Should I buy a flat or adjustable bench?

Outfitting your home gym can be both exciting and stressful given how much different gym equipment is on the market. As always, it comes down to the workouts you do, or want to do, and what your goals are. When it comes to a weight lifting bench, you can opt for a flat one or an adjustable one and this can be one of the most important decisions to make! 

Flat Bench for Home Gym

A flat weight lifting bench cannot be adjusted yet it still offers incredible versatility - besides the infamous bench press exercise, that trains your pecs, you can also train your triceps, back, core, and even glutes and legs! You can lay on the flat lifting bench, stand next to it, or sit on it. A flat bench has less moving parts so it’s less prone to breaking and is virtually indestructible offering amazing durability. A flat bench is readily available at many home gym suppliers and you can pick from a variety of cost options. 

Adjustable Bench for Home Gym

You can perform all the flat bench weight lifting exercises on the adjustable bench with the added bonus of an incline or decline that can make an exercise more intense by adding gravity resistance. Although a bigger concern with durability, a more expensive adjustable bench will offer the same durability as a flat bench. This type of lifting bench is great for targeting very specific muscles such as your upper chest and offers the rare benefit of working out lower and higher pecs at the same time. An adjustable lifting bench is the best of both worlds as you can lay it flat as well, but we do not advise doing exercises like box jumps on this equipment for the sake of its stability. 

Flat vs. Adjustable Weight Bench

If you are just starting out, a flat weight lifting bench is a great investment that will allow you to work almost every major muscle group in your body! If you are further along in your working-out journey or have specific physique goals, an adjustable bench offers great versatility and conditioning exercise opportunities.