Freak Athlete ABX vs. REP Nighthawk: Which Adjustable Bench is Right for You?

If you're building a home gym right now and looking for an adjustable bench, you've probably narrowed your choices down to two main contenders: the Freak Athlete ABX and the REP Nighthawk.

These are currently my top two recommended adjustable benches. I've spent the last six months testing both of them extensively in my own garage gym. The truth is, neither bench is objectively "better" than the other — they are built for entirely different purposes.

The Nighthawk is designed to be the best pure benching experience you can get for the money. The ABX is designed to be a compact training platform that replaces multiple standalone machines.

Here is my full head-to-head comparison of the ABX and the Nighthawk, breaking down exactly where each bench wins, where they fall short, and which one you should actually buy for your setup.

Quick Takeaway

If you want the best pad, the most premium build quality, and a rock-solid feel for traditional flat and incline pressing, buy the REP Nighthawk. It's the bench I keep recommending for traditional strength training.

If you want to maximize your floor space and add chest-supported rows, leg extensions, leg curls, and other accessory work without buying separate machines, buy the Freak Athlete ABX. It's the most versatile bench on the market.

(For a deeper dive into each bench individually, check out my full Freak Athlete ABX Review and my full REP Nighthawk Review.)

Quick Specs Comparison

Price (Base Bench): ABX ($599.99) vs. Nighthawk ($449.99) 

Bench Type: ABX (FID with attachment) vs. Nighthawk (FI) 

Product Weight: ABX (96.3 lbs) vs. Nighthawk (88 lbs) 

Pad Width: ABX (11.8") vs. Nighthawk (11.8") 

Back Pad Angles: ABX (11 positions) vs. Nighthawk (7 positions) 

Seat Pad Angles: ABX (5 positions) vs. Nighthawk (4 positions) 

Storage: Both store vertically

The Pad and Padding

Winner: REP Nighthawk

When it comes to the actual bench pad, the Nighthawk wins this category decisively.

The Nighthawk uses REP's "Clean Grip" vinyl. It's my favorite bench pad of all time, period. The foam density is the perfect balance of supportive and comfortable, and the vinyl provides excellent traction without feeling sticky. When you're setting up for a heavy flat bench press, the Nighthawk just feels better.

The ABX pad is functional, but it's not at the same premium level. It gets the job done, but if Freak Athlete ever releases an updated version, the padding is the first thing I'd like to see them improve to match the Nighthawk's standard.

Both pads are essentially the same width (11.8 inches), which is a great width for allowing proper scapula movement during pressing.

Build Quality and Maneuverability

Winner: REP Nighthawk (Slightly)

Both of these benches are built extremely well, but the Nighthawk feels just a little bit more premium when you put your hands on it.

The Nighthawk features knurled knobs throughout the adjustment system and a dedicated, barbell-style knurled handle for moving the bench around. It feels like a 9 or 9.5 out of 10 as far as overall quality. I honestly can't think of a single thing REP could do to improve the build at this price point.

The ABX is built more like a machine or a utility station. It uses powder-coat knurling on its handles, which is plenty aggressive, but it doesn't have quite the same high-end finish as the Nighthawk.

For maneuverability, the Nighthawk also takes a slight edge. You can lift it almost completely vertical (85 degrees) and roll it smoothly. Because of the ABX's design, the kickstand portion starts to drag on the ground if you lift it at too steep of an angle. It's a minor nitpick, but in a head-to-head comparison, the Nighthawk is easier to move.

Stability

Winner: Tie (Depends on the movement)

Both benches use a front foot design to stay out of the way of your feet during pressing, but their base designs are different.

The Nighthawk uses a traditional triangular base. It provides excellent left-to-right balance and feels incredibly planted during normal flat and incline pressing. It also has slightly less play in the ladder system itself compared to the ABX.

The ABX uses an X-shaped base design. Freak Athlete did a really nice job with this because it provides stability not only left-to-right, but also front-to-back. This front-to-back stability becomes important when you're doing dynamic movements like decline sit-ups or using the heavier attachments.

For traditional strength training, both are going to be completely fine and feel very safe.

Angles and Adjustability

Winner: Freak Athlete ABX

The ABX wins the adjustability category clearly.

Most adjustable benches, including the Nighthawk, offer seven back pad angles in roughly 15-degree increments (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 85).

The ABX offers 11 back pad angles in 7-degree increments (0, 15, 22, 30, 37, 45, 52, 60, 67, 75, 85). Having those in-between angles — especially 22 and 37 degrees — is actually really nice for finding the exact right position for incline pressing.

Versatility and Attachments

Winner: Freak Athlete ABX (Decisively)

This is the category that defines the ABX. It is simply the most versatile bench on the market.

The killer feature of the ABX is the integrated multi-angle headrest, which functions as a chest support pad. You can fold it down for normal pressing, or lock it into multiple angles for chest-supported rows, incline flys, and bicep curls.

On top of that, the ABX has a massive attachment ecosystem: a leg developer (extensions/curls), a bicep attachment, a sit-up attachment, a dip attachment, and a cable attachment. It truly is a 10-in-1 machine.

The Nighthawk does have a universal receiver tube, and REP offers a leg roller and a leg developer attachment. It's a great system that allows the bench to grow with you, but it's fundamentally a premium bench with some attachments, whereas the ABX is designed from the ground up as a multi-use station.

Price

Winner: REP Nighthawk

The base Nighthawk ($449.99) is $150 cheaper than the base ABX ($599.99).

If you start adding attachments, the gap widens. The Nighthawk with its leg roller is about $620. The ABX fully loaded with all of its attachments will run you closer to $1,450.

You are paying a premium for the ABX's versatility. If you're actually going to use the attachments and the chest support pad, it's worth the money because it saves you from buying standalone machines. But if you just want a bench, the Nighthawk is the better value.

Who Should Buy the REP Nighthawk

You should buy the Nighthawk if you want the best pure benching experience. If your routine consists mostly of heavy flat benching, incline dumbbell presses, and seated overhead work, the Nighthawk's superior pad and premium build quality make it the right choice. It's the bench for traditional lifters who want a high-end feel at a fair price.

Who Should Buy the Freak Athlete ABX

You should buy the ABX if you want to maximize your floor space and add a lot of useful accessory work without needing separate machines. If you love the idea of having a dedicated chest-supported row station, a leg extension, and a leg curl all built into your bench footprint, the ABX is the clear winner.

Final Verdict

I keep both of these benches in my gym for a reason. When I want to do heavy flat pressing, I use the Nighthawk. When I want to do chest-supported rows or leg extensions, I use the ABX.

You can't go wrong with either one, as long as you buy the one that matches how you actually train.

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