Parabody 874 Multi-angle Bench System Review
I ended up buying the Parabody 874 Multi-angle bench due to its solid feel, adjustable, 10-position back which goes from decline to fully upright, and its ability to add Parabody attachments. It was on sale for $230. This bench can also be used with Parabody’s (or anyone else’s brand that fits) various racks and cages.
The parts were well packed and labeled, facilitating a 45-minute assembly. I positioned the bench next to my Bowflex Sport and compared them. The metal on the Parabody is heavy-gauge, powder-coated, and gray in color, matching the Bowflex quite well. Attempts to rock the bench were futile and it remained rock solid. With the back fully extended, the bench is quite long at 52 inches and attachments add another 17.5 inches in length. The seat adjusts to three positions from flat to incline. The Parabody 874 multi-angle bench should accommodate users of any reasonable size. No weight spec is given, but the bench seems to easily weigh over 100lbs. Wheels on the rear make it ease to move the unit.
I also purchased the Parabody 824 leg curl/ext. attachment ($80) and the 886 arm curl attachment ($70), which allows the user to do preacher curls.
Using the Parabody 874 multi-angle bench was a pleasure. Thick, black, high-quality upholstery is used and the bench is very comfortable. A heavy bar with holes is attached at an angle to the long back of the bench and goes through the frame, varying the angle and position of the bar and thus the angle of the back. A large round knob is pulled and the user adjusts the position of the seat back to the desired position and then releases the knob, engaging a pin into one of the holes on the bar. The back is very sturdy in any position. The seat is trapezoidal in shape. The front of the seat can be raised from a horizontal position to two angled positions by pulling a u-shaped, spring-loaded bar out and selecting the desired position.
The attachments are likewise of high quality. Both slip into a tube on the front of the bench, are height adjustable and can be secured with a screw-in knob. To digress, one problem I’m having with my Bowflex Sport is trying to progress the resistance while doing leg curls. I seem to hit a wall and when I try to add the extra ten-pound of power rods to go to the next level, the exercise becomes impossible for me to do. Using Olympic weight plates on the leg extension attachments (I purchased the Parabody Olympic plate adaptor for $15), I can micro-load weights to allow me to progress the resistance in 2 1/2 lb. increments and am attempting to build up the resistance enough to overcome the plateau I’m experiencing with the Bowflex leg attachment. The leg curls on the Parabody 874 multi-angle bench are done lying down just like doing them on the Bowflex Sport and include thick foam pads. The arm curl attachment has an upholstered rectangular pad attached to a metal bar at an angle. This attachment lets me do preacher curls using PowerBlocks and the combination seems highly stimulating to bicep development. There is a corner-shaped, metal “catch” on the front of the arm curl attachment on which a user can rest a curl bar.
The Parabody 874 multi-angle bench is a perfect compliment to a Bowflex when using dumbbells. It’s built with the same high-quality construction and materials as a Bowflex. Unfortunately, like a Bowflex, it’s also very expensive, but as participants in the forum always note, “You get what you pay for.” I’d give this system my unqualified recommendation.
Review by Andrew Kranjc
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