Top 5 Best Sit-Up Benches For Ab Workouts in 2021

When it comes to abdominal exercises, what first comes to mind?

That’s right: the sit-up. The undisputed king of getting your core strong, allowing your six-pack to be revealed (with a solid diet, of course).

So, why the ab bench? Altering the angles so that your muscles contract more throughout the movement.

That’s where sit-up benches come into play.

Image	Product
Best Multi-Purpose Option	Fitness Reality X-Class Ab Multiworkout Bench Includes push-up and dip handles Sweat-resistant bench covering 1 flat and 3 decline bench adjustments	View on Amazon
Best Single Function Option	XMark Adjustable Decline Ab Workout Bench 12 levels of decline adjustment Bullhorn safety handlebar Ergonomic design to prevent injury	View on Amazon
Most Versatile	Merax Double Foldable Utility Weight/Ab Bench 800 LB Capacity Dense foam padding for comfort 6 different angles for flat, incline, and decline	View on Amazon
Most Durable	Vanswe Adjustable Incline Bench 800 LB Capacity 3 year warranty on frame Fully adjustable back, seat, and leg brace	View on Amazon
Best Pro Option	ROGUE AB-3 Adjustable Bench 50+ seat and back-pad position combinations Made In USA Sturdy steel construction	View on Rogue Fitness
Best Budget Option	Marcy Utility Slant Board w/ Headrest Foldable for easy storage 4 angled positions High-density head rest for support	View on Amazon

Sit-up benches are what you see in any and all gyms across the world, usually sloping down to the ground. They kill your abs and get you that much closer to your ultimate physique.

Related: The complete guide for training abs for CrossFit athletes

In this article, we’ll go over everything sit-up benches. We’ll explain in full detail what they are, what the benefits are, the different exercises you can perform on the benches, and what you want to have when selecting your very own sit-up bench.

Lastly, we’ll go over the best sit-up benches you can add to your home gym and what they bring to your workouts.

Without further ado, let’s get to it!

What’s a Sit-up Bench?

Great question. The funny thing is, there isn’t just one type of sit-up bench. The most popular, well-known kind of sit-up bench is the one that has a slight decline and two padded attachments to put your legs in.

This is to help anchor your lower body, as if a buddy was holding your legs down while you’re doing sit-ups.

Other sit-up benches (differ from ab machines) can double as a back extension bench; these benches only cover your buttocks, securing your legs in the stirrups.

This leaves your entire upper body free to go as far down as you want. The additional range of motion is a nice perk for some people.

In short, an ab bench is a specially designed bench made to assist you in getting quality sit-up reps. However, these benches also give you a plethora of exercise possibilities (which we’ll cover in a later section).

Benefits of a Sit-up Bench

Don’t assume that the only thing a sit-up bench can do is help you do sit-ups. There are many more advantages to owning a sit-up bench, including:

Decreased risk of injury

The bench has padded supports throughout, which can keep your back comfortable and injury-free. This allows you to perform numerous sit-ups (and other exercises) without your back seizing up or compressing your spine. Also, on the eccentric motion of a sit-up (i.e., when you’re coming back down), you can fully lengthen your back, which provides for a more fluid, flexible movement.

Read Also:Effective Core Exercises for Older Adults

Improved sit-up form

To piggyback off of the decreased injury benefit, this bench was made to give you a positive sit-up experience. So, it only makes sense that it provides a healthier way to perform sit-ups. Your posture is vastly improved from the bottom of the movement to the top. Also, you can utilize weights and oblique sit-ups (more on these later), which will help with progressive overload.

Related:The best Calisthenics Core & Ab workouts

Adjustability and versatility

Most of these benches can be moved to alter the degree in which you perform your sit-ups or other exercises. By adjusting the incline, you can change the degree of difficulty, another great way to express progressive overload. Plus, the increased range of motion ties in beautifully with the lower risk of injury.

Multiple exercise possibilities

Continuing the versatility, sit-up benches are built for more than just sit-ups…and more for just abdominal movements, for that matter. There’s a plethora of exercises you can perform on a sit-up bench, resulting in a better physique overall.

Burn fat and reveal your six-pack

Now, with all of this talk about progressive overload and being able to get stronger on these movements, all thanks to the sit-up bench. What does this mean for you? Well, getting stronger means developing bigger, better muscles.

Bigger muscles results in a higher metabolism, which leads to lower body fat. If you keep up with your training routine (and eat at a caloric deficit), a sit-up bench will help you finally expose your hard-earned abs, definition and all.

As you can see, sit-up benches are impressive pieces of equipment. They do all of these things for you, including helping you with your sit-up form. But the question still remains…

Is a Sit-up Bench Effective?

Or, even a better question: Is a sit-up bench effective enough for the cost?

In order to be effective, it needs to aid you in performing an exercise to maximize results.

A sit-up bench is designed to improve your sit-up posture, movement, and progression.

You are protected from injury, on top of which you can alter the exercise in a safe way to continue to get stronger in all things sit-up related. This, by definition, makes a sit-up bench effective.

Not only is it effective, it’s efficient, too. You can do so much with this singular bench, working out your entire body. A sit-up bench is almost like a Power Tower, except it’s inexpensive and requires less space in your garage or workout room.

Related: The ultimate guide to Power Tower workouts

Sit-up Bench Exercises

Don’t let the name fool you. The sit-up bench can do much, much more than give you a solid surface for sit-ups (though it does that very well).

Here are all of the movements you can do with a sit-up bench:

• Sit-ups (duh): Can also be weighted, side-to-side, crunches at the top or bottom, etc.
• Back extensions: Flip yourself over from a sit-up and raise your upper body, flexing your lower back.
• Incline/decline barbell bench press: This improves your bench by securing your legs, making it all about your upper body (a.k.a. no more flailing legs).
• Russian twists: Great for the obliques. For an even better workout, hold a medicine ball while repping these out.
• Bench-assisted rows: With your chest against the bench and dumbbells, perform rows without the assistance of you swinging the weights. This helps with strict form. (You can also do )
  
• Bench-assisted dumbbell curls: Position yourself just like the rows, but instead do curls. Again, this is to help with strict form.
  
• Tricep kickbacks: With one hand and one knee on the bench, perform kickbacks with your other arm.
• Incline/decline push-ups: Works on this bench, kinda like every other bench.
  
• Heel touches: You can do this on the ground, but the bench will make you engage your abdominal’s throughout the entire workout, increasing time under tension.
  
• Leg raises: Hold the top of the bench with your hands, raising and lowering your legs toward the ground.
  

Phew! That’s a lot of different exercises. That’s what’s so cool about sit-up benches: You can do a full-body workout with only this bench and a handful of dumbbells. This makes the acquisition of a sit-up bench definitely worth the cost.

Related: The best Home Gym Flooring to Love your at-home workout space

Considerations Before Buying

Now, don’t go out and buy the first sit-up bench that catches your eye on Amazon. Choosing a bench requires careful deliberation and consideration of your own fitness routine and goals. Here are some things to look for when selecting your very own sit-up bench:

Weight Rating

We hope this goes without saying, but you’ll want a bench that can withstand your bodyweight, and then some.

This is because you might end up doing weighted sit-ups–you beast of a human being, you–and you don’t want your bench to wobble and tip over with you attached to it. Make sure the bench you want can sustain 250-300 pounds comfortably. If you’re looking for a multifunctional bench that can support your weight as well as a loaded barbell, you’ll want something in the 600-800lb maximum weight range.

Durability

You’ll want your sit-up bench to stand the test of time. (Or, at the very least, you don’t want it to break week one.) Durability is a huge factor for your sit-up bench.

This will be determined by the materials used to construct the bench, the maximum weight rating, the company that made the bench, and overall strength of the equipment. Look for a brand that uses a steel frame to support the backboard and provide overall stability.

Size

How big or small your sit-up bench is will be a matter of preference. Like we said earlier, some benches cover the expanse of your body, allowing your head to rest against the bench at the bottom of a sit-up.

Other benches merely suspend your upper body in the air, anchoring your rear end and legs only. Therefore, consider your height and which kind of bench you’d want for your fitness regimen.

Read Also: Best Weight Bench for your Home Gym

Top Sit-up Benches Reviewed

Conclusion

Congratulations! You now know everything you need to know about sit-up benches. Consider yourself a professional on the subject.

Take a look again at the top benches available to you and find one that matches your training style and fitness needs.

Make sure you factor in the benefits of each bench, the weight rating, durability, and overall size of the bench before selecting your number one. Then, start doing all of the exercises to get your dream physique.

May your six-pack be revealed!