I’ve never really been a gym girl, preferring to work out at home where I can exercise in my pyjamas if I want to and I don’t have to wait to use the equipment when it’s busy.

But one thing that’s missing from my home gym setup is a weight bench, so when OPPSDECOR Fitness offered to let me try out this one from its range, I was keen to see how it might change the way I exercise.

The OPPSDECOR bench has a weight capacity of 660 pounds, and I found the bench felt more secure than others I’ve tried and it didn’t wobble when I moved between exercises.

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Here’s what I discovered using the OPPSDECOR bench for a month.

Having a stable surface means I can do Bulgarian split squats properly

Woman exercising at home using dumbbells and a weight bench

(Image credit: Future / Maddy Biddulph)

I’ve been working on improving my balance this year and one exercise that is good for that is the Bulgarian split squat. This challenging exercise also helps with mobility in the hips, knees and ankles—something I also want to work on to future-proof my body for older age.

I’ve been trying to do this move with my foot on my sofa, but it’s a bit too low and also the rug underneath keeps moving, which means I inevitably end up slipping and almost doing the splits!

But the weights bench has meant I finally have a stable, knee-high surface to rest one foot on. This has helped me do the exercise with correct form and without the risk of injury.

Working out on an incline has helped my posture

Woman exercising at home using dumbbells and a weight bench

(Image credit: Future / Maddy Biddulph)

My posture has suffered a bit recently from too much time sitting at my desk and a lot of long car rides. One thing I’ve really enjoyed about having the weights bench is being able to exercise on an incline or decline.

I’ve been doing chest exercises such as incline dumbbell presses because strengthening the muscles that pull the shoulders back can help create a more upright posture.

I’ve found that being able to adjust the angle of the bench has opened up some different exercises that have kept my workouts both varied and challenging.

It’s been great for my older personal training clients

I’ve found having the weight bench really helpful for my work as a personal trainer. It was good for my clients who struggle with mat-based exercises because getting down to and up from the floor is difficult for them.

It also meant I could watch them closely and correct their form without having to crouch down next to them.

For exercises like the chest press, it also allowed them to access a greater range of motion and really hit the muscles we’re trying to strengthen and grow.