Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk

Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk? A common question asked by home gym owners before reaching for their wallets.

Both are premium adjustable benches but they’re built with different training styles in mind.

One is built to replace 10 machines (an ecosystem) so it requires more floor space because of the attachments.

The other is more of a traditional adjustable bench with a couple of attachments.

I own both benches, so in this comparison I’ll break down features, attachments, use cases, space requirements, and who each bench is best for.

Quick Decision Guide

Choose The Freak Athlete ABX if:

• You want one bench to replace multiple machines

• You plan to add attachments over time

• You’re building a versatile home gym

Choose The Rep Nighthawk if:

• You want a bench just to do flat bench, incline, decline, and press

• You want simplicity

• You want a fast setup without accessories

• Your garage gym space is limited

Tie Breaker

• If you plan to buy 2 or more attachments in the next year, go with the Freak Athlete ABX

• If you just want a solid bench, go with the Rep Nighthawk

Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk Features

Feature	Freak Athlete ABX Bench	REP Nighthawk Bench
Bench Type	Flat, incline decline	Flat, incline, decline
Attachments	Flip down headrest (built-in), dips, sit ups, biceps, leg developer	Leg developer, sit ups
Adjustability	11 back pad angles, 5 seat angles (seat does not decline)	7 back pad angles & 4 seat angles
Pad gap	Auto-adjusting zero gap	1.5″ gap
Training Style	Full body + 4 attachments	Full body + 2 attachments
Space Efficiency	Can replace multiple machines	Smaller, simpler footprint
Setup Complexity	Higher (more attachments)	Simple
Best For	Versatility, all-in-one gyms	Weight bench exercises

Freak Athlete ABX Review

Click the play button above and watch my in-depth Freak Athlete ABX review to see if it’s a good fit for you.

Freak Athlete ABX Best Features

• Auto-adjusting, zero gap between pads

• Flip down head rest converts to a half bench / Bulldog pad

• Bicep attachment turns bench into a preacher curl bench

• Leg developer works with weight plates and cable machines

• 11 angles of incline

• Grippy vinyl

Pros

• Versatility: 10 machines in 1 (when all attachments are purchased)

• No gap: Turns into a zero gap bench in the flat position

• Half bench/Bulldog pad: Headrest folds down so I can get more use out of the bench (half bench/Bulldog pad)

• Attachments: Leg developer, bicep attachment, dip attachment, ab attachment

• Storage: Stores vertically when not in use

Cons

• No decline seat: May interfere with decline bench if you’re tall

Who Is The Freak Athlete ABX Best For?

The Freak Athlete ABX is best for people who are looking for a weight bench that is compatible with an ecosystem of attachments.

Rep Nighthawk Review

Click the play button above to watch my in-depth Rep Nighthawk review and see if it’s what you’re looking for.

Rep Nighthawk Best Features

• FID: Can be used as a flat, incline, and decline bench

• Padding: Premium foam is comfortable and lined with grippy vinyl

• Build: Made out of 7 and 14 gauge steel for durability

Pros

• Lightweight: Weighs 88 lbs but can still support up to 700 lbs

• Stability: Wide rear and front legs make it very stable

• Comfortable: Thick, molded foam, covered in grippy vinyl makes it super comfortable

• Finish: I have the metallic black finish and it’s bad ass (available in 6 colors)

• Vertical storage: I can stand it upright so it’s not taking up floor space when not in use

• Attachments: Leg developer and ab attachment

Cons

• Decline: The bench and seat decline, but you’ll need to purchase the ab attachment to do decline exercises

Who Is The Rep Nighthawk Best For?

The Rep Nighthawk is best for home gym owners who want a comfortable, stable, light, FID bench for barbell and dumbbell exercises.

Rep has announced two attachments (leg developer and ab attachment) that will add some versatility to it.

Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk: Practical Use Cases

Choose The Rep Nighthawk For:

• Bench pressing, dumbbell presses, accessory work

• Stability for heavier presses

• Vertical storage and easy mobility

Choose The Freak Athlete ABX For:

• An ecosystem of attachments that add versatility to the bench

• More angle adjustments and zero gap

• Isolation exercises like preacher curls, leg curls, leg extensions, dips, and decline sit ups

Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk: Total Cost Scenarios

What You’ll Actually Spend (Real World Pricing)

Most comparisons show the base price, but most people don’t just stop when they find a bench they like.

So I’m gonna break down the costs factoring in how each bench is typically used…

Bech Only (No Attachments)

Bench	What You Get	Cost
Freak Athlete ABX	Flat, incline, decline bench, zero-gap, flip down headrest (half bench/Bulldog pad)	Higher upfront – $599.99
Rep Nighthawk	Flat / incline / decline bench	Lower upfront – $449.99

Winner: Rep Nighthawk – if you only care about flat bench, incline, and decline, the Nighthawk is the better value

Bench + Lower Body

Bench	What You’ll Add	Cost
Freak Athlete ABX	Leg developer ($450)	$1049.99
Rep Nighthawk	Leg developer ($550)	$999.99

Winner: Rep Nighthawk – Buying the Rep Nighthawk and leg developer comes out to $50 than Freak Athlete

Bench + Upper Body Attachments

Bench	What You’ll Add	Cost
Freak Athlete ABX	Bicep attachment ($200), dip station ($80)	$879.99
Rep Nighthawk	None available	Not applicable

Winner: Freak Athlete – Rep doesn’t have any upper body attachments

Bench That Does Everything

Bench	What You’ll Get	Cost
Freak Athlete ABX	Leg developer ($450), bicep attachment ($200), dip station ($80), ab attachment ($120)	$1449.99
Rep Nighthawk	Leg developer ($550), ab attachment ($170)	$1169.99

Winner: Freak Athlete – If your goal is versatility and replacing several dedicated machines, ABX wins

Bottom Line On Price

• Short term / minimalist – Rep Nighthawk wins

• Long term / expanding gym – Freak Athlete ABX wins

I Own Both Benches – Real World Side by Side Comparison

Since I have both benches in my garage gym, I figured it’d be easier to let you see them side by side.

This will give you a better idea of how they look next to each other and I’ll highlight their features.

Padding Thickness & Comfort

Both benches are using a grippy vinyl to prevent slipping especially if you use leg drive when bench pressing.

The Rep Nighthawk’s pad is 2.5″ inches thick and gives me a little bit more cushion than the ABX’s which is 2″ thick and feels more firm.

From this sideview, you can see how the Nighthawk’s pad (in the back) looks a bit thicker even though the ABX is closer to the camera.

If I were to pick one, I’d go with the Nighthawk’s pad. It feels more comfortable. Not that the ABX’s pad is uncomfortable, it just feels more firm.

Back Pad Length & Width Comparison

The back pad on the Freak Athlete ABX is slightly longer than the Nighthawk’s.

Both pads have a width of 11.8″.

Incline Angles Compared

Both benches have more settings than I ever use.

The ABX has 11 options, while the Nighthawk has 7.

Here’s what both benches look like from the back. Both are using a closed ladder adjustment system.

There’s a support post welded to the hind leg so for any decline exercises (sit-ups and bench press), I have to turn my body 180 degrees.

Freak Athlete’s closed ladder has 11 laser cut angles (numbered) plus the wording for where the attachments go.

“LD” at 15 degrees for the leg developer, “Situp” at 30 degrees for the ab attachment, and “Dip” at 60 degrees for the dip attachment.

The bicep attachment does not have a set angle, it attaches directly to the spine of the frame.

The Rep Nighthawk is also using a closed ladder system with 7 angles laser cut into it.

I like these closed ladder systems because they prevent the back pad from opening up when I store the benches vertically.

No wording engraved on the ladder for their attachments. So far, Rep has mentioned an ab attachment and leg developer for the Nighthawk.

With the Freak Athlete ABX, I can flip down the headrest and angle it in two ways.

I can angle the headrest using the sundial that flips it down and also use the angles on the ladder until I get an angle that works for me.

Decline Bench Setup

Here’s the decline setup for both benches.

Note that you’ll need to buy the ab attachment to support your legs in order to do any decline exercise.

The seat on the Nighthawk declines but the one on the ABX does not (because of the auto-adjusting zero gap function).

Seat Pad Angles

Speaking of the seat pad angles, here’s what they look like…

Freak Athlete’s (closest) has 5 angles ranging from 0 to 40 degrees and uses a pop pin.

Rep’s has 4 angles ranging from -15 to 20 degrees.

This is a closer look at both seat pads from the front.

I set them both at their highest angle so you can see what they look like.

Front Leg Design

Both benches have knurled handles on the front but their foot design is different.

Rep uses a design that’s narrow in the front and wide in the back (11.5″) while Freak Athlete’s is rectangular in shape and slightly wider (11.75″).

The bottom of both benches are lined with rubber pads (so are the hind legs).

These rubber pads are bolted to the frame so it prevents them from slipping while I use them.

I haven’t had any issues with instability from either bench so they both do a good job.

Hind Leg & Wheels

The hind legs are almost identical to each other.

No end caps and both sets of wheels have metal covers over them.

Frame Thickness & Steel Quality

Both benches have a high weight capacity and using thick steel.

Freak Athlete’s ABX is made of 11, 12, and 14-gauge steel and has a weight capacity of 900 lbs.

Rep’s Nighthawk is made of 7 and 14 gauge steel and has a capacity of 700 lbs.

Whichever one you go with, you’ll have plenty of support to throw a bunch of weight on them.

Height From Floor To Pad

As far as height goes, both benches fall within the range of the International Powerlifting Federation’s (IPF) height standard (16.5″ to 17.7″).

This matters mostly for people who do bench pressing competitions and use leg drive.

Attachments

Both benches have a port at the top of the bench where attachments are locked down to the frame.

The attachments are locked from two directions to reduce wiggle as much as possible.

Freak’s bicep attachment is the only one that does not go into the port, it connects to the spine of the frame.

Freak Athlete has four attachments to choose from: leg developer (with optional cable attachment), bicep attachment, ab attachment, and dip station.

This recovers both upper and lower body exercises.

The Rep Nighthawk currently has an ab attachment and leg developer.

READ NEXT: Check out the 10+ attachments on the Tib Bar Guy Apex

Storage

I can store both benches vertically when not in use which is a big space saver in a home or garage gym.

There’s a rubber on the top of the back pads that prevents the vinyl from coming in direct contact with the floor.

Here’s what they look like from the bottom when standing up.

The wheels and rubber pad on top of the back pad form a tripod so that helps to keep them stable in the upright position.

Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk: Day to Day Use

To me, neither bench feels annoying or difficult to use. It just depends on how I’m using it based on my workouts.

The Rep Nighthawk is the easiest setup if I just wanna do flat, incline, or decline bench.

ABX takes slightly longer to setup when I’m using the attachments but that takes up less than a minute.

So to sum it up, the Nighthawk is best for simple workouts, the ABX gives me more versatility.

FAQs

Which bench is better for decline bench work?

The Rep Nighthawk. The seat declines so I get a true decline bench. Because of the zero gap mechanism on the ABX, the seat does not decline.

How big is the Rep Nighthawk pad gap?

The Nighthawk’s pad gap is 1.5″ wide.

Does the Freak Athlete ABX really feel like a zero gap bench?

Yes, the auto adjusting mechanism slides the seat pad right next to the back pad to create a zero gap flat bench.

Can I do barbell rows with the Freak Athlete flip down headrest?

Yes, the flip down headrest supports up to 500 lbs for barbell or dumbbell rows. It can also be used as a half bench for better range of motion when doing military presses and overhead tricep extensions.

Final Verdict: Freak Athlete ABX vs Rep Nighthawk

After using both the Freak Athlete ABX and Rep Nighthawk in my garage gym, my biggest takeaway is that even though these benches are similar, they are built for different types of lifters.

The Rep Nighthawk is more of a traditional, no nonsense adjustable bench. It’s solid for all types of presses, easy to move, and supports heavy barbell and dumbbell work. If you want a premium bench and your training is centered around presses, rows, and classic strength training, the Nighthawk is a solid choice.

The Freak Athlete ABX is not just an adjustable bench, but a platform for multiple attachments. This one is best is you want to replace several machines without eating up a lot of floor space. If you want a premium bench with attachments that expand what you can do in your home gym, you can’t go wrong with the ABX.

Neither bench is “better” than the other. Choose that is best for the way you train and you’ll actually use, not just what looks better on Instagram.