Top 10 Best Weight Bench Exercises

A weight bench is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in your home gym. We’re taking a look at some of the best weight bench exercises, including flat and seated exercises on both inclines and declines.

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1. Bench Press
2. Single Arm Row
3. Pullover
4. Shoulder Press
5. Reverse Flyes
6. Incline Front Raises
7. Skull Crusher
8. Incline Bicep Curl
9. Bulgarian Split Squat
10. Reverse Crunches

Bench Press

First on the list is the classic bench press. The bench press is the best possible chest exercise. It applies a massive force, and it hits your chest, shoulders and arms at the same time. It also offers you a range of equipment to use, and especially with dumbbells, you will see huge improvements to your overall strength.

Single Arm Row

Moving to the other side of your body, single arms rows are an incredible way to hit your lats individually, which is something that most back exercises can’t really offer. This removes weaknesses and helps you to be able to target imbalances, giving your specific and isolated training.

Pullover

Pullovers are one of the more interesting weight-bench exercises as they change the game a little. If you have straight or bent arms, you’re hitting different muscle groups. Your chest (if your arms are straight) and your back (if your arms are bent) can both benefit from the huge exercise, and it’s arguably one of the best exercises that you can do for yourself in the long run.

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press is another King of compound exercise. It is the best deltoid building exercise there is, hitting all three heads of the shoulders (front, side and rear). With the addition of the back support that the bench offers, you can really focus on overloading your shoulders for maximum growth.

Reverse Flyes

Keeping with shoulders, it’s important that you’re giving your rear deltoids the attention that they need so that you can stay functionally strong. Make sure that you are at a suitable incline on the bench and that you have a weight that you aren’t going to be swinging to be able to get high enough.

Incline Front Raises

Incline front raises smash the front of your shoulders. The motion range is dramatically increased, and your contractions should be a lot more intense. This is what’s going to give you the progress boost you need and help you develop your shoulders as a whole.

Skull Crusher

Skull crushers are another awesome and often forgotten about exercise that can do awesome things for your arms. You need a barbell and probably a spotter to ensure that you’re keeping things safe and that you won’t hurt yourself if you fatigue.

Incline Bicep Curl

The bicep curl is always a great exercise to include in your arm workout, and the incline makes them even better. This exercise has the same benefits as the front raise in the sense that your contraction is going to be much greater. Make sure that you are releasing the lift properly. Too much momentum will injure your elbows.

Bulgarian Split Squat

One of the most effective and best weight bench exercises you can do – the Bulgarian split squat. Having one leg suspended on the bench means that your stability and core strength will have to come into play to keep you balanced while you squat. The greater load on your quadriceps means more of a contraction there, too, due to the higher weight.

Reverse Crunches

Abs aren’t always the first choice when you’re thinking about weight bench exercises, but they’re more than doable and can really up your ab game. Reverse crunches are a little tricky to master at first, but they’re incredibly effective lower abdominal builders. Make sure you have enough space to do them safely.

Overall, weight benches are incredibly diverse pieces of home gym equipment. They can help you get a full-body workout, and they work with so many different pieces of equipment that they are one of the best all-rounders in your exercise arsenal.

Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.

If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.