Buying Guide For Weight Benches: Flat Or Adjustable?

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When I first started lifting, all I wanted to do was deadlift and avoid bench press at all costs. Who would have guessed that benching would later become my favorite lift? But the bench press isn’t the only exercise you can train on a weight bench.

What’s the difference between the flat and the adjustable bench? A noticeable difference between the flat and the adjustable bench is the build. The adjustable bench can incline and decline to support additional exercises, whereas the flat bench is just a flat bench. Naturally, the adjustable bench makes more sense, but the build presents downfalls to the comfort and stability of the bench.

Let’s dive deeper into the difference between the flat utility bench and adjustable weight bench to help you decide on one.

Table of Contents

Flat Utility Bench

The flat utility bench is a flat bench composed of one pad without a gap or an attached rack. You can find these benches in a power rack or the dumbbell area.

Pros of Flat Utility Bench	Cons of Flat Utility Bench
✓ No gap. ✓ The entire frame is one solid piece of steel, making it very sturdy. ✓ Less expensive.	✗ Limited to flat bench exercises.

As you can see, the only limitation to the flat bench is the restriction of incline/decline exercises.

Exercises With Flat Utility Bench

Here are 5 major exercises that utilize flat or adjustable benches.

#1. Bench Press

Bench Needed?	Bench specific
Equipment Needed:	Barbell Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Pecs Delts (specifically the front portion of the shoulder) Triceps

For step-by-step instructions on the bench press, check out the post on Basics Of The Big Three Lifts: Squat, Bench, Deadlift.

#2. Hip Thrust

Bench Needed?	Bench specific
Equipment Needed:	Barbell Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Glutes Hamstrings Quads Hip adductors Core

If you’re looking for an exercise to strengthen the glutes and hamstrings, consider the hip thrust.

Stabilize the long side of the bench against a wall to avoid it toppling over.
Start in a seated position on the floor with your knees bent and your lower scapula resting against the edge of the other long side of the bench.
Place a mat on your hip bone to protect your hip bone and help secure the weight.
Place the barbell or dumbbell across the hips while you tighten the core for the entire exercise.
Squeeze the glutes and press the bar straight up until the hips are in line with the shoulders and knees.
Lower the bar until the hips are just a few inches off the floor.

For Exercise 3 – 5, using a bench is ideal, but it’s optional. You can use the floor and furniture for these.

#3. Skull-Crusher

Bench Needed?	Bench optional
Equipment Needed:	EZ-bar Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Triceps

Lay down on a bench or the floor with the weight in your hands.
Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor.
Lower the weight to your skull with control. Only extend your elbow and avoid moving your upper arms to isolate the triceps.
Return just short of full extension to maintain the tension on your muscles.

#4. One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Bench Needed?	Bench optional
Equipment Needed:	Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Lats Rhomboids Traps Biceps

Use a bench, furniture, or even your knees to lean on when doing this exercise.
If you’re using a bench, anchor your left knee and left palm on the bench as you grab the dumbbell with your right hand.
When using furniture in front of you or your knees, lunge and create 90 degrees on your left knee in front. Place the hand on your left thigh or the furniture in front.
As you’re leaning, grab the dumbbell with your right hand and tighten your core as you fully extend the right arm toward the floor.
Slide your shoulder blade toward your spine while pulling your elbows to the ceiling. The dumbbell should move close to your body and toward your torso.

#5. Bulgarian Split Leg Squat

Bench Needed?	Bench optional
Equipment Needed:	Barbell Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Quads Hamstrings Glutes

Place the barbell on your back or hold a set of dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand.
Stand two feet in front of the elevated surface (bench or furniture), hip-distance apart.
Place the right foot on the bench behind you to help stay balanced. To stabilize, keep your feet hip-distance apart, core engaged, chest and shoulders open, and eyes looking forward.
Distribute the weight evenly on your left foot and bend your left knee to descend while keeping the knees aligned with your left toes until the left quad is roughly parallel to the floor.
Use your left quad, glute, then hamstring to press back into a standing position.
Complete the set on one side, then move on to the other side.

Which Flat Utility Bench Should You Buy?

You can find flat benches with different posts to accommodate your preferred foot positioning.

A) Best Standard Flat Bench

The HEFTY BENCH – V2 from Titan Fitness offers a solid steel frame with wheels and a handle to support all the flat bench exercises.

Steel: 3-in x 3-in 11-gauge steel
Capacity: 1,200 pounds
Dimensions: 53-in L x 24-in W x 17-in H

Get your flat bench on Titan: here

B) Best Single-Post Bench

The RUGGED FLAT BENCH offers everything a standard flat bench would, but the single-post allows athletes to use proper foot positioning. Foot positioning is crucial to powerlifters who need the flexibility to leverage different styles.

Steel: 2-in x 3-in 11-gauge steel
Capacity: 1,500 pounds
Dimensions: 52-in L x 24-in W x 17-in H

I have the Rugged flat bench, and I’m blown away by the product quality from a small company. It’s very durable and comfortable. The padding is super firm, and the height of the bench is not too short.

Get your flat bench on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KBGGRSW?tag=homestrengt0c-20

Adjustable Weight Bench

Adjustable benches are composed of two pads – a seat pad and a back pad. The build allows you to adjust the incline for various incline-specific exercises.

Pros of Adjustable Bench	Cons of Adjustable Bench
✓ Adjustable incline or decline features offer more variety of exercises.	✗ The separate back pad and seat pad create a gap somewhere on your body while laying flat. ✗ The excess bolts and moving parts make the bench less safe, and the backrest almost always wobbles. ✗ More expensive.

Additional Exercises With Adjustable Weight Bench

In addition to the exercises performed with the flat utility bench, these are some incline-specific exercises.

#1. Incline Bench Press

Bench Needed?	Bench specific
Equipment Needed:	Barbell Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Pecs (upper portion) Delts (specifically the front portion of the shoulder) Triceps

Adjust the bench to incline at 15-30 degrees and execute the incline bench press like you would for bench press.

If you haven’t already, check out the post on Basics Of The Big Three Lifts: Squat, Bench, Deadlift.

For Exercise 2 & 3, you don’t NEED an adjustable bench, but it could be preferable when lifting heavy dumbbells.

#2. Shoulder Press

Bench Needed?	Bench optional
Equipment Needed:	Barbell Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Delts Triceps Traps Pecs

Start in a seated or standing position. A seated position can help prop up heavy weights into a shoulder press set-up via leveraging your legs to kick it up.
Hold a weight in each hand and bring it up into a shoulder press position, so your arms create 90 degrees with fists towards the ceiling.
Stack the forearms perpendicular to the floor while you squeeze the scapula to stabilize the core and open the chest.
Press the weight above your head. As you reach the top, lock your elbows, and squeeze the shoulders.

#3. Bicep Curls

Bench Needed?	Bench optional
Equipment Needed:	Barbell Dumbbell Kettlebell
Muscle Group Focus:	Biceps

Start in a seated or standing position.
Hold a weight in each hand hanging on the side of your body.
Tighten the core while you curl the forearms towards the biceps without moving the elbows.

Which Adjustable Bench Should You Buy?

Best Adjustable Bench

The ROGUE ADJUSTABLE BENCH 2.0 efficiently offers incline positions ranging from flat to 85 degrees to perform different exercises with the barbell and the dumbbell. There’s virtually no gap between the seat pad and back pad, and rubber feet provide stability and a set of wheels with a pull handle for easy mobility.

Steel: 2-in x 3-in 11-gauge steel
Capacity: 1,000 pounds
Dimensions: 52-in L x 11.25-in W x 17.5-in, 56.25-in at 85 degrees H

Get your adjustable bench on Rogue here: https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-adjustable-bench-2-0