Q. I'm building a work/hobby bench and am looking for some recommendations on what material I should consider that will provide a durable /low maintance top.
Answer
The top surface should be durable yet easy to use. If you sit down to work, the height should be the same as your kitchen table; about 30". If you stand up to work, I use 42" since I am tall, but if you are short (Height challenged) you may like something around 36" like your kitchen cabinet bases. I do jewelry avd stained glass. For jewelry, I sit and for stained glass, I stand. You might consider a combination bench with two heights.
I use white-painted homosote glued and screwed onto heavy plywood on a two by four frame for my bench tops. I paint my walls and ceilings white too. It increases your ability to see. If you need clarification, send me an e-mail.
The top surface should be durable yet easy to use. If you sit down to work, the height should be the same as your kitchen table; about 30". If you stand up to work, I use 42" since I am tall, but if you are short (Height challenged) you may like something around 36" like your kitchen cabinet bases. I do jewelry avd stained glass. For jewelry, I sit and for stained glass, I stand. You might consider a combination bench with two heights.
I use white-painted homosote glued and screwed onto heavy plywood on a two by four frame for my bench tops. I paint my walls and ceilings white too. It increases your ability to see. If you need clarification, send me an e-mail.
I need to be able to bench more then I do. Can you help?
Q. I found out today that i need to be able to bench more but i dont have a bench press......i have weights but what kind of workouts should i do to be able to bench more??
Answer
The Boi's right; dumbell exercises can be just as good.
But not having a bench is still a problem. Lying on the floor, you can't get your elbows as low as you can on the bench. This will interfere with your flyes as well as your press.
You might be able to press ok if you 'jack up' your upper back on a stack of phone directories or large-format books, or a reading/milking/piano/step stool. You can also improvise with strong wooden or metal boxes, such as large toolboxes. The 'ammo box' shape can work really well, but might need plenty of padding (camping mat?).
If your improvised 'bench' is too short to support your whole torso, your 'core' will benefit from the effort of keeping your body straight (buttocks off the floor at same height as shoulders) while you press.
Pressups CAN be as effective as bench-pressing, but this only usually happens when you add weight, by wearing a weighted (discs, potatoes, water, sand, etc) backpack, and vary the weight to keep your training sets short.
'Decline' pressups (feet gradually more and more raised, on chair, table, windowsill, mantel-shelf, stepladder,etc) can also add power to your 'benching' ability.
'Air' or 'Marine-style' pressups can also increase the explosive power of the muscles that you use for bench-press.
The Boi's right; dumbell exercises can be just as good.
But not having a bench is still a problem. Lying on the floor, you can't get your elbows as low as you can on the bench. This will interfere with your flyes as well as your press.
You might be able to press ok if you 'jack up' your upper back on a stack of phone directories or large-format books, or a reading/milking/piano/step stool. You can also improvise with strong wooden or metal boxes, such as large toolboxes. The 'ammo box' shape can work really well, but might need plenty of padding (camping mat?).
If your improvised 'bench' is too short to support your whole torso, your 'core' will benefit from the effort of keeping your body straight (buttocks off the floor at same height as shoulders) while you press.
Pressups CAN be as effective as bench-pressing, but this only usually happens when you add weight, by wearing a weighted (discs, potatoes, water, sand, etc) backpack, and vary the weight to keep your training sets short.
'Decline' pressups (feet gradually more and more raised, on chair, table, windowsill, mantel-shelf, stepladder,etc) can also add power to your 'benching' ability.
'Air' or 'Marine-style' pressups can also increase the explosive power of the muscles that you use for bench-press.
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