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Weider XRS 20 Olympic Workout Bench Review

Want a way to exercise at home and build your muscles without taking up too much space? This weights bench promises to do it all, read on to see if it delivers on its promise.

Weight training at home can be difficult when you’re first starting out.  You need to consider what space you have available, what equipment you want to get, and how much money you want to spend.

You’ve also got to think about the type of exercise you want to do because while heavy compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and the bench press are great, they also require bigger pieces of kit that not everyone has space for.

That is until Weider came along with a piece of equipment that can give you all of your favorite exercises in one go without taking up too much space.

In this review, we’ll take a closer look at the Weider XRS 20 weights bench to see if it truly is as good as it claims and more importantly, assess whether it’s worthy of a place in your home gym.

Read on to find out.

Overview of the Weider XRS-20 Olympic Weights Bench

The Weider XRS 20 is a heavy-duty weights bench that comes with various features to help you train your whole body in one go. Unlike other machines that use a series of cables, bands, and more to help you train the XRS relies on traditional Olympic weight lifting to help you build your body.

It’s strong enough to take up to 300lbs of weight and it’s designed to be used with Olympic-style weights, including a 7-ft barbell.

It’s no longer than a standard Olympic weights bench but it has various great features that make the Weider XRS so much more than just a bench.

You can train your entire body with this one piece of equipment as it lets you do almost all types of exercises except for the more specialized ones that are only possible in the gym.

Let’s take a look at some of the key features of the Weider XRS 20.

  • Multi-position Bench – The Weider XRS has incredible flexibility and allows you to move the bench through 5 different positions. This gives you a great range of exercise options and means you can truly get the full range of movement in the majority of workouts including the bench press. You can comfortably complete a decline, incline, or flat bench press, but you can also make the bench more upright, which is especially handy for certain movements such as a shoulder press. Of course, you can also use the bench in the standard flat position when doing other movements such as a single-arm row or flat bench.
  • Removable Preacher Curl Pad – Which the ability to add a preacher curl bar to the end of your bench, and comfortably, securely, and safely perform preacher curl exercises, the Weider XRS 20 provides you with a great way to build your biceps and transform your arms.  Using a preacher curl set-up is a great way to isolate the biceps and ensure you’re only working that muscle which free-standing bicep curls do not. It’s great to see this included in the XRS as it’s a muscle that other workout equipment often neglect.
  • Independent Squat Rack – The independent squat rack adds a whole new dimension to this bench as it allows you to complete heavy compound exercises without having to buy a full squat rack or power cage. The stand is compatible with a 7-foot Olympic Barbell and with the ability to take 300lbs of weight, most users should be more than happy with the XRS.

    The stands can be adjusted to fit a variety of heights, just like if you were squatting with a power cage at the gym and as they’re independent, you don’t have to worry about them getting in the way when you’re using the bench.

    When you’re not using the stand you can simply store them out of the way, against a wall, or in a closet. However, when you’re ready to use them you can put them in position, set your height, and perform your squats with ease.
  • Adjustable Spotting Arms - If you don’t want to use the rack to squat, you can also use the adjustable arms to support other forms of training. Whether you want to bench, perform a shoulder press, bent over row, barbell shrugs, or more, the adjustable spotting arms can support a variety of exercise preferences and as they can be fully adjusted to the right height for you, you can make sure you always feel secure when you’re working out.
  • Great Exercise Variety – With so many attachments and incredible features available the Weider XRS 20 offers a unique exercise experience as this single piece of kit can help you perform your entire training regime. You can train all your heavy compound lifts, such as a bench, row, squat, or Push Press but it’s also set up to help you train smaller muscle groups such as your quads, biceps, ad more. With a bench as comprehensive as this, you can build your entire physique without needing to buy extra pieces of kit or bulky attachments. 
  • Free iFit Trial – When you buy this bench you also get a free trial to the iFit fitness training app. As an iFit user, you gain access to thousands of interactive, trainer-led video workouts available to complete on your terms. You can workout at home, in a gym, or even on the road as you find the right workouts to help you reach your goals whether that’s weight-based sessions with your XRS, or something more relaxed, such as Yoga. iFit membership is a great way to keep yourself motivated and focused when trying to improve your fitness. 

What we liked

Our favorite feature is the overall variety that you get with the Weider XRS 20. Whether you want to perform a heavy squat, a more specialist leg extension exercise, build your chest with a bench press or work on your arms with the preacher curl, you can hit everything with this one piece of kit.
 
It really does cover all your weight lifting needs and gives you more than enough to keep you fully satisfied with your purchase.

We were also very impressed with the independent squat rack and the additional features. With other machines, the squat rack or attachments cannot be removed, but with the Weider XRS 20, you can adjust or move everything as you see fit, to allow you the space you need to exercise in comfort without feeling claustrophobic.

What we didn’t like

We would love to see an option to buy the bars, weights, and any other pieces of kit with the bench. We get that not everyone would need it, but if there was a way to add these things on it would streamline the entire purchasing experience. Especially for some users who perhaps need a little clarification about the right type of Olympic weights and what bars they should use.

We feel they missed a trick with this one.

We’d also love to see a higher weight limit if possible. 300lbs is great and more than enough for most people, but that little bit more,  up to 400lb would ensure you’re very unlikely to ever reach your max.

Final Thoughts

There are two main problems people face when buying home workout equipment.

How much equipment they need to buy and how much space it takes up.

However, you won’t have that problem with the Weider XRS 20 Olympic workout bench.

This flexible piece of equipment allows you to complete all the major fitness exercises you could dream of and provides you with everything you need to build the perfect physique.

You won’t have to worry about needing extra space or huge racks that take up an entire room as the XRS 20 bench is compact enough to slot into a corner and you don’t need to buy other pieces of kit.  

If you’re building a home gym then you can’t go wrong with the XRS 20. You can complete all the major compound lifts and it’s equipped for use with Olympic weights to ensure you can continue to train just like you would in a gym.

The bicep preacher curl and leg extension attachments are both very impressive and just one of many positives for the Weider XRS 20.

Overall the Weider XRS 20 is great and we can’t recommend it enough. If you’re looking to build a home gym and you don’t want to make do with only completing half of your usual training, then the Weider XRS 20 Olympic weights bench is the perfect solution for you.

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