Exercises with flat bench and multi-function bench

If you’re looking for a piece of equipment for your workouts, the bench press might just be right for you.

In fact, it allows you to train both the upper and lower body. Some examples of exercises you can do are dumbbell rowing or bench presses for the upper body, while hip thrusts or Bulgarian squats will be perfect for the lower part.

Today we are going to focus on the pectorals and we will see some exercises to strengthen them, which you can perform on the bench press and others for the multifunctional bench.

If you don’t know which bench is right for you today, you will understand it by discovering, at the end of this article, the main differences between the two.

And now it’s time to start…

Chest exercises with bench press

First of all, we want to remind you that training your pectorals with the bench press allows you to focus on your central chest.

Of course, you will also stimulate the rest of the chest, but if you want to focus on this part, the bench press is the perfect solution.

Among the many exercises that you can include in your training plan, we have decided to talk about bench presses with barbells and dumbbells.

These are two great exercises to train your pectorals with the bench press, as well as being able to be done from the comfort of your home.

Bench press with barbell

Bench press is an exercise that you can do with only two pieces of equipment: the bench press and the barbell, although it is often advisable to have a rack with you to help with weight support.

You will stimulate various muscles in addition to the pectoralis major, such as the deltoid and triceps. It’s a great workout to strengthen your upper body.

How does it work ?

First of all you have to lie on the bench with the barbell at the right distance and place your shoulders and shoulder blades in scapular set-up: move your shoulders away from your ears and keep your shoulder blades in adduction to be able to increase the load without taking risks.

Place the entire sole of your foot on the ground to give yourself stability and grip the barbell in a grip that is neither too tight nor too loose. If you use an olympic barbell you will already have the marks where you need to place your hands.

Slowly detach the barbell from the rack and bring it on top of you so that the weight is not borne by the muscles of the arms but is unloaded on the back of the bench.

Inhale and begin to descend with your chest up until the barbell touches your chest.

At this point, push and return to the starting position.

Exhale and then start with a new repetition.

To begin with, we recommend that you start with only the barbell and learn how to do the exercise in the correct way, with the right set-up and movement. After that, you can gradually start to gain weight.

And then master the scapular set-up: not only to train effectively but not to put your shoulders at risk.

What if I don’t have a barbell at home ?

No problem, you can do the dumbbell presses.

Bench press with dumbbells

This is one of the best bench press exercises you can do. In addition, it is perfect if you are used to working with the barbell because it allows you to even out the disparity between the muscles of the right and left side of your body.

Stretches, or pushes, are a relatively simple exercise, so if you’re just starting out, you’ll want to incorporate them into your training plan. But first, talk to an expert.

The starting position is very similar to barbell presses: feet firmly planted on the ground, back resting on the bench and scapular set-up.

As you can imagine, in this case you will wear dumbbells to your chest and not the barbell.

You are now ready for the first repetition.

To do it, simply bring the weights upwards by extending your arms, wait a second and then slowly bring them back to your chest.

That’s it.

Remember to have your elbows at about 45° and to always keep the dumbbells above your elbows throughout the movement and thus avoid wasting energy unnecessarily.

Earlier we talked about multifunctional benches, but what exercises can be done ?

Multi-function bench exercises

Also with the multifunctional bench you can train both the upper and lower body. The bonus that this bench gives you is the possibility of doing many more exercises because with a single piece of equipment you will have at least 4 different ones.

You’ll get a Lat Machine, which is great for your back and lats, a Leg Curl and Leg Extension for your legs, and a Pectoral Machine for your pectorals, as well as a part to train your arms.

In short, with the multifunctional bench you can have a lot of fun. Today we recommend two exercises, but you will have many more at your disposal.

Curl at the low lead

Great for your biceps: it allows you to keep your muscles in continuous tension throughout the movement and thus increase the effort.

Then also engage other muscles such as the shoulder, wrist flexors, and upper back, which play an essential role in giving you the stability you need to perform the exercise optimally.

First of all, you need to keep your feet shoulder-width apart, your buttocks and abdomen contracted, and your chest out.

Grip the low cable firmly and make sure your arms are straight to perform the exercise at your best.

At this point, bring the cable up to your shoulders, flexing your arm and reaching the maximum contraction of the biceps.

Wait for a while and return to the starting position.

Any tips ?

Perform the exercise in a slow and controlled manner to train your muscles to the maximum. Going fast won’t get you much, better to pay due attention and above all the right time.

And always keep the cable under tension instead of discharging it at the end of each repetition – this will increase the effectiveness of the exercise.

Leg press

To do this exercise you need your multi-function bench to be equipped with a leg press, so consider this aspect as well when deciding which bench to buy.

The leg press, as the name implies, trains your legs and especially your quadriceps, glutes, and other hamstrings.

The position of the feet is essential to give a greater focus to one muscle rather than another. If you keep your feet close together and low on the footplate, you will focus on your quadriceps muscles; instead, you’ll have a focus on your hamstrings.

You can therefore give variety to the stimuli and take boredom away from your workouts.

First of all, you have to rest your torso firmly on the backrest and place your feet on the platform. Their position depends on which muscle you want to train the most, as we have seen.

Sblocca il macchinario e piega le ginocchia facendo avvicinare la pedana al corpo. 

This is a very important point: the knees should never reach the chest. You need to stop just before your pelvis moves away from the backrest.

Now push the footplate and stop before the maximum extension of the knee: another point where you have to be careful to avoid hurting your knees.

At this point you can continue with the repetitions.

In addition to the two critical points of movement, which are often missed by beginners, we recommend that you always control your movement well and avoid sudden acceleration and deceleration to avoid causing injury.

Now that we have seen some exercises to do with the two benches, what are their differences?

Comparison between flat bench and multifunction bench

The main difference can be seen with the naked eye: the multifunctional bench is certainly the more complex of the two.

The flat bench is a simple bench of the kind you often see in gyms, the multifunctional bench not really.

It is a machine that includes various tools and this leads to various consequences.

The first is space.

If you live in a small apartment and you have to choose simple and perhaps foldable equipment to train, then the flat bench is the most suitable solution for you. If, on the other hand, you have space and can dedicate a room to your gym, the situation changes.

A second aspect concerns training.

With the multi-function bench you can strengthen your whole body by performing various movements and exercises. It’s more comprehensive. 

The bench press also gives you a lot of freedom and you can use it in different ways but you have less chance to vary your training by alternating exercises and stimuli.

Let’s talk about price: another element to take into account when it comes to purchases.

Complexity costs money.

If you’re looking for a piece of equipment and don’t want to spend a lot of money, then the flat bench is for you. On the contrary, if you want to make an investment in your health, well, you already know what the choice is.

The flat bench is the simplest, most practical and convenient solution, while the multifunctional bench takes up more space but is more complete.

This is a summary of their differences, now you need to evaluate according to your needs and training.

Conclusion

Today we’ve looked at some bench press and multi-function bench press exercises so whatever you choose, you’ll have some movements to start with.

Thanks to the comparison between flat bench and multifunction benches, you now know which one is right for you. We just have to wish you a good workout!