You have just purchased your new weights and are ready for your first home workout. Now start thinking and all the exercises you can do standing and lying on the floor, but you realize there are some that you can’t do because you miss the abdominal bench!
The first time you build a home gym, you immediately run to buy weights and dumbbells, but most people forget how many exercises you can do by simply buying an abdominal bench.
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3 Greater benefits of an abdominal bench
It improves your workouts and saves you time to dedicate to your exercises. But on the other hand, it is very frustrating to want to do part of the training but to realize that you cannot do it simply because you do not have the right equipment.
If you spend time figuring out how to do a certain exercise because you don’t own a sit-up bench, you’re just taking time away from your workout. So instead, you add comfort and versatility to your exercises with an abdominal bench, spending a reasonable price!
You can perform a full-body workout. I don’t remember when I trained alone at home and didn’t need to use the bench press. Whether it’s abdominals, legs, arms, or pecs, an abdominal bench is an ideal tool to perform dozens and dozens of exercises without being practically impractical.
There is a huge variety of exercises that can perform with a bench press. If I had to write a list of all the exercises that come to mind in a few minutes, this article alone would not be enough.
If you’ve ever been to a gym, you’ve probably seen sections devoted to inclined, horizontal, and folding benches. Each of them has a specific and special purpose. Likewise, each type of bench has advantages and disadvantages, and I aim to illustrate these aspects individually.
Types of Bench
Each of us has different goals to achieve. Some want a bench to do some lifting at home without spending a fortune. Others, obviously more sporty and professional, want to have every option available on the market at home, to perform a huge number of exercises and vary their training daily.
Whatever your needs are, the ideal product exists on the market. Which? It mostly depends on what you want to do, which exercises you like to do the most, and other aspects, more or less important. Here is a brief guide to the five most popular abdominal benches on the market, with pros and cons.
Flat Bench
As the name suggests, the flat bench is simply a flat horizontal bench with no frills or adjustment options. As a result, it can perform all those exercises that ask the athlete to lie down.
Legs, arms, abs, chest, the number of exercises that can perform, with or without dumbbells, is innumerable. But, usually, it is the simplest and cheapest tool we can find on the market.
- Pros: Buying a flat bench won’t break you; this is the cheapest model.
- Cons: its versatility is reduced, and compared to the benches we will see from now on, it allows you to do fewer exercises.
Fid Bench (Adjustable Bench)
Also called an adjustable bench with dumbbells, this particular bench model is very similar to the previous one but with a substantial difference and greater versatility given by the possibility of tilting the bench and adding weights.
FID means Flat / Incline / Decline. Not all those on the market are adjustable, so if you want to buy an adjustable FID bench, make sure it is equipped with this option!
- Pros: You can do more exercises and improve your training.
- Cons: You must be more specific in what you look for in an incline bench.
Olympic Bench
This bench is the bench press par excellence among the models to be used together with the weights, as it is the main bench used to lift the Olympic weights (plate and wide bars), but it also has the option to add weights in the front/bottom, to perform leg exercises.
- Pros: With the Olympic bench, you can do a complete workout.
- Cons: it is bulky and requires more space in the house than other benches.
Folding Bench
Folding benches are generally adjustable but can also be folded back to reduce bulk when not needed and for greater portability.
- Pros: You can move it easily, and it is less cluttered than any other bench.
- Cons: if not well made, it is not very robust. Also, the place where it leans can be uncomfortable during some exercises.
Bench for Abdominals
Did you know that adjustable benches cannot always be tilted? Well, a sit-up bench is always tiltable!
Designed to give your abs a serious workout, this bench press is generally inclined and is good for serious ab exercises. Some can be adjusted to change the angle and/or height, to make the exercises easier or more challenging. Once the inclination is set, it is fixed with a hook.
- Pros: It offers more exercises than other benches and is specific for the abs.
- Cons: the versatility is less than an Olympic bench, but the size is.
Perfect, you may also be quite clear about the bench model you need, but it is still essential to know the characteristics and key factors to look for in these tools to choose an abdominal bench that best suits your needs.
How to choose the best abdominal bench for your needs
Let’s look at the most important factors to consider, which will help you make a specific decision.
Adjustability: As I mentioned earlier, it is important to have an adjustable bench to adjust different angles and work specifically on specific muscle groups. This factor adds greater versatility and more difficulty levels to your training. Also, consider whether you’d like a more excellent option of angles or if the tilt feature is more important.
Inclination: speaking of inclination, it is important to remember that this option, if you want it, you have to look for it on your favorite bench. It can also incline not all adjustable benches. If you want to work your abs, you will probably need to consider this feature’s availability.
Accessories (included or purchased separately): handy for Olympic benches. It is interesting to note how some benches also offer weights to make some exercises more difficult. The accessories allow you to perform more versatile and dynamic workouts, so check if they are already available in the box or if you can buy them separately later when you feel ready to move on to the next step.
Foldable: This option is ideal for those who do not have a lot of space in the house and need to fold it to take up the house’s minimum amount of space when you put it away. Check the open and closed measurements and verify that it is still suitable for your needs when checking this function.
Size: Speaking of size, as we’re not all the same, make sure the size of your favorite bench fits yours, especially the height. The worst thing is performing the exercises on an unsuitable and uncomfortable bench. Many benches are quite wide, but it is a ” universal ” width. If your size is ” wider than usual, “ensure it’s comfortable.
Comfort: here we are at one of the most important aspects. If the bench is uncomfortable, you will probably stop wanting to do it whenever you need to. If you are lazy, an uncomfortable bench certainly won’t help you. Instead, buy a comfortable, padded, ergonomic bench, and give your workouts greater comfort.
Safety: Safety is represented by the solidity of the bench and the materials used for its construction. The best benches are those that can support the heaviest weight. 265 lbs is a great starting point. But, then it also depends on your weight … our advice? Do not buy a scale that supports a maximum weight very close to your weight; you could still compromise solidity and stability.
Guarantee: this also expresses the solidity of the bench. The warranty will be just as standard (2 years) if built with standard materials. But, if it’s built with excellent materials, your warranty will last longer.
The Best Abdominal Benches
Below you will find the most interesting offers on the market, carefully analyzed to help you find the right abdominal benches.
- HEAVY-DUTY CONSTRUCTION – This product features a heavy-duty steel tube frame for...
- EASY STORAGE – The locking pin allows you to easily fold the bench and keep it in...
- 4-ANGLED POSITIONS – This board features four incline or decline positions, making it...
- 【ADJUSTABLE SIT-UP BENCH】With five adjustment levels, this sit up bench lets you...
- 【UPPER BODY BUILDER】Engineered to support up to 500lbs, this adjustable sit-up bench...
- 【HEAVY-DUTY STEEL CONSTRUCTION】This workout bench for Ab exercise has a heavy-duty...
- Now Built from Even Stronger Materials – Great decline bench for abs and resistance...
- Smoother Adjustable, 3-Level Rollers – Improved engineering makes adjusting the bench...
- Longer, Sturdier Backboard Than Other Ab Benches – Superior decline ab bench compared to...
- 【All-in-One Full Body Workout】The all-in-one adjustable ab weight bench designed for...
- 【Compact Design for Space Saving】Unlike other GHD machine and roman chair exercise...
- 【Fully Adjustable】Simply pull the pin to adjust the angle of the bench - ranges from...
- Professional ab/sit-up training machine: This Core&Abdominal Trainers is designed to train...
- Adjustable resistance level: There are 3 holes on the large iron plate under the...
- Foldable for easy storage： Equipped with a locking latch, our Abdominal Workout Machine...
- DO MORE WITH YOUR ROMAN CHAIR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT - Much more versatile than a regular...
- REDUCE & PREVENT LOWER BACK PAIN - Straighten your posture & take care of your lower back...
- STRENGTHEN YOUR ENTIRE BODY - Use the hyperextension roman chair to sculpt your upper body...
- ADJUSTABLE: With 12 levels of decline adjustment on a 47 inch rail using a locking pop-pin...
- CONVENIENCE: Features a bullhorn handlebar for easier and safer mounting and dismounting...
- STABILITY: Sports a heavy-duty 14-gauge steel mainframe construction and a 2 inch by 3...
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN – The Marcy Exercise Utility Bench features an ergonomically designed...
- COMFORTABLE ROLLER PADS – This fitness gear has soft foam roller pads for comfort for...
- ADJUSTABLE SEAT – The seat and back pads of this bench can be readjusted into different...
- 【4-level Adjustable Height】 This sit-up bench features four adjustable positions,...
- 【Heavy Duty Structure】Constructed by heavy duty iron tube frame, the sit up bench has...
- 【User-friendly Craftsmanship】With thick and high-density foam padding, it firmly...
- Sturdy Steel Construction – Ab bench built with 12-14 gauge steel for maximum support....
- Unique Design – high strength 4-way frame adds stability to this sit up bench for abs....
- Extra Thick Curved Backboard – 43x13x2 in.pad reduces back strain. Wider & Longer pad...
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