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More and more people want to do strength training at home, instead of in the gym.
To create a small 'home gym' for yourself, you do need some basic materials.
One of those essential necessities is a (sturdy) fitness bench.
Such a training bench, also called a weight bench, offers you the opportunity to perform your fitness exercises in a safe manner.
Thanks to a fitness bench you will be able to train effectively and achieve your fitness goals.
I have reviewed and listed the best home fitness benches for you.
The best is of course a fitness bench that is suitable for different purposes.
Our eye immediately fell on the Rock Gym 6-in-1 fitness bench: the perfect all-in-one circuit training device for the fitness enthusiast!
On this fitness bench you can do a complete body workout, such as abdominal exercises, chest exercises and leg exercises.
You can read more about this fitness bench in the information below the table.
Read on to find out what the recommendations are!
Also read: Best power rack | Our recommendations for your training [review].
In addition to this fantastic fitness bench from Rock Gym, there are many other suitable fitness benches that we would like to show you.
Below we describe a number of fitness benches that are all very suitable for intensive training at home.
We have examined a number of important features, including the price, the possibility to adjust or fold the bench and the material.
The result can be found in the table below.
Fitness benches | Images |
Best fitness bench for different purposes: Rock Gym 6 in 1 | |
Overall best fitness bench: FitGoodz | |
Best cheap fitness bench: Gorilla Sports Flat Fitness Bench | |
Best Adjustable Fitness Bench: Booster Athletic Dept Multi Functional Weight Bench | |
Best folding fitness bench: Pretorian Weight Bench | |
Best fitness bench with weights: Weight bench with 50 kg weights | |
Best fitness bench made of wood: Wooden Fitness Benelux |
What we discuss in this comprehensive post:
- 1 What do you pay attention to when purchasing a fitness bench?
- 2 Best fitness benches for home reviewed
- 2.1 Best fitness bench for different purposes: Rock Gym 6-in-1
- 2.2 Overall best fitness bench: FitGoodz
- 2.3 Best Cheap Fitness Bench: Gorilla Sports Flat Fitness Bench
- 2.4 Best Adjustable Fitness Bench: Booster Athletic Dept Multi Functional Weight Bench
- 2.5 Best Folding Fitness Bench: Pretorians Weight Bench
- 2.6 Best fitness bench with weights: Weight bench with 50 kg weights
- 2.7 Best fitness bench made of wood: Houten Fitness Benelux
- 3 Exercises on the bench without dumbbells
- 4 Exercises on the bench with dumbbells
- 5 What else do you pay attention to when buying a good fitness bench?
What do you pay attention to when purchasing a fitness bench?
A good fitness bench must initially be stable and heavy duty.
Of course you don't want the bench to wobble or even tip over when you are seriously exercising.
The bench must also be able to take a beating and it may be useful if the bench is adjustable, so that you can put the back (and seat) in different positions.
This increases the training possibilities.
Last but not least: the fitness bench must have an attractive price tag.
Best fitness benches for home reviewed
With these requirements in mind, I have reviewed several fitness benches.
Why did these products make the top list?
Best fitness bench for different purposes: Rock Gym 6-in-1
Do you want to be able to train a lot of muscle groups with just one device? Then this is the perfect fitness bench for your home gym!
The Rock Gym is a 6-in-1 total body shaping device with a size of (lxwxh) 120 x 40 x 110 cm.
You can do sit-ups, leg lift exercises (in three positions), push-ups, other forms of strength training and even various resistance exercises and stretching on this bench.
You train your abs, thighs, calves, buttocks, arms, chest and back.
The device also has two resistance cables, to be able to achieve an actual full body workout.
The Rock Gym is of course also perfectly usable as a fitness bench, to do exercises with (or without) dumbbells.
This device is a multifunctional fitness device in the comfort of your own home.
Complete your home gym with the right dumbbells and of course a good sports mat!
Overall best fitness bench: FitGoodz
With a fitness bench you can keep yourself fit at home when it suits you. So it's over and out with the gym apologies!
This versatile weight bench from FitGoodz offers you a lot of training options for the abdomen, back, arms and legs.
Thanks to the integrated twister, you can even activate and train your hip muscles. It is also useful that you can adjust the inclination of the bench to your exercises.
The fitness bench is also space-saving: when you have finished training, you simply fold the bench and store it away.
The sofa has a load capacity of 120 kg and is red and black in color. The dimensions are (lxwxh) 166 x 53 x 60 cm.
Check prices and availability here
Best Cheap Fitness Bench: Gorilla Sports Flat Fitness Bench
Are you planning to do not too crazy tricks, and are you mainly looking for a simple, cheap but sturdy fitness bench?
Then Gorilla Sports can help you with a solid fitness bench for a good price.
The Gorilla Sports Flat Fitness Bench can be loaded up to 200 kg and is adjustable in height (in four positions).
The bench offers a lot of training options, especially with a set of barbells or dumbbells.
Because the bench is very solidly built, you can also lift heavy. The bench has a length of 112 cm and a width of 26 cm.
Best Adjustable Fitness Bench: Booster Athletic Dept Multi Functional Weight Bench
A fitness bench is a real must for anyone who wants to train seriously at home.
Ideally, the fitness bench is adjustable, so that you can always perform your exercises comfortably and safely.
This Booster Athletic Dept fitness bench is adjustable in seven different positions.
So you can do various 'decline' and 'incline' variations of your exercises.
The bench can bear a maximum weight of 220 kg and the seat is adjustable in four positions.
The dimensions of the bench are as follows (lxwxh): 118 x 54,5 x 92 cm.
Best Folding Fitness Bench: Pretorians Weight Bench
Especially for people who have little space available at home, a folding weight bench is of course not an unnecessary luxury.
This sturdy Pretorian fitness bench is not only foldable, but also fully adjustable (four different heights). The leg clamp is also adjustable.
With this bench you are able to intensively train all desired muscle groups, without having to leave your home for this.
In addition, the fitness bench is equipped with an arm and leg muscle trainer, on which you can place weight, and an abdominal muscle plateau.
This fitness bench also has a barbell bar resting point. It's like being at the gym!
The bench is available in the colors red and black and has a maximum load capacity of 110 kg. The device has a size of (lxwxh) 165 x 135 x 118 cm
Check prices and availability here
Best fitness bench with weights: Weight bench with 50 kg weights
Some of you may be thinking: what good is a fitness bench without weights?
However, there are indeed efficient exercises that you can perform on a fitness bench without weights (you can read more about this later!).
On the other hand, we understand that some fitness freaks prefer to buy everything they need in one go; a fitness bench including a set of weights.
This is the same fitness bench as the previous one we discussed, only this time you get a lot of weights and barbells!
To be precise, the following is included:
- 4 10 x kg
- 2x 5 kg
- 2x dumbbell bar (0,5 kg and 45 cm long)
- a straight barbell (7,4 kg and 180 cm long)
- a barbell bar super curls (5,4 kg and 120 cm long).
You also get barbell locks with it! A complete set for a complete training.
Best fitness bench made of wood: Houten Fitness Benelux
This is the perfect fitness bench for indoor and outdoor use!
Thanks to the high-quality wood, this bench is suitable for all weather conditions.
It is recommended to cover the bench outside with a tarpaulin to extend its life.
The bench is suitable for heavy workouts and is also easy to store.
The fitness bench can be loaded up to 200 kg and the dimensions are (lxwxh) 100 x 29 x 44 cm.
With this wooden fitness bench from Houten Fitness Benelux you have one for life!
Check prices and availability here
Exercises on the bench without dumbbells
Hooray, your fitness bench has arrived!
But how and where to start training?
We give you some simple but effective exercises that will help you strengthen your muscles.
If you don't have dumbbells yet and want to get started anyway, there are a number of exercises that you can perform on the fitness bench.
Abdominal exercises – abs
Just like you would do it on a mat.
Lie on the bench and pull your knees up with your feet on the bench. Now do regular crunches, bicycle crunches, or other variations.
dips – triceps
This exercise is for your triceps.
Sit on the long side of the bench and bring your fingers forward with your fingers next to you on the bench, shoulder-width apart.
Now lower your buttocks off the bench and stretch your legs forward. Now straighten your triceps and keep a slight bend in your elbows.
Now slowly lower your body until the elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your back close to the bench. Now push yourself up powerfully from your triceps again.
You repeat these steps for the number of reps ('repetitions') that you want to do.
Push-ups – Biceps / Pecs
Instead of pressing on the floor, place your hands on the bench with your toes on the floor and do the push-up movement from there.
Or vice versa, with toes on the bench and hands on the floor.
Exercises on the bench with dumbbells
If you do have dumbbells, you can of course perform many more different exercises.
Bench press (lying or oblique) – pectoral muscles
Lying down: Stretch out on the fitness bench, arch your back slightly and place your feet on the floor.
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms vertically into the air, dumbbells close together.
From here, slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your torso. Tighten your pecs and push the dumbbells back up, bringing them closer together.
At the end of the movement, the dumbbells lightly touch each other.
Oblique: The fitness bench is now at an angle between 15 and 45 degrees. The exercise continues in exactly the same way.
Always make sure that the head, buttocks and shoulders are resting on the bench.
Pullover - triceps
Stretch out on the fitness bench and grab one dumbbell with both hands. Extend your arms overhead and lower the barbell behind your head.
Here you bend your elbows slightly. You bring the barbell back to the starting position and so on.
Again, make sure your head, buttocks, and shoulders are resting on the bench.
Rowing – back muscles
Stand next to your fitness bench and place one knee on the bench. Leave the other leg on the floor.
If you sit on the bench with your right knee, place your right hand on the bench in front of you. In the other hand, take a dumbbell.
Tighten your back muscles and lift the barbell by lifting the elbow back as high as possible.
Keep your back straight. Return the barbell to the starting position and repeat.
Arm curl – biceps
Sit on your fitness bench with legs apart and feet on the floor.
Grab a dumbbell in one of your hands, bring your palm up and bend slightly forward with a straight back.
Place your left hand on your left thigh as a support. Now bend your right elbow slightly and bring it to your right thigh.
Now bring the barbell towards your chest, keeping the elbow in place.
Repeat several times and switch hands. Let it be a controlled movement.
What else do you pay attention to when buying a good fitness bench?
Dimensions fitness bench
When choosing the right fitness bench, the dimensions (length, width and height) are very important.
In terms of length, the back should be long enough to rest and support your entire back.
The width of the bench should not be too narrow, but of course not too wide either, because then it can get in the way of your arms during certain exercises.
Height is also very important because when you lie flat with your back on the bench, you need to bring your feet to the floor and be able to lay it flat.
The sofa must also offer enough firmness in the back.
The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) indicates that the following dimensions are ideal for a fitness bench:
- Length: 1.22 meters or longer and level.
- Width: Between 29 and 32 cm.
- Height: Between 42 and 45 cm, measured from the floor to the top of the pillow.
Do I need a fitness bench?
If you're serious about lifting weights in your home gym, you need a fitness bench.
With a fitness bench you can do a greater variety of exercises than in a standing position. You can also concentrate better on training specific muscle groups.
Is a fitness bench worth it?
A quality fitness bench supports exercises that increase muscle size, strength and endurance.
It can help you do better strength training at home.
Should I buy a flat bench or an incline fitness bench?
The main benefit of performing 'incline presses' (bench presses on an incline fitness bench) is the development of the upper part of the pectoral muscles.
On a flat bench you will build the muscle mass over the entire chest. Many fitness benches can be set in an inclined (inclined) as well as a flat position.
It is also nice to have good fitness gloves for training with weights. Read our comprehensive review for finding the best fitness glove | Top 5 rated for grip & wrist.