I'm going to go out on a somewhat sexist limb and assume you are both women and your free weight set is made up of those rather light weights one sees on the "women's" rack at the gym - i.e. weights generally 15 pound or less.

If that is the case, you probably don't need much although a solid wood bench might get a little uncomfortable on your back so you might want to pad it with a blanket or something.

However, its probably all a waste, as lifting 5 pound weights is not going to do anything for you, as its impossible to "tone" or "spot reduce" fat by lifting puny weights 100 times.

On the other hand, if you plan on actually lifting actual weights of a size that you will actually be exercising and building muscle density and power (the only way to get any real shape to your muscles and your body), then that cheap West Elm thing is going to be dangerous.

You want something sturdy - steel with welded joints. And you want the part that supports your back to be padded otherwise it will be hella uncomfortable and possible even dangerous.

Honestly, if you actually want to get anything out of a free weight program, unless you are setting up a home gym in your basement, you really should just join your local gym or "Y" or see if there is an affordable municipal rec center nearby.

Or, if you are living on a really tight budget, install bolt a chin-up bar to a doorway and purchase what is called a kettleball and start doing a combination kettleball/bodyweight exercise program: kettelball swings/lifts/presses, chinups, situps, pushups, walking lunges, box jumps, etc. Key with a more calisthenic oriented program is intensity: going from one exercise to the next without stopping and then repeating over a 30 minute session until you come close to passing out.

No pain. No gain.

YEAH !!! What Dave said

Are you going to use the bench as part of your work out? Or is it just to store the weights in? If your using it to do bench presses you can just as easily do it lying on the floor and then use a regular chair with no arms for all the other positions. If you are looking to store weights I would add up all the weights and make sure that it can hold that much weight in its storage area.

Wowy - what a perfect way to completely belittle someone's effort to improve themselves . . .
thanks, dave

Apologies for the easily offended - but I don't pull my punches.

If someone is looking to get fit, bully for them. But I'm not doing them any favors by encouraging them to pursue an exercise plan that will get them nowhere - which will just lead to frustration on their part and the likelihood of abandoning the effort for lack of progress. And possibly compensating for the bad feeling of suck lack of progress by grabbing that pint of Ben and Jerry's. I know because I've been there.

Better to hear the truth, no mater how harsh, than meaningless "good for you" platitudes.

Dave - To use your analogy of boxing, you also don't have to knock someone out to get your point across. It's called tact.

That said, I would also be concerned with the build quality in the West Elm bench. Maybe consider something like a relatively short but sturdy bookshelf? I say bookshelf because a shelf full of books is also pretty hefty so if it can hold books it should hold your weights. I've also seen some solid looking entry way benches at ikea and pottery barn...hopefully that could provide enough storage?

As for critiquing your exercise plan I'm also trying to do something similar in my studio apartment...but I decided to go with an inflatable balance ball and DVD cuz I hear the exercises you can do with that are great for toning. Whatever you choose though, best luck with your plan! :)

While I prefer to weight train at a gym, I'd offer two suggestions: one is to buy one of those inflatable ("swiss") exercise balls. Since it's not really an elegant piece of functional furniture, you'd have to find room to store it away when you're not exercising.

Plenty of great exercises can be done with it (especially abs), but you can also use it to sit on (i.e. for shoulder presses), lie on your back (for chest presses), or lie on your chest (rear deltoid). Etc. etc. Many great exercises can be found online, and you can use your weights in conjunction with the ball, if not totally without it (like lunges, squats, deadlifts, bicep curls, the list goes on and on.)

My other suggestion is that if you get a bench -- the more padded it is, the more comfortable you'll be sitting/lying/using it -- you might have to get one skinny enough to allow a full range of motion when you lie on it (face up or face down). That bench from West Elm might be too thick, or even too heavy to move around (if you need to).

I don't know what kind of exercises you plan on doing. I myself have often daydreamed of having a fully functioning home gym setup with simply weights, a ball, and a yoga mat. Unfortunately, there's simply no comparison to the gym, but I'm a gym rat. I need many different weights and machines to really get the results I'm after.

I have a swiss ball that I keep in my closet in my one-bed/one bath apartment. It's light enough to store up on a shelf above my head.

Hope this helps...

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Since I'm still working my way up to the major weights, I think a bench sturdy enough to hold sitting people will do the trick. And like Dave suggests, if I progress beyond the smaller weights, I can always join a gym.

The bookcase idea is an interesting one - I'll keep it in mind!

Now I just need to figure out how to play DDR in the morning without bothering the downstairs neighbors...

Dave's comments notwithstanding, I am a 63 year old diabetic who almost died 3 years ago. I began to do serious Pilates training, 3 times a week, and often used 2 and 3 lb. weights. This completely changed my life - and my body. I now train 5 days a week in a mix of venues.
There is a great deal of research available about the positive uses of light weights (under 10 lbs.). It is much more useful to do your reps with absolute presence and concentration, and proper control and use of your core muscles and deep, purposeful breathing. Unless, of course, your goal is large, ungainly, bulging muscles. You can do this at home. But it will be well worth your while to find someone to help train you. Someone who understands the journey you wish to take.

I own this bench from West Elm and I would not, EVER recommend it. As a matter of fact, I cannot stand behind any Williams-Sonoma product with moving parts. I haven't had any good experience at all. This bench is not sturdy AT ALL. After 6 months, the hinges stopped holding its position, so I would always need one hand to hold the door open. Then another 6 months later, the whole thing started to wobble. It pretty much comes apart (as in the side panel starts to slide off from the joints) when I try to sit on it to put shoes on. (It sits in our foyer and holds the weekend paper, some dog leashes and a blanket, so heaven forbid you put any WEIGHTS in it!) Awful, awful product.

I've been considering getting a Nelson Bench and using it as a weight bench...in addition to enjoying it as a piece of art!

Seriously people, go to the gym. Dave may be harsh but he is 100% correct.

I thought the question was storage NOT opinions of their work out regiment.

Dave is right. Don't try to do double duty here. A weight bench must be thought of as safety equipment first.

Take the money you would have spent on a bench and join a gym.

There are right ways and wrong ways to do things like free weights, and the wrong ways inevitably lead to lack of progress and injuries.

I'm not a personal trainer, but I am a competitive athlete who trains exclusively with free weights. The weights I began with were small enough that a gym membership would have been a waste. The Dorri Li piece that Jeri linked to looks like it would work great for someone just starting out (add a pad to the top for comfort). That said, you may want to consider finding a person trainer who can work with you in your home for a few session to teach you proper form. S/he may have some suggestions on a multi-functional bench, as well.

The best weight bench is a stability ball.

I would recommend skipping the weight bench idea and just getting a bosu ball - it's like a stability ball cut in half and put on a board. I find it's less dangerous than a stability ball and ends up taking up less room because who is really going to inflate and deflate their stability ball every day? The bosu slides under my couch or bed. You will also need a sticky mat to put under it so it won't slide and so you can do some exercises while comfortably laying on the floor with your legs on the bosu. You can do ab work, leg work, and arm exercises. Ditto to Lavrin's comments. I am a small female who has had great success with 3, 5, & 8 lb hand weights. I use the 3 and 5 for arms and 8 for abs and legs. Unless you are very overweight you should be able to see improved definition in your muscles after just a few weeks of of using them. Good luck!

Well this discussion has gotten off track!

I'm a puny girl, I've never lifted a weight heavier than 8 lbs but that hasn't stopped me from putting 6 olympic distance triathlons under my belt.

I take a class twice a week for an hour - 45 minutes at the gym that runs through all the squats, lunges, etc you need for cross training. So, I'd say its all relative - and any exercise is better than none! So kudos to you rachel for getting serious about this!!

My suggestions would be to get a couple of good workout DVDs and follow them (try a few from the library first to see what style works for you) . Or get a couple of issues of fitness or shape or womens health, they always have workouts in the back, most of which can be done at home with the basic equipment (might be available online also). The weights will be helpful, but you dont need a lot of gear at home - I'd say a yoga mat and a few light weights and a decent pair of sneakers (to keep you stable) and perhaps a stability ball (hard to hide anywhere!). You could put them in a small pretty box somewhere in the room rather than getting a specific piece of furniture. Most of the exercises you will use the bench for can either be done standing or sitting on a sturdy chair, anything lying on your back stuff (chest press, fly's etc) can be done lying on the floor. And bear in mind that a lot of exercises you can do that have great benefits dont require any equipment. (Push ups, tricep dips).

If this is your first foray into exercising and you are at home (not the gym) read active.com or other general exercise sites for tips on good form and make sure you keep good posture in all you are doing, you dont want to hurt yourself with all these good deeds...And dont forget to stretch after!!

Another tip, my roommate ties her yoga mat with a pretty and colourful scarf when not in use, so it actually looks decorative rather than taking up space...!

If budget is the reason not to join a gym check and see if the city of chicago runs any. In NY the city runs gyms you can join for $75 a year. Not fancy, but they've got all you need...

Oy. Not everyone can afford a gym. And some people like to augment their gym routine at home. That really wasn't the question.

That said, the key would be a skinnier bench for range of motion as mention above. But the exercise ball suggestion was a great suggestion/alternative. Of course it doesn't solve the "extra bench for seating" question.

And while it does not fit in the "budget" category, you may want to consider DWR's Pankotto outdoor bench:

http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=3818

Though in some ways I tend to agree with Dave, I am also of the opinion that doing something is better than nothing and it's good to work up to a more intense level. Kettle bells, though, are great--though I personally didn't buy one for myself b/c I truly don't have the space to move around properly. Anyway, I definitely agree that trying to use a piece of furniture as a workout bench is a bad idea. You could use the floor if your weights aren't heavy. Or, as others have suggested a stability ball. (Though, unless you plan on blowing it up each time, it takes up a bit of space...I finally got rid of mine because of this). I tend to always belong to a gym because I don't want to have all of the equipment in my house and I feel I'm more focused at the gym (Every time I've tried the video thing, I end up sitting on my sofa!).

The question was about benches. Not method, not Pilates, not how you slimmed down, not how you bulked up, male or female.

It was about furniture. Fur. Ni. TURE.

It's a valid question. Can we perhaps treat it as such.

OY.

I had the exact same issue. Instead of getting one bench though, I got 4 of those leather cubes that can be used as seating or footstools, and for storage.

(sorry for the last bit of grumpiness, all)

I have the west elm bench. Its very sturdy. You could store your weights inside of it as well as a yoga mat for padding. Also, if you lay on it, its narrow enough that you'll have adequate range of motion.

As a second thought...you may want to consider a fold up version of a weight bench you could possibly store under your bed. You would need to check the measuremets.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.busybody.com/busybody/PRODIMG/HF4164_lrg_image.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.busybody.com/ListCompare/mHoist.html&h=380&w=380&sz=42&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=1WzhT5aAOcuaaM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfold%2Bup%2Bweight%2Bbench%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Lastly, I agree with another post...a stability ball works really well. I use mine as a desk chair as well, thus eliminating one piece of furniture.

Good luck.

Sorry, I didnt give you the complete link...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.busybody.com/busybody/PRODIMG/HF4164_lrg_image.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.busybody.com/ListCompare/mHoist.html&h=380&w=380&sz=42&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=1WzhT5aAOcuaaM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfold%2Bup%2Bweight%2Bbench%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Ugh..its the second one under "benches" called the Hoist HF-4164 Fold-Up Flat Bench.

Ask ANY Physical Therapist and they will tell you that 40% of their clients come from the local gym/Pilates/Yoga studio. And comments like Dave's, which are echoed by far too may poorly educated trainers, are part of the reason why.

Getting into shape isn't an "all you can lift" contest - it is developing ALL your muscles in proper sequence and with proper positioning, often using lighter weights than you'd think. It is also doing the right type of exercise for your body type, e.g., no yoga/stretching for people with hyper mobile joints and not missing some small but critical muscle (huge arms, underdeveloped rotator cuff? Surgery!).

My concern about this question is that the person who wrote it is planning to start weight training without knowing the basics - not only the bench but also the weights an the posture.

You don't need a gym to work out - but you do need to learn the right and wrong way to do it.

Could Dave just post a picture of himself without a shirt? Then I'll decide if he gives good advice.

Um, Taureg, why do you assume they don't know the basics?

Weasel--
And I think we need to see the lower body, too.

fwiw, Krista of stumptous.com says she uses a sturdy coffee table as a bench: http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/displayarticle.php?aid=47

And she is definitely not training with 5-pound weights (though I'm not making any judgments on those who do).

A weight bench needs padding of some sort, so you would need to affix that to whatever sturdy weightbench you have. Plus it needs to support your body, plus the weight your moving and must be very stable. A wooden bench would not really cut it, unless it were a solid block.

I workout in at home using the p90x program a bench is pretty much useless. There was even a Mr. Olympia who benchpressed off the ground using dumbells his entire lifting career. Do pushups, you would be amazed at the physique you can aquire doing so, and get a chinup/pullup bar, and freeweights or resistance bands.