Valor Fitness CB Preacher Curl Bench for Bicep Curl Support Meant for Curling with EZ Curl Bar (Sold Separately)

It arrived in good condition, I thought it was packed well. It went together quickly with no issues. They need a better adhesive on the bar catcher padding, I used some Gorilla tape to fix it, not a big deal because most bar catchers don’t have any padding anyway. Very good piece of equipment for the money. I’m 6’1” 240 lbs and it felt sturdy. Don M.8-1-18 Sorry to say this thing injured me. Front weight rack broke free and caused me to drop the weight forward. There was almost no penetration on the weld (see pictures). Very disappointing. 😡 I will take this to work and weld it properly.

I've been a serious weightlifter for 43 years at this point and can't write a review that would give this "preacher bench" adequate justice - it's that good. I've traditionally been a loyal customer of a more expensive brand of home gym equipment and this one purchase has convinced me I'll be buying Valor products from this point based upon the value, quality and attention to detail reflected in this bench.With respect to particulars, this preacher bench excels in every category. I've purchased 2 other preacher benches in the past, and they both had a bar rest that consisted of a single upright bar that was totally inadequate for the job...Valor wisely chose to incorporate the "field goal post" design used in all quality gym grade preacher benches. This is particularly important because you should be extremely fatigued after you've completed your set of curls, and accidents happen when you have to summon up the energy to stand up, lean over and carefully balance your curling bar on a single upright pole even if it fans out on either side for several inches. Valor has noted previous purchaser's comments about the rubber pads and the current model I received came a heavy duty rubber (rather than cheap foam) coating that covers each of the bar rests...they'll last a lifetime, even if you're dropping a bar with lots of weight on them at the end of a set. All serious weight lifters will be using a curved curling bar with this bench, which makes the "goal post" bar rest a necessity rather than an attractive feature...if you have a preacher bench with a single upright bar rest, a curling bar will balance precariously at best when not in use or between sets, requiring you to take the bar off the machine simply to add quarter pound plates...if you attempt to do so, the opposite end of the bar will flip up, likely hit you and dump all of the plates on the opposite end of the bar before bouncing back up and dumping the plates on the opposite end. However, the "field goal" bar rests allow you to add or remove even heavier plates safely, even if children are in the area.In addition, the armrest is amply and solidly padded, covered in a material that will last for the life of the bench and, perhaps most importantly, welded to the frame at the precise angle needed for curling effectively.I noticed that quite a few other reviews faulted this preacher bench being "wobbly" in one way or another. With all due respect, those comments are incorrect - so long as you adhere to the following instructions whenever you make any height adjustments to any of the components:1) With the adjusting screw out far enough to allow the bars with the holes in it to move smoothly up and down (be careful not to unscrew the knob too far), line the securing end of the adjusting screw up with the hole on the inner bar closest to the hight you've selected. You'll be able to confirm you've done so if you begin tightening the knob and don't feel resistance too soon...if you've lined up the components correctly, you'll be screwing the knob clockwise for some time, verifying that the other end of the bolt is entering the hole in the other bar.2) Provided you're twisting the bolt all the way into the hole, you'll begin to feel it gradually tighten as the end of the bolt enters the hole on the opposite side of the bar you're securing in place. If you've made a mistake and aren't inserting the bolt into the corresponding hole, you'll feel much more resistance earlier on and will only be able to turn the knob about one additional turn before it's too tight to turn any further. Provided you're doing things correctly, however, the knob will gradually tighten as the opposite end of the bolt enters the second hole on the bar you're adjusting. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN THE BOLT OR YOU'LL STRIP THE THREADS...when you meet firm resistance, stop turning - you're done.If you take the time to make your adjustments correctly, this preacher bench is solid as a rock and you can safety use enough plates for even the most strenuous lifting without feeling ANY wobbling of any kind in any of the components. I've never seen a preacher bench in this class that's more solid and sturdy than this Valor model.Note that it will take an inordinate amount of time to make repeated adjustments to any of the components without exposing your preacher bench to undue wear and tear. While this is a remarkable piece of home gym equipment, it is not designed to be repeatedly adjusted on a daily basis, so find your ideal settings for your particular needs and leave them be. While this is a fantastically rugged and durable piece of equipment, it is not a piece of equipment you'd find in a gym used by hundreds of people day in and day out costing upwards of $5,000 to $10,000. It will allow you to do everything a premium preacher bench you'd find in a good gym (and more, because none of them allow you to adjust as many variables as this Valor product, but professional gym equipment is designed specifically to be abused. For instance, no gym-quality preacher bench would have a plastic gasket, or even a gasket in the first place. Instead, it would have steel notches you'd use to make height adjustments. That doesn't mean a far more expensive piece of gym equipment is superior...because it's not meant to be readjusted several hundred times a week, this Valor preacher bench allows you to make much more precise adjustments than one you'd find in a gym and therefore produce desired results much more quickly.With that caveat, I'd strongly recommend you purchase this Valor preacher bench for a lifetime of heavy lifting...and then pass it on to your child or grandchild, as it's that rugged. If you do have to make constant adjustments (perhaps you plan on working out with a friend), just be careful to take the time to make any adjustments correctly. Even if you weren't careful, you're not going to do irreparable harm to this preacher bench...I'd imagine any of the components subject to wear and tear can be easily replaced by contacting Valor and ordering replacements, and the components in question would be nominally priced compared to your initial investment - you'd probably wind up paying more for shipping than you will for the components in question.I apologize for such a lengthy review, but I wanted to take the time to clear up what I believe to be some of the confusion arising from other comments...you learn quite a bit about gym equipment with nearly half a century worth of weightlifting experience.You simply won't find a better preacher bench in this price range, even if you decide to spend twice as much on a different one. Apparently the engineers and designers are serious weightlifters themselves, as it would have been impossible for them to make this piece of equipment unless they use it themselves after years of trial and error using other preacher benches they weren't completely satisfied with.

I would not purchase this bench or advise anyone else to do so. I bought it because it was a lot cheaper than what I typically buy which is Body solid. Its not worth the savings. Mine was scratched, missing a part and the armpad has a big welt across the center of it. I will call them tomorrow and try to rectify this or its going back to Amazon! I dont have the time for this B.S. I wish I had spent the extra money, it woiuld have been well worth it.And I'm not picking on this product because its made in China. Good is good no matter where is made, but cheap crap is garbage from any manucfaturer. Even the welds are not complete all the way around they tacked the front and the back only, not the sides. Quick and cheap quality, but look at the price really not that cheap.I have nnothing agaisnt froreign products. I own only, Toyotas, Hondas and Lexus, to me no US car can come close to them as far as quality and longevity, I had a few US cars and they were nothing but money pits, bad ride, and poor performance never again.I will call them, and see what they do, or they can take it back, I will gladly pay twice as much for a good product, I can more then afford it, should have never bought this in the first place.

Very happy with this product. Quality and price is perfect for a serious home gym. I like the "y" configuration of the bar catch, and the fact that they send rubber pads to reduce sound. Padding is comfortable, and seems of quality materials.

I bought this for my quickly expanding basement home gym. My favorite bicep machines dating back to the 90s are the Hammer Strength ones. This isn't exactly like the Hammer Strength, but it's close enough and it costs a thousand less. The build quality of this piece of equipment is very good. I'm not for sure what the maximum weight is, but I weigh 270 and am doing 135lb. The 135 sits firmly on the brackets. I had a little trouble with the seat being too close to the preacher pad, but after a little adjusting it fits me well. It was very easy to assemble, but don't expect it to be like most exercise equipment. It doesn't attach with hex bolts. These are more like machine bolts/screws, I used a socket set to tighten them. I would estimate assembly time at less than 20 minutes. Should also mention there's no rocking when I lift up to grab the curl bar. I was worried about that since I weigh quite a bit more than the equipment, but it sits firmly on the ground without any movement. Good piece of equipment for a home gym.

Solid piece of equipment. Well designed, went together really well. Definitely when you're putting the sides together do not tighten anything until all of the bolts are in place. Also something not clear in the instructions is the supports for the vertical pad are slightly off center (so depending on how you mount it the pad will either be higher or lower) so you need to make sure you put them both on the same. I chose to make the top side of this support the shorter side and this worked out perfect. the top of the vertical pad just touches the bottom of the 45 degree pad.The pads are nice and wide and there is plenty of cushion (I will have wait to see how these hold up over time). But at 5'9" I have no problem using either side of the station.I am very happy with this curl station, I would highly recommend this station.

Even though the bench is well built overall, it arrived with a major manufacturing defect, i.e. the metal cylinders that normally receive the curling pad screws were missing. I finally found a way to fix this with some wood, longer screws and plumbing galvanized strapping, but it was quite frustrating.