Buyer’s Bible: Weight Benches – World Fitness

Paramount to any energy or conditioning program, with the flexibility to be simply included into a spread of useful and cardio-based routines, a weight bench is an absolute necessity in any health area.

This weight bench purchaser’s information will make it easier to decide the right bench in your objectives and desires, serving to to create a seamless buyer journey.

TYPES OF WEIGHT BENCHES

Right here at World Health Australia we inventory 5 primary sorts of benches – flat, adjustable (or FID), Olympic, preacher, and belly. Every of those benches provide a unique objective, finest suited to a various vary of athletes and actions. 

Flat benches are compact, powerful and very versatile. Their easy but sturdy design makes them glorious for performing a broad vary of compound and isolation workouts, together with bench press, single arm bent over rows, and Bulgarian break up squats. 

They will also be used for varied physique weight workouts, akin to bench hops, elevated push ups, and triceps dips, making them a particularly efficient instrument for creating energy, including muscle mass, and firming your physique. 

While they can be utilized for seated workouts, flat benches provide no again help throughout these actions. This can negatively affect your type, which can result in an elevated danger of harm when shifting difficult weights.

A flat bench’s fastened place provides to its sturdiness. It’s because there aren’t any movable components that may break down or require upkeep, enhancing their longevity. This additionally signifies that they’re higher fitted to heavy lifters, as they’ve a stronger development. 

Adjustable benches certainly offer the most variety. Also known as FID benches (or flat, incline, decline benches), these awesome pieces of strength equipment allow you to adjust your bench into the optimal position for your height, limb length and the exercise you are performing. 

By altering your angle, FID benches not only help to keep your body in the safest, most secure position, but they also drastically increase the amount of exercises you can do. For instance, you can mix-up your traditional bench press by doing some incline or decline presses, or you could try some chest-supported reverse flyes. 

The major benefit of utilising different angles and adjusting your movement pattern, is that you allow yourself to more accurately target certain muscle groups. Take a decline position for example. This angle is often overlooked by a lot of athletes, despite being one of the best ways to hit your lower pecs, triceps, and abs. 

Another significant benefit of adjustable benches is their back support. Unlike a flat bench, these benches help alleviate the pressure placed on your lower back during various seated exercises such as shoulder presses and bicep curls. This added support can lower your risk of injury, whilst also giving you that extra bit of encouragement to lift heavier weights.

There are however some downfalls to adjustable benches, particularly with regard to their weight capacity. Due to their adjustable mechanisms, these benches are not designed to take on super heavy loads. If you are an advanced lifter who requires an FID bench then you should always opt for something higher end, otherwise you risk quicker breakdown and more maintenance.

PROS	CONS
• Offers various angles • Provides optimal positioning • Safe & secure • Offers the most exercise variety • Allows you to target muscles more accurately	• Lower weight capacities • May require maintenance • Usually a bit more expensive

OLYMPIC BENCHES / FIXED BENCH PRESS

Olympic benches, often referred to as a fixed bench press, are best suited to heavy barbell movements and for perfecting your bench press variations. 

These weight benches come with a built-in racking system, which typically involves adjustable J-hooks or secured, multi-tiered barbell holders. By offering multiple barbell starting positions, Olympic benches ensure that all users can un-rack and re-rack their bar at a position that is right for them. This is imperative for promoting the correct technique and minimising your risk of injury. 

Another benefit to a fixed racking system is that you don’t have to waste time and energy moving your bench in and out of your rack or cage with every use. Although, the downfall to this is that they do take up much more space compared to a flat or FID bench.

Some Olympic benches, like the Body Iron Performance Pro Olympic bench, feature reservable J-hooks that can be secured to the back of the uprights, transforming it into a fully-functioning squat rack. A lot of the top-tier benches will also come with adjustable spotter arms, which offer an additional safety mechanism in case you fail a rep. 

Similar to a flat bench, Olympic benches are extremely strong, reliable, and are capable of handling some serious weight. This is because they have fewer adjustable parts, making them sturdier and less likely to break down. 

Whilst a fixed bench press system may seem like an absolute godsend, they do come with a few disadvantages. 

For starters, unless you’re purchasing a top-of-the-line Olympic bench, a fixed racking system usually means a fixed angle, limiting the number of exercises you can do. Also, if you tend to store your barbell on your Olympic bench then it’s going to get in the way if you try to do dumbbell exercises. 

Another important thing to consider with Olympic benches is that they will only be compatible with Olympic-sized equipment, i.e. a 7ft Olympic barbell and Olympic weight plates. This means if you already have standard barbells and weight plates, then it’s highly unlikely these benches will be compatible with your equipment.

PROS	CONS
• Suitable for heavy weight training  • Promotes the correct bench press technique  • Save time & energy between exercises • Less likely to require maintenance • Strong & durable	• Takes up a large amount of space   • Difficult to move                 • Less exercise variety • Only compatible with other Olympic-sized equipment • Less suitable for dumbbell exercises

SPECIALITY BENCHES

Speciality benches are a lot more niche, and they tend to look a little obscure compared to your regular exercise bench. Rather than offering a broad range of exercises, these weight benches are designed to help you perfect one or two isolated exercises.

Because speciality benches are made for specific movements they ensure you’re training in the most comfortable and safe conditions. But, like Olympic benches, they tend to take up a fair amount of space without offering much exercise flexibility.

The two main types of speciality benches we stock are preacher benches and abdominal benches. 

PREACHER BENCHES

Preacher benches are made for arm curl movements. They are designed so you sit with your triceps resting on a tilted, padded surface that is angled away from your body. In doing so, preacher benches remove the ability for you to lift your hips, back or shoulders during bicep curls, which is a common mistake most lifters make.

These benches are designed to be used with either a free weight system or they are made as a plate or pin loaded machine, like the Body Iron Bicep Curl & Tricep Extension. 

Preacher benches make for the final word arm day routine as they eradicate using assistant muscular tissues, permitting you to isolate simply the biceps and triceps for your complete vary of movement.

ABDOMINAL BENCHES

You’ll be able to most likely guess what muscle group these benches goal… that is proper, your abs!

Stomach benches will typically provide a number of adjustment ranges, permitting you to maneuver into an incline or decline place. In addition they characteristic padded foot rests so you’ll be able to securely maintain your self in the fitting place while you prepare.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?

When searching for any piece of health tools your objectives ought to ALWAYS be prime of thoughts. Are you wanting to construct muscle? Drop pounds? Enhance your cardiovascular well being? No matter it’s, totally different weight benches will make it easier to serve a unique objective.

In the event you’re a seasoned lifter who works with some large weights, you then most likely desire a powerful flat bench or commercial-grade FID bench. 

In case your primary focus is to construct some rock onerous abs or biceps greater than a watermelon, then a speciality bench could also be for you.

It doesn’t matter what your required finish aim is, it ought to all the time be the driving drive in your buy choice.

WHAT OTHER EQUIPMENT DO YOU PLAN TO USE?

In the event you’ve already began stocking up on a couple of items of health club tools then you wish to be sure that it may be used together with your new bench. 

In contrast to Olympic benches, flat and adjustable benches are excellent for dumbbell workouts. They’re all extraordinarily versatile items of apparatus, and when paired collectively you have got every part that you must full total exercises.

One other advantage of utilizing dumbbells with a flat or adjustable bench is that you simply’re in a position to execute a higher vary of movement, which is a particularly essential issue when targeted on constructing energy and muscle measurement.

As we have talked about, Olympic benches are nice for heavy barbell actions. They’re an straightforward alternative in case your major focus is to develop your chest, shoulders and arms, or in case you’re eager to work in your bench press approach.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO

WEIGHT CAPACITIES

MAXIMUM WEIGHT CAPACITY

It is extraordinarily essential to all the time buy a weight bench that not solely helps your present capabilities, but in addition your anticipated future energy.

That is very true for adjustable benches, which might breakdown fairly simply in case you do not adjust to the burden capacities.

In the event you’re out there for an Olympic or speciality bench, you then additionally should be checking the burden capacities of options just like the barbell holders, J-hooks, and security arms. 

PRODUCT WEIGHT

Like most health tools, product weight typically correlates to its energy. Primarily what this implies is the heavier the bench, the stronger it’s. 

Once more, in case you’re shifting heavy weights you then most likely want a heavier bench.

In the event you do select a bench that is on the bigger facet you then must also test if it has transport wheels, as these will make it a lot, a lot simpler to maneuver round.

SIZE

Completely different benches differ enormously in measurement, so it is essential you whip out the tape measure and ensure your new tools goes to suit into your health club area. 

Sizzling tip: ensure you have sufficient area to make use of your bench with different tools. That is particularly essential for Olympic and preacher benches, which you’ll almost definitely use with a barbell. 

HEIGHT

To make sure you’re in probably the most protected, steady and safe place when doing bench workouts your ft ought to all the time be planted firmly on the ground or on the bench itself.

In the event you’re struggling to succeed in the bottom, or you are stretching your physique to succeed in an appropriate place, you then’re most likely not executing the proper approach. This not solely will increase your danger of harm, but it surely additionally minimises the effectiveness of the train you’re performing. 

ADDED EXTRAS

In the event you’re on the lookout for a bench with a bit extra pizzazz, then an adjustable bench that may tackle further attachments could also be for you!

Benches just like the Bodycraft F320 FID Utility Flat Incline Decline Bench and Bodycraft Light Commercial FID Flat Incline Decline Bench CF602G are appropriate with non-obligatory attachments akin to preacher pads and leg curls that provide even higher train selection. 

Or, in case you’re somebody who is brief on area, then a flat bench with dumbbell storage beneath may very well be a very good possibility.

We hope you’ve got discovered this weight bench purchaser’s information useful. If you require any additional help we welcome you to contact our expert team!