With a well-made home gym bench, getting a serious weight workout at home has never been easier.  Purchasing a home gym is an investment which pays for itself within a couple of months by saving you money on a gym membership.  Buy a bench with features to work your entire body, and you save even more by not purchasing additional equipment.

A golds gym bench has a great line to choose from.  For people just starting to work out, to those with years of experience; gym benches like the GB 1500 are perfect for getting a whole body workout.  This model of golds gym weight bench has everything to accommodate your workout:  the uprights extend to different heights to perform squats or standing military presses; or to allow room to execute incline presses.  The width of the bench is space efficient but strong enough to hold a substantial amount of weight.

Gym Bench

Other features this bench is built with are what any quality workout station should offer:  Work quadriceps and hamstrings directly with the leg curl and extension attachment; build baseball biceps with the preacher curl; adjust the bench back for incline or decline presses.  Purchase a golds bench in the Power Series and the folding bench stays out of the way when it is not in use.

Using a home gym from Golds will help anyone build muscle and burn fat.  With the precision engineering of their equipment, exercises are done in the proper form to prevent injury.

Quality of manufacturing is also a priority; thickly padded seats are double-stitched and built with durable, long-lasting vinyl.  The Power Series also includes an exercise chart to map your progress and stay on track with your fitness goals.

Any flat quality bench can be used effectively even without the extra attachments or bench press uprights.  In conjunction with dumbbells or lighter barbells, a variety of exercises can be performed.  Exercise chest, shoulder, and triceps with dumbbell bench presses, or use the bench with your body weight for decline push ups.  The choices are endless, and Gold’s quality gives you the confidence to put the equipment through a tough workout.

It is nearing swimsuit season and everyone is concerned with how they look.  Many people want to flatten, tone, or build up their core muscles for any number of reasons.  That is why a sit up bench is such an important piece of work out equipment for any home gym.

The versatility of workout possibilities is endless with a sit up bench in your home.  They allow for a wide range of core exercises to strengthen and tone your abs, back, and sides.  They can be set up for you to brace your elbows in order to do bicep curls or you can adjust the bench in order to do setups.  Most benches can be adjusted to any angle between zero and thirty degrees.

Typically you can also adjust it to comfortably fit your leg length as well.  Most benches are customizable like this in order for you to get the best fit.  They can be folded up for easy storage and are covered with foam padding to ensure comfort throughout your workouts.  Sit up benches are available from around sixty dollars up to several hundred dollars depending on additional special features, size, and accessories.

A basic body weight exercise bench as described above is priced midway between the two prices at around $150.  Most benches are designed to fold flat and fit underneath a bed or neatly into a closet because most people do not have a room designated for work out equipment.  Many ab benches come with a manual suggesting exercises and most will require some assembly though it is usually very easy to do.

sit up bench

If you are looking for an easy to store stamina ab hyper bench then you can easily search amazon or google and find many different options. Most are inexpensive and many models are efficient, durable, and provide an excellent work out.   These benches is an excellent way to begin strengthening your core and get those strong, toned abs that you have always wanted.   The easy to adjust format and ease of use make this a perfect ab bench for your home.  If you are ready to get back into shape for any reason then try a stamina ab hyper bench.

Welcome to weight bench reviews! Why should you waste your valuable time scouring the internet for information on weight benches when you can get it done here?

We will be featuring product reviews, consolidating manufacturers’ descriptions, buyer reviews and info from comparison shopping sites in one place so you can find out what you need to know quickly.

For ease of navigation, this site is broken down into logically organized sections:

Cheap Weight Bench

We know you have an eye for value – so we will try to identify the weight benches that give you the best features for the least money. There are some surprising bargains to be had at the low end of the market. We’ll help you find them, and steer you away from the ones that may not hold up over time. There IS a difference between an inexpensive weight training bench and cheap weight benches.

Olympic Weight Bench

The granddaddy of them all. for the serious weightlifter, there is no substitute. An Olympic bench is larger, stronger, and more stable. The extra distance between the uprights gives you all the room you need, and Olympic bars let you really load up the plates.

Folding Weight Bench

These benches allow you to set up your bench as a standard flat bench, an incline bench, or even (on better models) as a decline bench. Versatile and space saving, folding weight benches are the most common choice in home gyms.

Adjustable Weight Bench

A step beyond a simpler folding weight bench, a true adjustable weight bench goes a step further, and can approach a true weight training system. These units offer additional features such as adjustable uprights, leg extent ion attachments, cable pull-down attachments and much more.

Weight Benches

This will be our catch-all category, where we will list and review the specialty weight training benches that do not fit easily into the categories above. An example of a weight bench might be a ab bench, or a decline only bench.

This iwll also be where we can toss in the weight lifting benches that have a lot of accessories, but still do not quite reach the level of complexity required ot called a home gym system.

I think it is time to more clearly define what we mean in by the various descriptive terms that we use with in this product category. I mean really, we have weight training benches, adjustable weight benches, folding weight benches, and so on.

Let’s start with the folding weight bench, one of the most commonly used terms. It differs from adjustable benches that it is a very simple machine. Usually, it is limited to a single joint in the body platform, which allows you to turn the bench from a flat bench into an incline bench. More expensive units in this category will also allow you to create a decline bench as well.

Typically, the uprights are fixed, although you may be able to slide them up and pin them there for incline presses. Most times upright are not even included. You may also get a leg extension attachment – but that is about it.

Folding Weight Bench

Let’s take a look at some simple folding weight benches:

As you can see, there are very few options with this bench – But that is the point. You can expect to pay less, because you get less. In my case, however, I feel like i am getting more.

Without uprights I can do my dumbbell workouts without consideration of arm movement. If I want to go wide on flyes, I can. Also – this is a huge plus if you have a power rack. Nothing like just sliding the bench into the rack for a set or two, then pulling it right back out for squats.

It may have occurred to you that most likely almost all folding weight benches can also fall into the category of cheap weight benches. Not true. I have a Bowflex folding weight bench that I love. And it was anything but cheap.

So what to look for in a folding weight bench? Here’s some good news! Because you will not be paying for uprights and all the other attachments and add-on as in an adjustable weight benches, you can expect to pay less for equivalent quality of construction.

This is great, because it means that you can get something a little more sturdy and longer lasting for the same amount. Go for the largest diameter tubing or square stock you can find. Actually get on the bench if possible, and move around a little. Make sure that it feels steady and solid.

With a little work, you can find a great bench for just a little more money.

So, you need a new weight bench. And you don’t have much money to spend. Can you really get a decent weight bench, and workout in total safety while spending less than $200?

I wish I could give you a simple yes or no answer, but it’s really a little more complex than that.  If you think you’re gonna spend under $200 and still get all of the features that you get with an expensive weight bench, you’re mistaken.  But if you’re willing to give up some of the bells and whistles and instead concentrate on the basics, then you should do just fine.

We’re going to be talking about the best places to find cheap weight benches in a few paragraphs, but first let’s discuss some of the things that you should be looking for, and some of the things that you should be trying to avoid in your attempt to set up a weightlifting area at home while saving money.

What should I look for when picking out my weight training bench?

To start with, you need to be sure that you’re going to be happy with a standard weight set. By this I mean a weight set with the total poundage somewhere below 250, and a simple knurled 6 foot barbell. By making this decision, you make it much more likely that you’ll be able to find a weight bench at a very low price that will suit your needs.

But you’re giving a few things up:

Standard weight benches typically have uprights that are placed much closer together than those on an Olympic weight lifting bench.  The idea here is that moving outwards from the middle of the weight bench we have the uprights and then your hands, and then finally the inside collars, then the weight plates and then the retaining collars.

For some people this is an issue.  For me it is.  I would much rather have all the room that I need to use inside the collars of the barbell.  I want the freedom of taking either a narrow or a wide grip when I bench, so for me a standard barbell and a standard weight bench simply won’t work.

The next area were a cheap weight bench might fall short for you is in terms of strength and stability.  Just as the uprights are more narrowly space, so will be the legs of the weight bench.  Obviously, this makes it less stable.

In addition, your less expensive weight benches are going to be made either of tubular stock or smaller square stock.  This is OK, as long as you’re only going to be lifting a couple hundred pounds.  If you plan to do any benching of significance, I think you should simply bite the bullet and spend what you need to spend to get a solid piece of equipment.

Where can I find a cheap weight bench?

It’s not hard to find an inexpensive weight bench -you just have to know where to look.  The first decision you’re going to have to make is whether or not you would be happy with a used piece of equipment.  If you’ve got a truck, or have a friend with a truck and you’re willing to do a little driving, the odds are that you may be able to find a really nice piece of equipment for the same price you would’ve paid for a very flimsy bench purchase from Wal-Mart or Sears.

I would steer away from online sources like EBay when searching for used weight equipment, and here’s why:

You’re going to want to actually try out, or at least take a good hard look at the equipment before you take it home.  You have to remember, we’re not buying a toaster here.  You’re going to be laying on that bench and balancing a barbell with a few 100 pounds up over your face.  This is not the time to skip due diligence.  Having said that there is a least one place online where you’re likely to find good quality used equipment at a reasonable price: Craigslist.

Cheap Weight Bench

Even if you’ve never used Craigslist before, you’ll find it very easy.  All you have to do is sort on your state and then your city.  Next you simply drill down until you get to fitness equipment and start hunting.  I normally immediately skip over any advertisements for weightlifting equipment that do not include pictures.  What you find a listing that makes sense to you, contact the poster and arrange for viewing.

If you’d like to stick with new retail equipment, your choices are going to be somewhat more limited.  First place to start would be at your local Wal-Mart or Sears.  You’re not gonna see that there’s any shortage of cheap weight benches, but what you may see is a lack of stability and solid workmanship.  But hey, you get what you pay for.

If you’re determined to go retail I recommend that you do the following:

Skip the bells and whistles.  You don’t need a leg extension or pull-down machine built on to a simple weight bench like this.  The money they spent to give you those attachments is money that they did not spend on quality steel and solid welding techniques.

Pay close attention to the quality of the padding and the upholstery material.  Cheaper weight benches often have been inferior quality plastic as an upholstery cover and easily compacted stuffing.

Take a close look it any bolts, knots or fasteners that are part of the weight bench and.  If all they are using is quarter 20 bolts and lock washers, that thing is gonna come apart the first time you do a good hard set.

I hope I’ve given you the information that you needed in your quest to save money and still has something decent to lift off of.  To reiterate – your best bet is to check Craigslist for a used weight bench -you will get a lot more bench for your money.

If you’re gonna do some serious lifting, and you expect to be moving some real weight – then you need to go with an Olympic bench.

Now this is not to say that you can’t lift decent weight with a standard bench but when you try you’re going to run into a couple of problems:

• If you lift a lot of weight you’re probably a big guy. You may find that the distance between the uprights on a standard bench gives you claustrophobia. Sometimes standard bench manufactures will tried to separate the uprights a little to give you some room around your ears, but this is even worse. It puts them in a no man’s land. Far enough apart that they get in the way, but not so far apart that you can put your hands inside them when lifting.

• Standard benches are probably not going to be able to handle the kind of weight and velocity that you’re going to apply it to them. Just picture yourself at the end of a hard set of 350 pound benches, and having an upright bend, or barbell catch snap off. This is not a place you want to be.

olympic weight bench

If you would just go and bite the bullet and get an Olympic bench you have a solid, well constructed piece of equipment that will stand the test of time. I recommend that if you do get an Olympic weight training bench, you go for one of the less expensive commercial models, rather than a more expensive ” home gym” model. And here’s why:

• Even a bottom of the line commercial Olympic  bench will be able to handle 700 or 800 pounds easily. Not only that, but you’re not gonna be able to break it no matter what you do. This is one of those cases where you have a chance to buy something that will literally last you for the rest of your life.

• If instead, you opt for something near the top of a line on a home unit what you are going to see is a weight bench with a lot of fancy attachments and gadgets that you may never use. In addition, whenever you add complexity to something, you add more parts, and parts break.

If you’ve been lifting for a while and you have simply outgrown your standard weight bench, you’re going to need weights as well.  This means that what you’re really should be looking for is an Olympic weightlifting bench, complete with what is known as an Olympic set.

A standard Olympic set consists of a 7 foot knurled barbell with rotating collars and two dumbbell handles them.  The set will also include 305 pounds of Olympic plates, which should be enough to get just about anybody started.

You can find a decent Olympic weight bench, Olympic bar, and plates for 5 to 600 dollars retail.  If you can afford to spend more I recommend that you do so.  As stated above this is a chance to buy a piece of equipment that you can use for the rest of your life.