Weight Lifting Benches

[clarksonisawilly]

Sorry, not 100% what they're called

How essential is it too have one? I'm not looking to bulk up too much, just increase tone/strength and overall fitness because after a year of no exercise whatsoever I am weak!
Used to do a fair bit of weight training combined with running, which worked wonders but I never used a bench back then either.
Reason I ask is that I haven't really got space for one unless I'm liable to injure myself and the only benefit of having a bench that I can see is for bench pressing, which I always used to substitute with press ups.
What are your views please?

[surrey7er]

I have an incline/decline one, and it's very versatile.

An alternative is a swiss ball for many of the functions if you dont fancy a bench...

[dirty boy]

Waste of money IMO.

Press-ups fine, can be made harder by doing them differently

Chin up bar is ideal, cheap and takes up no room.

I used to walk past, do a pull-up or chin-up each time I went past it.

[balders118]

I think a weights bench could be very useful, but not necessary.

A few moves it would allow you to do more easily:

Bench press (as well as incline)
Flyes
Seated shoulder press
One arm rows
dips (off the bench)

There are plently of others too.

They are not cheap though, and do take up space. Because they're not totally necessary you don't NEED one, but if I was to train regularly from home I would want one.

[Animal]

I'd rather do dips at the park than bench. Could probably have a better workout at home with kettlebells also.

[Halb]

If you have not used one before there is no need to buy one. Push ups can be used fine, as can benching from the floor, and old skool exercise
http://www.criticalbench.com/floor-press.htm