If you are looking to achieve a perfect physique, bench pressing is one of the best exercises to engage in.
Unfortunately, you can’t access a bench, but you still want to bench press. The first thing that most think of is bench pressing on the bed.
So, Can You Use a Bed as A Weight Bench?
Yes! A bed is not only useful for sleeping. If you are working out from home, your bed can also serve as a bench for torso exercises or even substitute the floor when undertaking ab aerobics. If you have a pair of dumbbells, you can do the chest press while lying on the bed. Begin with the weight directly over your chest. Then bend the elbows and lower the weight down and to the side until the elbows brush the bed’s surface. Press the weight up to complete the repetition.
However, you won’t be able to get the full range of motion because you can get your elbows to go below your body.
The purpose of a weight bench is to support your back without getting in the way of your elbows.
A bed will get in the way of your elbows while becoming too soft to support your back well.
So, you can do it in bed, but the issue is you won’t achieve the full range of motion of the exercise.
If you are serious and want to achieve the best physique, you should consider investing in the proper equipment.
But in the meantime, a bed can serve the purpose of a weight bench.
Actually, the bed will be easier on your shoulders which is ideal if you have previously experienced shoulder injuries.
More so, you can target the triceps better, which is suitable for enhancing the lockout phase of the bench press.
Read on for various non-weight bench facts that you need to know when using your bed as a weight bench.
Five Bedroom Training Considerations
1. You Won’t Achieve a Full Range of Motion
If you have access to dumbbells, barbells, and extra weight plates but don’t have a weight bench, a bed is one of the options for bench pressing.
However, the difference between bench pressing on your bed and a weight bench is that you won’t achieve the full range of motion.
You cannot move your elbows lower than your body hence the dumbbells or barbells will not come up to your chest.
With the limited motion range, you won’t achieve the same strength and size gains as regular weight benching.
With that said, you can still pack significant muscle and build strength by bench pressing on your bed.
This will be easier on your shoulders, which is perfect if you have previously suffered a shoulder injury.
Bed bench press also targets your triceps better than the traditional method. This helps allow you to power through the lockout movement phase.
Most people struggle with the lockout phase, and stronger triceps will help.
2. The Floor Might Be a Better Option
The floor press is an excellent exercise whether you can access a weight bench or not.
Lifters often drop to the floor in the gym and do a few sets of presses.
If you are exercising at home, the floor press might be a better option for you.
This is because your bed may be a bit too soft that you sink into the mattress area where you are lying down.
More so, if your mattress is old, you will be required to watch out for bumps or stray bed springs.
More so, based on the size and height of your bed, your feet may not be in contact with the floor.
This will result in a lot of stress on your lower back which is the last thing you wish for. Therefore, if you have sufficient floor space, it’s recommended to use the floor over the bed.
3. Make Variations on Chest Exercise
One of the main problems you are likely to face when using your bed for bench pressing is limiting the amount of weight you can use.
And this doesn’t mean that you don’t have sufficient weight plates.
In the gym, the bench press area typically has a rack.
Therefore, you can put the ideal weight on the bar before carrying out your reps. Because of the extra safety component, you will normally bench press more weight.
The fact that most people don’t have a bench rack in the bedroom will also be a problem if you don’t have a bench in your home.
You will have limitations on how much weight you can bench on your bed because of the challenge of getting the weight in position and extra safety concerns.
This is why it’s recommendable to use variations to chest exercises when using your bed in place of a weight bench.
You can consider performing standard bench flys, dumbbell presses, as well as single-handed presses.
Also, you can do pullovers using one dumbbell from your bed, as it offers some chest involvement. Therefore, you should be creative with what is available to you.
4. Consider Using a Swiss Ball
If a weight bench is not in your budget but is looking to engage in a more traditional bench press workout, a Swiss ball could offer an ideal option.
A Swiss ball enables your o take your elbows below the level of your body, plus it costs just around $10 to $30.
Furthermore, the addition of a Swiss ball will allow you to perform various chest exercises.
You can do dumbbell chest press, pullovers, flys, one-arm dumbbell chest press, or even a few decline push-ups.
This doesn’t mean that your bed is insufficient for doing the bench press, but there are also better options.
5. Superset With Push-Ups
You should not forget to engage in push-ups when working out at home.
They provide a similar movement pattern to bench pressing.
A standard push-up gets you pushing about 64% of your body weight which increases to around 75% when engaging in decline push-ups.
Therefore, when working out from home, this might equal or more than the weight you will be bench pressing from the bed.
You can also consider doing a superset to get efficient blood flow through your triceps and pecs.
Based on the available weight, plus your muscular and strength abilities, you might even try a ten to one descending ladder, i.e., 10-bed bench press reps, ten push-up reps, nine reps of each down up to one.
You can make the push-ups more challenging by stretching a resistance band over your back if you can do this.
Keep in mind that there are many ways to work out the chest other than bench pressing or bed pressing.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, you can indeed use a bed as a weight bench.
Just keep in mind that this will limit your range of motion.
However, the bed bench press will be easier on your shoulders and will toughen and work out the triceps more effectively.
While it might be better to use a Swiss ball or the floor, there is nothing wrong with using the bed. Use a variety of exercises to work out your chest from several angles.
Related
References
What can I use instead of a bench for weights? – SidmartinBio
