When you are looking at weight benches the choices can be mind boggling.   A lot of what you decide on depends on what you are looking for in a weight bench to begin with.  Do you need an incline or a lot of fancy attachments?  If so that is great, but if all you want is a flat weight bench to  use with adjustable weight dumbbells, that doesn’t cost a fortune, then I have found a very sturdy flat weight bench that works great.

This apex flat bench has 25 customer reviews at Amazon and a four and a half star rating. It is by far the best value I have ever found on a cheap weight bench.

The features that make this bench worth buying.

• Powder coating (won’t rust from your sweat)
• Two year warranty
• Quick and easy to assemble
• Light enough to move from room to room
• Comfortable padding
• FREE super saver shipping

This bench doesn’t have any extra features like tilting or a dumbbell rack, but it is sturdy and gets the job done.  If you are looking for at weight benches and just want a comfortable flat weight bench that is sturdy, but doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, then this is a good bench for you.

After you set up your weight bench then it is time to start working out.   Here is a great exercise you can do with just dumbbells and your bench.

Weight benches and a set of dumbbells allow you to do just about any exercise that you can do on nautilus equipment at the gym. It is amazing just how fast you can get in shape with a cheap weight bench and some weights.

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So you decided between weight benches and broke down and bought one, now your using it and sweating all over it (that is a good thing), and you want to know how to clean your bench without damaging the cover.

It’s pretty easy really, most benches come with a vinyl (fake leather) cover which is safe to clean with Clorox wipes. You will want to wipe your weight bench set down after every use. This inhibits bacteria growth.

If you have stubborn spots on your bench than you will want to use warm water and dish soap to scrub them off.

Both of these methods are safe on the vinyl padded seats and also on the metal parts as long as the metal is coated.

A few other tips for keeping your exercise area clean and neat.

Baking soda works wonders. Have you ever used baking soda in your refrigerator to soak up stinky smells?  If so then you know how well it works.  Just take a fridge box (or a regular box) and open it up and place it in the corner of the room where you will be working out.  It will help to absorb the body odor and keep your work out area smelling good.  Just be sure to put it somewhere you won’t knock it over.

Only buy what you need. It can be very easy to go crazy with workout equipment.  But really a good set of dumbbells and a flat or adjustable weight bench is all you need to get a good resistance training workout.   You may want to add a treadmill or elliptical as well, but don’t go too crazy.  Buy what you need and your stuff will be much easier to keep track of.

Use a white board to track your progress. This is a trick I use all the time, in nearly every aspect of my life.  What I do is write down a goal at the top of the white board.  For instance, lift for 20 minutes 3 x this week.  Then I mark off each time I do the task.  I find more than anything this keeps me on task - which in turn keeps my exercise area from becoming a clothes hanger.

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If you are looking at weight benches and thinking about setting up a home gym, but don’t know where to start with your exercises once you get your equipment in your house, you are not alone.  I can’t even tell you how much equipment starts out with the best of intentions and ends up becoming clothes hangers.  I don’t want that fate to come to your new weight bench set.   Here are some tips to get you started so that you not only get the most out of your equipment, but also will help you keep going for the long haul.

Set aside time in your schedule to exercise.

Before you bring your weight bench with weights home, decide when you are going to exercise.  Putting aside time in your schedule to lift weights will help you to stick to your plan.  Even 20 minutes 3 days a week can make a huge difference in how your body looks and feels.

Decide on the results you are looking for.

Why are you looking to work out in the first place?  Do you want to get thinner, build muscle, develop a body builders physique?  These are all very different goals.  Decide what yours is and then purchase a book or video on how to do the exercises that will get you to those goals.  Learning proper form when weight lifting is very important.

Set realistic (bite sized) goals:

It is good to have large goals like “I want to lose 70 pounds”, or “I want to gain 20 pounds of muscle”,  but be sure to set small goals as well.  Give yourself some easy wins.

A good way to do this is to get a tape measure and measure your upper arms, waist at the belly button and your thighs, before you start using your weight bench set.  Then once a week measure again.  Even if you are only exercising with weights three times a week you should start to see results pretty quickly.

This will give you small victories and give you the motivation to keep going.

After looking at weight benches and deciding which one is right for you, it will be time to set your weight lifting bench up in your house and start using it.   If you are setting up a home gym you may also want to consider getting freestanding punch bags or another piece of gym equipment.  This will help you to keep from getting bored.

These tips should help you get the most out of it.

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You may be looking at weight benches and wondering where you are going to put it once it gets in your house.  There are several good options depending on your personality and what type of living situation you have.  I’ll outline them briefly and you can decide which is best for you.

Put it where you will see it.

For me personally, I need to either do my working out with a friend, or put my work out equipment right where I will see it every day.  That way I am more likely to use it.  So this is my first rule of thumb.  Weight training benches are only good if you use them, and seeing them goes a long way towards that.   That being said here are some common areas that people use.

The garage.

Putting an adjustable or incline weight bench in a garage is a great location, especially if you have a friend who will work out with you.  Of course, the more stuff you put in a garage, the less chance you have of actually parking cars in it, but if that doesn’t bother you, the garage is a good option.

Your bedroom.

You will definitely see your weight bench every day if it is in your bedroom.  No doubt about it.  Putting it in your bedroom is a great option if you still live with your parents or a room mate and they don’t want weight benches all over the house.

The only downfall to having a weight bench in your bedroom is that it often will become a clothes hanger, so you will have to be careful about that.

Your Living Room

If you are single (or have a very tolerant significant other) you can put your weight bench in your living room.  That way when you watch TV you can also lift weights.

Your Yard. Unless you have a shelter, you may not want to keep your weights in your yard, BUT many people find that spending time outdoors is a great way to stay motivated, if that is you than a weight bench in your yard may be the perfect solution for you.

A guest room.

A lot of people will make the guest room into a mini workout facility.  This is a good option if you are very self motivated.  For me personally this doesn’t work well, because I close the door and never thing about the workout equipment again, and then never work out.

A basement.

If you have a dry basement, then it can make an ideal workout center/ rec room.  A basement is also a great place to work out with other people and has the added benefit of having the most room out of  all of these options.

Wherever you decide to place your weight bench set, be sure that you put aside time in your schedule to use it.  Resistance training with weight benches and weights is one of the best possible ways to get in shape fast.

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When you are just starting out lifting weights, it can be confusing trying to figure out what bench out of all the weight benches on the market to get.   There are many to choose from, and you may not know what you want.  Here are some tips to help you get started.

Go for quality:

You don’t have to get the one of the most  expensive adjustable weight benches on the market, in fact many people do fine with a flat weight bench and a good set of adjustable dumbbells. But you do want to get quality.  Look for a weight bench that is coated and chromed so that sweat won’t rust it.

If you want to use your weight bench with barbells then you will want to make sure that you can add to it over time and that the parts are interchangeable.  A quality weight bench can last for years, so it is worth it to buy a good one.

Know what your objective is:

As you decide on what you need, you need to have an end game in mind, and know what your objective is.   You will want to get a bigger, more elaborate set if you want to do body building.  But if you are looking to build long lean muscles than weight training with lighter weights will be ideal for you.  You may want to consider an adjustable squat rack as well, as they can be very useful.

I recommend that you find a weight lifting book, or talk to a coach so that you can develop a plan that will work for your goals and then buy your weight bench set accordingly.

Set aside time to use your weight bench:

One of the best possible things you can do before you look at weight benches at all is to set aside the time to use your weight bench.  Be realistic.  If you are not currently working out a good goal to start with is 20 minutes three times a week.  That will get you good results and will set you up for success in your work outs.

You will find that using your new weight bench rack will get you great results.  You should start to notice changes in your body in a just a few short weeks.

If you are a woman unsure about lifting weights:

Weight lifting is one of the best things that you can do for your body.   Female muscle growth will not make you look manly and will generally only increase your appeal.   It also has huge health benefits and should be something you consider.

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