The Paramount 3-Way is a commercial-grade bench that enables you to perform many exercises in one area. If you have a home gym, this machine decreases your need for multiple benches to do incline, decline and flat bench exercises. John Jakicic, in his 2001 article, "Overcoming Barriers is Key to Effective Exercise," reports that the more convenient it is for you to exercise, the more likely you will continue with your program.
Construction
The Paramount 3-Way Press Bench is made of four-inch by two-inch, 11 gauge steel. It adjusts to a 30-degree incline and a 20-degree decline. The bench weighs 260 pounds without the barbell or weight plates. It measures 51 inches wide by 79 inches deep by 55 inches tall. You can have plate holders installed on the bench so you can store your weight plates directly on the bench. The bench pads taper from 17 inches at the wider, short base, to nine inches at the narrow, longer pad, designed for better support. There are two levels of foot anchors to accommodate different leg lengths.
Bench Presses
You can use the Paramount 3-Way Press Bench to do flat barbell bench presses, incline barbell presses or decline barbell presses. The bench has two pads and two points of adjustments. For the decline position, the pads of the bench must be in a continuous line. Adjust the bench to tilt downward. To use the incline position, you must first bend the smaller pad toward the larger pad, creating a chair to sit on. Then, lower the bench for the incline position, bringing the smaller pad closer to the floor. There are three pairs of barbell support pegs to use according to the length of your arms. The bench also comes with foot anchors to use when you do decline barbell presses. There is open space behind the bar for a training partner to spot you.
Abdominal Exercises
The adjustable bench enables you to do flat, decline and incline abdominal exercises. Full decline sit-ups and decline crunches are easily performed on this machine. Simply remove the barbell and position your feet under the foot anchors. Do reverse crunches on this bench by placing your pelvis on the lowered end of the bench. Hold on to the elevated, shorter pad as you curl your pelvis toward your chest. Using the bench for reverse crunches increases the difficulty of a reverse crunch.
Miscellaneous Exercises
Use the flat position of this bench to support your body when you do one-arm dumbbell rows, triceps dips, lying triceps extensions and Bulgarian split squats. On the inclined position, incorporate incline dumbbell curls, incline barbell curls, incline dumbbell presses and incline dumbbell flies.
Purchase Options
The product number for the Paramount 3-Way bench is PFW-8200. This number is commonly used by retailers when ordering and selling the machine. If you custom-order the bench, you can choose the pad color, paint color and the type of finish on the metal. Check out used equipment dealers in your area as well as on-line retailers for the lowest prices on this machine compared to brand-new pieces.
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