Abs boards and sit up benches are almost becoming a mandatory piece of equipment for any home gym. And there are a surprising number of high quality, reasonably priced abs boards and benches available to you.
But what is your preference? Do you want a simple board that just does declined sit ups and crunches? Or are you looking for a more versatile bench that allows you a few more exercise options?
Under review is the PowerLine PAB21X Ab Bench. This is a moderately priced combination crunches and abs bench that comes with…
- A full range of motion for both ab and core exercises
- A curved back pad to provide more intense abdominal contraction
- A ball bearing pulley for complete freedom of movement for each core muscle group including obliques
- A sturdy two by three-inch welded main frame
- A ten year frame warranty
By shopping around online, you will be able to find the PowerLine PAB21X at several different stores for anywhere from $99 to $120; and most sellers will pay for the shipping.
We used Amazon to get our PowerLine PAB21X because of their liberal return policy and their fast shipping, and we received our abs bench in four days.
Assembly was quick and painless (thanks to the very clear instructions included with this bench), and we had the PowerLine PAB21X up and ready for use in under 30 minutes.
PowerLine PAB21X Ab Bench – Intelligent Design & Quality Materials
The guys at Powerline took their time when they designed this ab bench; and quality of construction is evident once you have this ab bench put together.
The frame is crafted out of heavy gauge two by three inch steel, and boasts a four side welded construction; so it doesn’t matter what you weigh… This bench can take it.
It also uses DuraFirm back and seat pads that are very comfortable; and the DuraFirm vinyl covering in not only a breeze to clean (a quick wipe with a wet towel), but won’t break or crack within months like some of the other vinyl pad covers used on lesser quality abs boards.
And the Powerline PAB21X allows you to use weighted crunches to really get a full range of abs exercises in.
The specially designed curved back pad of the Powerline PAB21X allows you to utilize a full range of motion exercise that goes from 30 degrees back of center to a full 30 degrees front of center.
The PAB21X comes with an extra wide, sealed ball bearing pulley system at the top of the bench coupled with a heavy duty chrome weight carriage so you can add additional weights to increase the level of intensity of your crunches.
By using some additional standard or Olympic weights (not included with this abs bench), you can dial in the intensity of your ab and core workouts to your personal preference.
The pulley is very strong and rolls smoothly; and we have tested this with up to 100 pounds of Olympic free weights and noticed that the Powerline PAB21X took it right in stride. And you can even use this abs bench for triceps extensions as well.
This abs bench will not take over your home gym either. It measures in at 37 inches by 18 inches by 27 inches tall; and at 27 pounds, it is very easy to move around he house as well if you choose to.
And Powerline has been making quality home fitness equipment for years, which is why they can guarantee the PAB21X for ten years on the frame and one year on the parts.
PowerLine PAB21X Ab Bench – After Workout Criticism
This is a very effective ab bench when it comes to intensity of your ab workout; but there were a few things we discovered after our first workout.
The font floor mount should have been designed a little wider; it does not have as much stability (especially with a heavyweight load on the pulley system) as we would have liked.
And when doing the triceps extensions, I cannot get a full arm extension due to the length of the included strap.
But that is not the primary design of this abs bench; weighted crunches are.
If you are tired of doing crunches laying on the floor with a weight held to your chest, then the Powerline PAB21X is the ideal solution to this problem.
And with the ability to adjust the amount of weights whenever you’d like, this abs bench progresses with you as you become more adept with larger weights.
High quality construction coupled with a low price make the Powerline PAB21X a great value; and a welcome addition to any home gym.
