I don’t want to come off as harping on what others would say is a small point, but when I am shelling out hundreds of dollars, the instructions should be crystal clear and thorough. I consider the assembly manual part of the product and knocked off a star for that reason.
Overall a fine bench. If having a noticeable space/gap between the seat and bench is a issue, you might want to reevaluate if you need a FID adjustable bench and opt for a flat, but that is only my two cents
Brandon Ripple –
I’m a big guy. This bench is sturdy and I really couldn’t ask for more for the price! Very good bench!
mshockle –
[I use this with the bodycraft f730 rack]
The bench itself is very comfortable and easily adjustable to most positions in your workout and the wheels on the backend are great for moving the bench in and out of the rack you likely have to go with this. This bench is very stable and built to last.
The leg attachment that goes with this is good and I have put about 130lbs on it without it tipping over so it is stable.
The arm-curl attachment is not well thought out and you should skip it, though I encourage you to read my review about it which is posted here on amazon as there is a problem with its’ design that makes the whole bench tip forward slowly.
The default roller pad attachment kind of had me confused for a while as you dont use them during normal pressing if the bench is all the way in the rack but could easily be case if you only went partially into the rack and pressed from the front OR if you used the bench standalone for a number of exercises. Most of the time however I leave it off.
I thought to myself it would have been cool if they put wheels on the front of the system as well so you could move the rack by tipping from both ends but it is likely that this was left out intentionally to prevent the user damaging the wheels or themselves by accidentally hitting them.
This bench is intentionally smaller than most to be compatible with racks and I think that’s a plus rather than a minus, I am 6′ and I fit comfortably on it. I recommend this bench.
dan laws –
Along with my review of the Yukon ball bearing smith machine( CBS-150, same smith used at our local fire dept.), I use this Body Craft FID bench.
This lets me get all my inclines done, and flat benching as well. I love it for Declines, because it really allows me to truly decline, with out me sliding backwards when heavy pressing. My old bench was different, and I could not lock my legs and feet in, so as the weight got heavier, it would kinda push me back towards my head!
Makes it difficult to rack the bar after you have exhausted yourself, and fought for that final rep, then try to rack the bar while sliding backwards! hahaha
This bench, was a little more in price, but its so solid, and well made, its so worth it. I love the bench so much, they should sell these together as a combo.
I feel very confident decline pressing now, and my max weight has steadily gone up last few years since I got this. its now about 3 years old, and my smith is now over 4yrs old. I could not part with either one. . . ever!
zal –
I picked up this bench to use with my Powertec Power Rack. I love the way the bench slides into the rack when your performing Incline, Decline bench or Shoulder Presses. Great looking bench as well.
My gripe with this bench is that when your benching (flat bench), there is some sway on the back support. This can be improved by tightening the bolts, but guess what? When you tighten the bolts too much it makes changing positions very difficult. So its almost like you either keep the sway and have an adjustable bench or you remove the sway and lose your adjust-ability. I will probably end up picking up another bench solely for flat bench and keep this bench around for everything else.
If it wasn’t for this, I would have given this bench 5 stars.
EmailZola –
I have used this bench daily since purchase and I have grown to enjoy it, previous foibles and all. Does it have a separation in an awkward place? Yes. Does it really matter? No. Does it slide on concrete? Yes. Should I be lifting heavy on concrete? No.
This bench is a joy. The variable slant is perfect. The preacher attachment and leg attachment fit and work perfectly. It feels solid under me no matter how much weight I have in the air. The build is robust. The pad and covering is better than most at my club. I will continue to purchase other items from BodyCraft and recommend them to my friends. Chalk up the review below to a learning curve and being spoiled by the Parrillo Gym.
I changed to a rack and needed a bench to accomplish my chest workouts. Most benches (Body Solid) with a preacher option have a u-shaped front brace that extends outward right where I plant my feet. This is unacceptable when I’ve got 315# over my body. That set my options to only a few benches.
I chose this bench mostly because it is close to the ground so is easier to work dumb bells with. It also appeared to be substantially built. It is built well, is very tight and feels solid under me. No problems with quality or materials used, all top shelf. Easy enough to put together, too.
One flaw comes in the design of the pads. In order to achieve their specialized non-moving incline gimmick the butt pad and the back pad become separated when the bench is set completely flat, like when you want to do a regular bench press. This gap is 3 1/2 inches across so it is difficult to do a bench press unless you either leave a lower portion of your back unsupported (bad idea) or utilize only the back part of the bench. This might be ok for smaller guys but at 6 foot my head hangs over the back of the bench.
1 week later…..
So now I have adjusted the bench and my style so that the aforementioned flaw ain’t so bad. A new problem has surfaced and has me perplexed. Look at the photo and draw an imaginary line where the force of the weight against the pad goes while lifting on incline. It goes back alot instead of down. The bench has a tendency to scoot back during incline lifts. YIKES! I’m going to try a cushy mat to try to stop it but if I can’t this baby goes to Goodwill. I need my bench to Sit! Stay! This one is not so well-behaved.
Donald –
My son (37 years old) and I (62 years old) purchased a F730 Power Rack with all the options (200lb weight stack, extra bar hooks, & cable crossover). We love it, but the bench we were using simply would not go deep enough into the rack to our liking ~ especially when doing any incline bench exercise. We traveled 4 hours one-way to try out the F704 F/I/D Bench at the Columbus, Ohio Retail Outlet.
Alan and Margaret were great to work with. We were there close to an hour and a half ending with us bringing home a new F704 bench with arm curl and leg curl attachments.
Easy assembly and easy to use, but most of all it simply works. This bench slides ‘deep’ into the rack allowing better flat bench presses, and more importantly, it works great for incline bench presses.
We do not have any issue with the separation between the two pads, and the bench is rock solid for us never even hinting at instability or movement.
The best thing I can say about this bench is “We would definitely buy it again!”
Although I rated it 5 stars – on this scale I would give it a 6!
Dan Snyder –
This is bench is a great product and VERY glad I bought it.
I had done a lot of research on which one to buy because I didn’t want to have any regrets after the fact.(You know, the one where you are checking websites and BAM! there is the one you should have bought….) One of the things I REALLY like about this one is the adjustability. You can use it for decline and everything in between, all the way up to almost upright(85 degrees). One of the really cool features about this bench is the way it operates. The seat actually slides back and forth, creating the incline or decline angle, but along with that the angle of the seat bottom can be changed as well creating a very comfortable AND secure seating position allowing you full control during the exercise. This is very helpful when doing dumbbell work because you are much closer to the ground(and the dumbells) so that they are easier to grab and release during the start and finish of the exercise. Putting the bench in a slight incline position during arm curls keeps tension on the biceps during the entire movement.
Going back to the way it adjusts, I have found that it makes it very easy AND quick to get in the right position for whatever type of exercise you are doing i.e; Flat, Incline, Decline Bench Press, Shoulder or Overhead Press. Don’t forget about the Dumbell work either….
I use the Roller Pads at the end of the Bench for stability, leverage or an anchor point during various exercises. For example, you can use them while doing decline sit ups, to help anchor you during Decline Bench, they also help you to resume the starting position from Decline Bench by giving you a place to leverage against(effectively doing a sit up)
I also recommend getting the Leg Developer to go with this. I did not at first and shortly after went back and got one for it. (See my review of that as well.) Should have done that at the same time…..
And another small thing I forgot to mention but has big value is the wheels and overall weight. The wheels make if easy to move, just tip it up and push/pull where you want it to go. When speaking of weight, you want something sturdy and well built but not so heavy that it is a workout to move it.
So, all in all, I DEFINITELY recommend getting one of these.
d_rydall –
Recently bought an XFT and wanted an additional bench, this one fit the Bill. Went together easy and is a great addition to our home gym.
Matthew Hick –
Well though out design. Very stable. I’ve researched several F.I.D. benches and this is one of the best on the market, and at a value price. The way the bench moves it allows better positioning within a power rack. It also makes it easy for incline curls as the seat is close to the ground, making it easier to pick up the dumbbells.
Michael Manoogian –
Assembly was easy and straight forward. Like how smoothly seat moves with the incline function. Wheels make it easy to maneuver aroun. Bench is solid and the feet really grip the floor which is nice wnen working out. I had also purchased the leg attachment which is now my favorite part of the bench. I like how I can remove it when not using. Works seamlessly with mt functional trainer.