Fitness benches are generally versatile and compact and will give you many options by way of cost. With most benches, other complementary equipment will have to be purchased, such as dumbbells, barbells or kettle-bells, or medicine balls. Even with this additional cost considered, benches are still great value for money.
The Incline Bench, the Decline Bench and the Flat Incline Decline benches are similar in size and shape to that of the flat bench. The main difference is the moving back rest and, in some cases, moving seat too. The incline bench moves the back support from the flat to the upright position, normally with several height choices along the way. The decline bench does the opposite - it moves from the flat position to the decline, with one or perhaps two choices in depth. An example of a preferred exercise on the decline bench that you cannot achieve on the flat or incline benches is the decline dumbbell bench press.
The seats and back supports all move in the vertical plane, giving support to the exerciser in various ways while performing various exercises. For example, using the incline bench with the back support in the elevated position allows the user to perform the dumbbell shoulder press with a supported back. One advantage over the flat bench and the decline bench is the differing heights you can set the back support to. For example, the different muscles in the chest can be targeted by adjusting the height of the back rest and performing the dumbbell bench press.
All of the advantages of the flat bench, the incline bench and the decline bench can be combined and found in the Flat Incline Decline bench. This is again similar in size and shape as the flat bench, but, as it says in the name, it combines all three of the benches in one. This of course allows you to perform the entire range of bench exercises in one machine. This however, comes at a cost and comes with a risk. Consider this, the more moving parts any machine has, the more chance it has to go wrong and need repairing. This is an important factor when balancing the costs / quality equation of purchase. The FID bench is generally more expensive, but it may be recommended not to purchase the cheapest one you find out there in the market.
Each fitness bench design comes with its own pros and cons for use in the various related strength and conditioning exercises. Here's a quick summary of what to look out for:
A fitness bench is normally one of the smallest and most versatile piece of strength and conditioning equipment you can buy
Make sure you make the right choice on quality - consider where, how and how often you are going to use it.
If you want to do elevated dumbbell work, such as the elevated dumbbell chest press or pectoral fly, then up-grade your purchase to an adjustable incline bench or a FID bench (Flat Incline Decline bench)
The downside is you will need usually need supplemental equipment, such as bars, weights, barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls etc
Be aware, there are a few cheap and nasty products out there,.as a rough guide, the mid range mid priced benches are good value for money
Fitness Bench Summary
Every fitness training routine should have an element of strength and conditioning, even if you are concentrating on training for a long distance cardiovascular endurance race, you should still have it in there to strengthen everything up and avoid injury. The Fitness Bench, along with the right application of exercise and supplemental equipment, provides a great tool with a low footprint to do this effectively.
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Fitness Benches
