Yes, you could do free-weight exercises lying on the floor or a bed, but using a weight bench allows greater range of motion and makes getting up and down easier. Some weight benches also adjust to let you work against gravity at different angles. But a weight bench is more than just a place to lie down. If you're creative, you can work it into your exercise routine in other ways, too.
Types
You'll encounter three main types of weight benches in a gym setting: Flat benches, incline benches, and decline benches. Some incline benches can be adjusted between various inclines. Decline benches are frequently fixed to a barbell rack. Flat and incline benches may be independent or fixed to a rack.
Aside from the typical intended use, incline benches make good support while doing bent-over exercises like rear deltoid flies. Straddle the bench and place your chest against the backrest to support your torso during the exercise.
Uses
In addition to the more conventional use as a support for exercises like the chest press or dumbbell row, you can also use your weight bench as a base for body-weight exercises like bench push-ups, body rows, bench dips, glute bridges and bench lunges.
A bench is also a useful prompt for developing proper squat form. Even though you don't actively make contact with the bench during the squat, aiming your hips back toward the bench helps position you properly as you squat down.
Modifications
Most of the body-weight exercises you can do on a weight bench, like bench dips or bench push-ups, are easier than their bench-free counterparts. This makes them useful if you're not strong enough to do the bench-free modifications, and using bench-based exercises for variety helps keep your body from halting at a strength or endurance plateau.
But you must continually challenge your muscles if you want them to keep developing. Modify bench exercises to make them more challenging as you get stronger. Examples include elevating your feet on a platform or stair while doing bench dips, and holding dumbbells or a barbell as you do bench lunges.
Considerations
Your weight bench makes an ideal anchor for exercise bands, but only if it's heavy enough that you won't end up pulling it across the room. You can use the weight bench as a base for some plyometric exercises, too, such as doing double-leg jumps from side to side over the bench. But most weight benches aren't sturdy enough to double as plyo boxes or platforms; if you jump and land on top of the bench, instead of just hopping over, it may shift beneath you and even tip over.
Sets and Repetitions
The American Council on Exercise recommends one set of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise as adequate for most exercisers. Treat weight-bench exercises the same as any other weight-training exercise; once you can perform 12 repetitions without cheating, whether you're lifting weights or using the bench as a base for body-weight exercises, either increase the weight or move on to the next, more-difficult variation of that exercise.
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