REP Nighthawk Bench – The BEST Home Gym Bench in 2025?

Last updated on April 14th, 2025 at 05:13 pm

I’ve said before, and I’ll say it again. I don’t care about Adjustable Benches unless they take attachments. That is why I have yet to own a REP Fitness Adjustable Bench… Until today! The REP Nighthawk has landed in the gym and I am very excited to take it for a ride, especially once their Leg Developer drops.

The REP Nighthawk will be reviewed individually, and then be part of the Adjustable Bench Showdown planned for later this year where I will take all of the Adjustable Benches that take attachments, compare them side by side, and crown a winner.

The REP Nighthawk Bench is now on the Review Pipeline.

Transparency Note

REP Fitness sent the me the Nighthawk, free of charge, for sake of review. They will be sending me the Leg Developer when available as well. REP Fitness also sponsors the Garage Gym Competition.

I am also a REP Affiliate. Using the link in this article gives me a small kick-back and costs you nothing. The funds help manage this website, my YouTube, and the various things I do in the home gym community. I appreciate your support.

REP Nighthawk Overview

REP Fitness has been the Home Gym Bench LEADER for quite some time. They took home multiple awards over on Reddit r/HomeGym for their benches, and a huge number of my home gym reviewer pals have sang their praises for years.

They have taken one of their most popular benches, the AB-4100, and built on it to improve stability, versatility, and overall experience.

REP Nighthawk Specs

• Brand: REP Fitness
• Made In USA: No
• Dimensions While Flat: 51″L x 25.9″W x 16.7″H
• Back Pad Length: 36″
• Pad Width: 11.8″
• Seat Pad Length: 13″
• Pad Gap: 1.57″
• Number of Back Positions: 7 – from Flat to 85 in 15 degree increments
• Number of Seat Positions: 4 from -15, 0, 10, 20
• Recommended Weight Capacity: 700 Pounds
• Weight: 88 lbs
• Warranty Bench Frame: 10 Years (see all here)
• Return Window: 30 Days
• Free Shipping: Yes
• Frame Materials: 7 & 14 Guage Steel
• Assembly: Less than 10 minutes

REP Nighthawk FAQ

REP Nighthawk Shipping & Assembly

REP Fitness continues to impress me with their shipping and assembly. The bench ships in one large box, which was delivered by my FedEx dude. I always offer to help, but he managed to lift it by himself up the driveway without much issue.

The REP Nighthawk bench comes packaged in tight packed, dense foam inserts, wrapped in bags, and everything with a secure spot. Nothing is going ANYWHERE. I had to attach 2 bolts to the front foot, 2 to the back wheel system, then flip the bench over. Attach 4 bolts to each of the front and back pads, and I was done.

While other companies are focused on improving their installation instructions, REP fitness just skipped that piece entirely and focused on reducing the installation steps. No need for a video, 3D map, or QR codes when the instructions are essentially “put the bolts together”. If you have seen an adjustable bench before, you’ll probably get it. The ONLY piece I had to look at, was which way the vertical storage piece went on.

REP even included a handy dandy sticker on the pad and bench frame to make sure you set it up in the right orientation. No looking at the schematic and trying to figure out which way is up or down.

I managed to receive the package around 10am, unpack, assemble, take pictures, edit them, and upload before lunch time. New record?

REP Nighthawk Features

Where REP started crushing it with their adjustable benches, was when they started perfecting the little details. The REP Nighthawk has the right height to be IPF spec. This means more than just being beneficial for powerlifters, it means the bench is an acceptable height for shorter athletes too. The front foot plate is also large enough for stability, but small enough to be out of the way of any bench set-up.

So there is a potential that this bench works as your ONLY bench, without the need for a dedicated flat bench. They also added covers to the rear wheels. The idea is that this keeps dust and debris from landing on the wheels, and then getting ground into your flooring when moved. It ALSO provides a potential spot for spotters to stand depending on your exercise and gym layout.

The pad and seat have that REP grippy texture that we have grown accustom to. This is a big knock against a few of the adjustable benches I’ve used in the past few years. That grippy vinyl is a big winner for the majority of accessory work, and an absolute deal breaker for anything bench press related. They also managed to completely remove the seem on the bottom side of the vinyl, which means no need for that extra piece that gets stapled on and eventually falls off.

MORE KNURLING!

REP went ahead and knurled every single handle on this thing. As much as I don’t think you NEED Knurling on everything that some people claim they do, this is a nice touch. For one, the handles are a black nickel. This is both aesthetically pleasing and also a nice finish to make sure we don’t see any oxidation. And the knurling gives just enough tactile feedback to your hands to make sure you get the job done the first time.

Ladder Adjustments

I’ve owned a half dozen adjustable benches over the years. At some point there was a fixation on pop-pins, but then we switched to the ladder design. I give credit to my guy Adam at Garage Gym Lab for some of this, because he was always happy with how simple the ladder design works. It works every time, is easy to pinpoint where you are at, where you want to go, without having to pull, release, tighten, etc.

The REP Nighthawk has an enclosed rear ladder design for adjustments, that goes from 0 to 85 degrees, in 15 degree adjustments (except for that last 75 to 85 jump). This should be sufficient for everything from bench variations, to curl options, prone rows, and overhead press.

The front seat has a similar ladder style design for the adjustments as well with -15, 0, 10, and 20 degree settings. The front seat adjustments do not appear to have any markings on them, which is probably not as necessary as the back, especially with only four options. You pretty much know if you are flat, decline, or incline.

Vertical Storage & Mobility

A big change from the AB-4100 to the Nighthawk, is the redesign of the vertical storage. The AB-4100 had an extra post out the back side. I’ve handled benches like this before, and the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro has something similar. Not only is it less aesthetic, it also is similar to a tow hitch on a truck. It is only a matter of time before you ram into it.

The team at REP managed to integrate the vertical storage post into the Nighthawk. As someone that has been waiting patiently for Prime Fitness to release a stand for their Shorty Bench, this was a beautiful experience out the gate. I actually forgot that benches could store vertically, as neither my Shorty nor my Inspire SCS bench do so.

Gimme Some Attachments

REP Fitness started in the CrossFit world. Just like Rogue. Just like a LOT of the home gym equipment manufacturers. Not hating on CrossFit, but their anti-machine mentality is something that I blame for the lack of development of machine type accessories and attachments for the home gym market for years.

Luckily, that seems to be swaying towards a more positive outlook, as I am a big believer in pairing the heavy basics with some bodybuilding accessories. REP has had a decline leg roller attachment that is compatible with their Blackwing bench for awhile. The Nighthawk uses the same receiver hardware as that bench.

The difference is that REP has now officially teased their upcoming Leg Developer attachment. The first kind of attachment from REP so far. We don’t have a ton of details yet, but from the pictures it looks like we have Lying Leg Curls and Leg Extensions, but no Seated Leg Curl option. It doesn’t have a cam at all, but it does have band pegs built in. AND they have the ability to connect directly to a cable machine.

From their website description “Bring commercial-quality leg workouts into your home gym with REP’s innovative Leg Curl/Leg Extension Bench Attachment. This compact, affordable accessory instantly transforms your weight bench into a versatile, easy-to-use station for both leg extensions and prone hamstring curls. Enjoy the feel of dedicated commercial machines without compromising on space or budget.”

It also appears to roll into place, instead of needing to be lifted and attached. We’ll know more as we get closer to a release, as this will certainly be added to the testing and review process. Since this is the ONLY attachments REP currently offers, a lot is riding on this.

What I’m Looking For In The REP Fitness Nighthawk

There are a few key pieces to a good bench that takes attachments.

First, the bench itself needs to be a good bench. Most people aren’t going to own multiple adjustable benches just because one is a good bench and the other has some attachment. So the bench, on its own, needs to be a good bench. The specs are definitely there, and with REP’s track record with benches, I’m expecting this to deliver. But we’ll see how it handles my 6ft 240lb+ frame, my wife’s needs, my daughter and her soccer team, and more.

Second, it needs to be designed for a home gym. Big beefy benches are badass, but if I need to haul your brick house of a bench up and around and over stuff, I’m probably going to hate it. It needs to store well. Move well. And then store well again. It needs to handle the weather, being beat up, kicked, stuff dropped on it, and come out the other end looking like nothing happened. So we’ll be putting this to the test for several months before truly sharing any further details.

Third, the attachments need to rock my world. Ok, I’m honestly not looking for them to be revolutionary, just to get the job done for various athletes. Again, I’ve got me at 6ft, my wife at 5ft 6, and my daughter is 8 years old. Can we all use this? Can it handle my beefiness and 550lb squat legs, while also adjusting to my daughters size and strength levels? I’d love to see MORE attachments than a leg developer, but I will say that this is the crucial one for us. The best leg developer might just win the whole thing.

The REP Nighthawk will need to tick all of these boxes if it wants to be crowned my favorite Adjustable Bench with Attachments.

Other Options On The Market

There are a metric ton of benches on the market, so I’m not going to share them all here. We reviewed the HOIST HF-5165 in the past. Owned the original Ironmaster Super Bench as well. But for our Showdown this year, here are the benches I plan to review and test alongside this one.

Prime Shorty

The Prime Fitness Shorty Bench has been in our garage for awhile. It has a number of attachment options, and they recently released the Smart Arm that integrates with this bench as well. It might just be the most well accessorized adjustable bench on the market, and is one of (the only?) the only benches that is Made In The USA that takes attachments.

Check out more on the Shorty Bench here.

Inspire SCS

The Inspire SCS Bench is no longer available as Inspire has stopped making the original FT2. We will still include this in the round up, as their leg developer is one we have used for years with the FT2 as it integrates into the cable stacks.

Check out the Inspire FT2 Review here.

Powertec Workbench

I freaking LOVED my Powertec Levergym, but their bench was always just OK. My understanding is that they are hard at work building a new one, and this has me very excited. I’m hoping it will be done and available in time for this comparison and showdown.

Bells of Steel Buzzsaw

The BuzzSaw was the first adjustable bench with attachments from one of the big retailers. Their bench has a leg developer, but overall appears to be a much less refined bench compared to the Nighthawk. My initial guess is that it won’t stand up, especially considering the prices are fairly close. But this belongs in the discussion.

Ironmaster Super Bench PRO V2

Ironmaster might be the original kings of adjustable benches. When I started my home gym over a decade ago, Ironmaster was kicking butt with the original Super Bench. Yeah, they’ve been killing it for that long. Their line up of attachments includes a lat tower, leg developer, preacher curl, and a lot more. They by far have the MOST attachments available. And the Ironmaster benches always were solid benches. This one is going to be a tough competitor.

Wide Body Bench

The Wide Body Bench is going to be a really unique one. Mostly because, no one else has done a detailed review on it. This is because they don’t send out equipment for free, and they don’t offer an affiliate program. Don’t worry, my Newsletter peeps voted for this bench during my Review Pipeline voting. Which means I’m going to pony up the cash to grab it and the attachments so I can share those good details with all of you. It has a Chest Press, Chest Fly, and Bicep Attachment. Which makes it pretty wild.

Unreleased Benches

My newsletter peeps got to vote a few weeks back on some color options for benches. These are benches from companies that are currently in development, looking to release this year. These are items you haven’t heard about yet, because I only know they exist through some of my NDAs. They will round out the showdown, assuming they release in time.

Sign Up For More

I’ll have a full review on the REP Nighthawk here and put together the Adjustable Bench Showdown over on my YouTube channel. If you have something specific you’d like answered, let me know.

✅ Want to snag the REP Nighthawk? Use this link.