If you want to make savings as well as weight training gains, you could always build your own bench press setup and weight bench at home.
All it takes are a few DIY tips and this handy guide. Find out how to tackle this DIY project below!
Step By Step Guide To Making Your Own Bench Press
Tools
Materials
Putting It Together - Follow These Steps!
- 1Take one 2 x 4, cut it into two pieces. One should be 48” long and the other 24”.
- 2Chamfer the 24” piece’s edges to 45-degrees with your miter saw. Do the same with the top of the 48” bit.
- 3Attach the 24” piece 12 and 3/4” from the 48” piece’s front edge using the wood screws.
- 4Repeat these first three steps to create another set. These are your base and post.
- 5Cut two 10 and 3/4“ pieces and miter them 45-degrees at each end. Clamp this to the backside of the post and then attach it to the base with wood screws, creating a diagonal support attached to the base.
- 6Cut two 3” lengths and attach them to the front of the bottom of each post using a nail gun or wood screws.
- 7Cut a 48” length, place it on top of the 3” blocks and then connect the two stands together with wood screws.
- 8Cut two 3 and 1/2" lengths, two 20"s, and one 48". Attach the 3 and 1/2"s flush with the stand on top of the previous 48" length, then attach another 48" as before, and attach both 20"s vertically flush with the stand.
- 9Cut two 36”s, then cut two 10 and 3/4” pieces and miter them to 45-degrees on both sides. Next, attach the smaller pieces to the bottoms of the 36"s to create diagonal supports.
- 10Now wood screw your new pieces to the other side of your base and post.
- 11Create two legs by cutting four pieces to 16 and 1/2" and two to 13 and 1/2". Sandwich each short piece between two long pieces; the short piece should be width-ways and the long pieces length-ways. Screw them together.
- 12Connect the legs with a 39” length placed on top of the middle section of the legs. Screw them together.
- 13Attach a 46” piece flush on top of the 39” length.
- 14Cut a 49” x 10” piece from your plywood, attach it to the previous piece so one end is flush with the leg and the other is sticking out. This is your bench.
- 15Paint the structure you have so far.
- 16Wrap the top of the bench in fabric and add foam if possible. Leave 1” extra on each edge for wrapping purposes. Attach the fabric with staples 1” apart.
- 17Attach the bench to the stand with wood screws.
Congratulations, you now have your very own at-home bench press and weight bench! You can start exercising right away and keep your bones strong and your muscles healthy.
Don't forget to stop by our other DIY guides to save money while building your home gym!
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DIY Bench Press Layout & Design Plans
For DIY projects, success is always in the planning.
You should be able to plan and design your own bench press and weight bench without any professional help because the measurements are generally fairly standard.
Just remember that your homemade bench press and weight bench will all be connected, so it won’t be as versatile or easy to move as gym equipment.
A weight bench tends to be 15-19 inches wide and 50-55 inches long, so anywhere within this margin is generally fine [1].
If you are very tall, you can design the weight bench to be longer, but it usually isn't necessary.
The weight stand needs to be at least 50 inches tall and 48 inches wide, with a slot for the bar around 40 inches from the floor.
This should give you enough space to comfortably use the weight bench, and it shouldn’t be so high that you can’t reach up and grab the bar.
Obviously, the advantage of building your own bench press and weight bench is that you can customize the measurements to suit you.
It’s a good idea to draw out the plan of your weight bench press before you start and make it to scale.
This will allow you to see how it all fits together and amend it as needed. You can also see how it will fit with your home gym and where it will be best in the room.
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Why Build Your Own Bench Press? (Benefits Explained)
Building your own bench press and DIY weight bench can take a bit of time and effort, but it offers some key benefits:
Saves Money
Bench press equipment can cost anywhere from $150-$1000, and if you're on a tight budget this may not be affordable. A monthly gym subscription costs even more in the long run.
We all know how important weight training is for your health [2], so creating your own bench press and DIY weight bench for a fraction of the price will allow you to save money and still get a great workout.
Customizable Dimensions
Bench press equipment can be big and bulky and won't always fit well in a compact home gym.
If you have an oddly designed space or limited room, you may want to alter the dimensions so that the bench press can fit.
On the other hand, you might also be a shorter or taller user and need a bench press that’s bigger or smaller.
Building your own lets you decide on the measurements and build a bench press that truly works for you and your home gym.
Better Workouts
A bench press lets you build a strong upper body, and without access to it, you won't see as much development in your chest and arms.
By building your own bench press, you can ensure you have access to important equipment which will help you reach your fitness goals.
Getting into a weight training program, such as bench pressing, promotes fat loss. It can be a good supplement to your daily cardio workout.
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Frequently Asked DIY Bench Press Questions
Are homemade bench presses safe?
Yes! You should always make sure you’ve used good quality materials and secured everything properly on your bench press. If you have, then it should be perfectly safe, but make sure you test it first before loading it with too much weight.
What can I use instead of a bench press bench?
If you decide you want to do a bench press without a gym bench, you can try using a dining table bench, a piano stool, a stability ball, or the floor instead. If you don't have access to a bench press, you can perform alternatives exercises such as barbell floor press, dumbbell fly, or push-ups.
Should I paint my homemade bench press?
If your bench needs some TLC then yes, painting your homemade bench press can make it look more professional, and it will actually give the material some extra protection to help it last longer.
Conclusion
If you're on a strict budget and know your way around a workshop, you can easily build your own DIY bench press.
I hope this article gave you some inspiration and knowledge on what you can do to create some of your own equipment.
What's more rewarding than crushing a PR on a bench that you designed and built yourself?
References:
1. https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/much-space-need-weight-bench-20601.html
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670
Last Updated on December 17, 2022
