Great story!I currently have a Bowflex which has multiple incline degrees, including 1 decline. It easily folds up and rolls to the corner of my workout room, which is great! (Got it a few years back as a Black Friday Sale)
Before that, I had my dad's workout bench from the 80s! It was a bench that connected to weight plates. My family had a garage sale and for some reason someone only wanted to buy the weight plates, not the bench. I had just started exercising at the time and decided to hang on to the bench. I used it for almost 30 years! It was a fixed bench, but I could actually release the pins on 1 side and make it a decline bench. It worked perfectly fine for me for 3 decades. I finally decided to get the Bowflex since it folded up.
I kept my dad's bench from the 80s for a memory.
Ever since BodyBlast's Push Pull/SuperSets workout (I originally had them on VHS) I've loved using the stability ball as a bench ... Until I started lifting heavier, then it made me nervous to do a bench press with 20# dumbells over me. Years and years ago, I had a stability ball pop on me when doing some funky cardio VHS workout - always bought better quality balls after that! But am still nervous about heavier dumbells & a stability ball bench .......
Editing to add that I also like a Stability Ball as a bench.
Definitely light weights on the Stability Ball and yes, I had the BodyBlady series on VHS before upgrading to DVD. I don’t lift really heavy anymore. I leaned out a whole lot over the last year and my muscles look bigger. Probably all smoke and mirrors but I’m happy to maintain.Ever since BodyBlast's Push Pull/SuperSets workout (I originally had them on VHS) I've loved using the stability ball as a bench ... Until I started lifting heavier, then it made me nervous to do a bench press with 20# dumbells over me. Years and years ago, I had a stability ball pop on me when doing some funky cardio VHS workout - always bought better quality balls after that! But am still nervous about heavier dumbells & a stability ball bench ...![]()
Aahh…. I remember that well……Hot Girl STS 2.0 Summer was in full swing last year
Using my adjustable bench I still have to rest the weights on my thighs before laying back. My bench is also higher than my step even with 6 risers each side, so I find it harder to lift heavier weights off the floor. There are different kinds of benches though. Mine is a cheap one that I bought early on when I started lifting weights and I didn't really know what to look out for. As I already mentioned, mine is fiddly to fold and unfold. Adjusting the back of mine from flat to incline is also a bit fiddly with removing a locking pin, inclining the back, lining up the holes and replacing the locking pin. I've seen others that have a ladder style adjustment for the back which are much easier and faster to adjust. If I were buying one now, I would definitely go for the ladder style adjustment and something lower in height. I also prefer the bench to the step for incline work as you sit on the seat and the seat is at the same height as in the flat position, unlike the inclined step where you sit lower, and your bottom is also on an incline.one problem was I’d get little bruises on the tops of my thighs from resting the weights there before laying back on the step.
Thanks for the clarifying tips on things to look for when considering a standard bench - very helpful!Using my adjustable bench I still have to rest the weights on my thighs before laying back. My bench is also higher than my step even with 6 risers each side, so I find it harder to lift heavier weights off the floor. There are different kinds of benches though. Mine is a cheap one that I bought early on when I started lifting weights and I didn't really know what to look out for. As I already mentioned, mine is fiddly to fold and unfold. Adjusting the back of mine from flat to incline is also a bit fiddly with removing a locking pin, inclining the back, lining up the holes and replacing the locking pin. I've seen others that have a ladder style adjustment for the back which are much easier and faster to adjust. If I were buying one now, I would definitely go for the ladder style adjustment and something lower in height. I also prefer the bench to the step for incline work as you sit on the seat and the seat is at the same height as in the flat position, unlike the inclined step where you sit lower, and your bottom is also on an incline.