People have always wanted to look great and stay in shape. Whether they exercise for a certain sport or just to look sexy, staying healthy is always a plus. They go to the gym or workout at their homes to build and tone muscles. If you're a gym rat yourself, you know the importance of lifting weights in order to have a strong upper body and maintaining fit.
Before doing your workout, you need to know the different types of weight benches available. Some people may be regular gym goers but not all know the advantages or disadvantages of each one. Every bench has its own target of muscles so it is essential for you to know how to maximize them. Not only that, the occurrence of an injury is lessened by not stressing out a specific body part with the wrong equipment.
There are four basic types of weight benches and each help perform a specific kind of exercise. Probably the most common type is the flat bench. This is a long, narrow, and literally flat bench. It is normally used for the bench press or the dumbbell press. Their primary target is the chest muscles followed by the arms. This is a simple bench because you only have to do a basic position to perform the exercises.
The next category is the incline bench. This is similar to the flat bench the only difference being that it is slanted upwards enabling more positions and intensities for your upper body muscles. You can perform the same exercises you would normally do on a flat bench. For instance, a bench press will turn into an inclined bench press on the inclined equipment. These target more of the upper chest muscles.
As there is an incline bench, there is also the decline bench. This is an exact reversal of the incline bench. Your lower body (legs, thighs, and knees) will be above your upper body. Instead of targeting the upper chest muscles, the lower half of the chest is focused.
Another version of weight benches is the vertical bench. In this bench, you will be seated as you perform the exercises. There is a surface where you can sit, and another flat vertical bench to support the back. Proper form and posture can be done using this bench. Some exercises used for the vertical bench is the shoulder press and the machine bench press.
These are the four normal types of weight benches; however, there is also the Olympic weight bench. This is similar to any regular bench but it is usually built for more serious athletes and weightlifters. It gives professionals a more stable and suitable machine for all their training needs. It is easily adjustable to perform various exercises in different weight sets.