24 Dec Building your own home gym: the Bench and Rack

This is the sixth in a seven-part series on building your own home gym. Today, we take a look at what type of bench and squat rack is best for you.

Besides the weights themselves, a bench is one of the most traditional pieces in a workout room.
Get a bench that supports your back and feels good to use, but you don’t want it so wide it will get in the way of your arms and shoulders in the bottom position of a lift. It should be sturdy enough that it won’t tip or rock when using heavy weights. If at all possible, get a bench that can be used in a flat or incline position.

There are also benches that you can put free weights on, but will guide the lift
The bench can be set out in the room, or if you’re tight on put it inside the Power Rack.
Heavy-duty power racks allow adjustments for a variety of lifts and presses Body-Solid is a great one to check out for $599.
There are also a wide variety of other racks to check out.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com