I'm looking at Donnie Thompson " fat pad " and it is 14.5" wide and 4.5" thick. Also based on this picture:
http://cdn.roguefitness.com/media/ca...-fat-pad-3.jpg
it seems the padding itself is about 3.5 inches out of the total 4.5 inch height. ( you can sort of see the edge of the padding ).
IPF spec maximum width of the pad is 32 cm or 12.6 inches, so it is definitely out of spec. that's not the same as saying that it is too wide however - is it ?
My frame is pretty much what it should be for a 5'10 - 5'11 male. My shoulders are about the width they should be for my height. IPF spec aside - what do you think the bench pad width should be for me ?
As for the thickness obviously it depends on material. I spent probably 20 hours researching various high end materials such as Natural Rubber Sponge and Poron but ultimately they are available only in thin sheets and i decided i don't want to go through the process of trying to bond them together, because it could potentially end up in a very expensive fail.
Ultimately i decided i will use one piece of rebond laminated on top of one piece of neoprene, both from this website:
http://www.foamforyou.com/
I used this site twice for the custom mattresses i made and i like their prices, shipping speed and cost ( shipping to Brooklyn ). They sell both Rebond and Neoprene.
their neoprene is 6 LB density 2 - 5 psi IFD which is the soft grade, and their rebond is 5.75 LB density. both are quite cheap. neoprene is about twice the cost of rebond.
what i can't figure out is what thickness to order the layers in ?
the neoprene is available in 1/2", 3/4", 1" or 2" thickness and rebond in 1", 1.5", 2", 2.5", or 3" inch thick.
scenario (A): 2" of rebond over 1" of neoprene, for 3" total.
scenario (B): 1.5" of rebond over 2" of neoprene for 3.5" total.
the benefit of (A) is that a thicker layer of rebond should probably be more durable. the benefit of (B) is the pad should feel better for dumbbell rows when you put the knee on the pad.
i could also go 2" of rebond over 2" of neoprene but then at 4" it would be thicker than thompson pad and i would be in uncharted territory - kinda scary.
any thoughts ?
|
-
08-15-2014, 11:15 PM #1
Bench Pad - How Wide is Too Wide ? How Thick is Too Thick ?
-
08-16-2014, 02:07 AM #2
-
08-16-2014, 02:55 AM #3
-
08-16-2014, 03:20 AM #4
-
-
08-16-2014, 10:11 AM #5
-
08-16-2014, 10:40 AM #6
-
08-16-2014, 03:04 PM #7
-
08-17-2014, 02:31 PM #8
-
-
08-17-2014, 03:27 PM #9
I had a Thompson Fat Pad on my bench but I found it wasn't wide enough.
I just ended up mounting an extra firm twin mattress to the top of my bench.▪█─────█▪ Equipment Crew #53 ▪█─────█▪
^^^^^^^ 6' 6" and Over Crew ^^^^^^^
------------- No Vax Crew ----------------
-
08-17-2014, 03:33 PM #10
-
08-17-2014, 03:40 PM #11
-
08-17-2014, 04:12 PM #12
-
-
08-17-2014, 08:04 PM #13
Here's the thing; after making what, 4? threads about a single stupidly overly engineered bench, in which you ignored the input of almost all replies, you expect people to continue to give you serious answers?
This is actually a topic that interests me, as I have also been trying to build/assemble my "ultimate" bench, but why go through the frustration of placing my words upon deaf ears?
That being said, I have a Thompson Fat Pad, and I do feel that it's too wide. Hope this doesn't ruin your plans.[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] Equipment Crew #57 [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
[]──[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #26 []──[]
❍--❍ York Barbell Club #34 ❍--❍
☆☆☆ That On3 Cr3w That Has Too Much Pow3r Cr3w ☆☆☆
-
08-17-2014, 09:54 PM #14
-
08-17-2014, 10:45 PM #15
This is where I stand, as well.
Working with benches utilizing 11" (or less) of pad width caused nearly immediate shoulder issues for me. Simply not enough support. Using the mega 14.5" width seems to force my shoulders into vulnerable positions, also causing problems. I think a 12-12.5" pad would be optimal on a firm bench. I would go as wide as 13" if using a softer padding. I'm awfully tempted to tear my Thompson pad apart and reshape it a bit...[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] Equipment Crew #57 [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
[]──[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #26 []──[]
❍--❍ York Barbell Club #34 ❍--❍
☆☆☆ That On3 Cr3w That Has Too Much Pow3r Cr3w ☆☆☆
-
08-18-2014, 04:04 AM #16
-
-
08-18-2014, 04:39 AM #17
-
08-18-2014, 06:54 AM #18
i was doing some testing and concluded that for maximum versatility the bench for me should be 12" wide, which is also IPF spec. i could go wider if i only used it for barbell press, but if i wanted to play around with different ways of pressing dumbells and extra range of motion it would get in the way. i think the reason commercial benches like Icarian are in the 10.5" range or so is so that women could also use them.
the Thompson pad is probably designed for certain type of people pressing with a certain form.
Thanks for the input 3R, Oldschoollifter and Skidmarx.
-
08-18-2014, 07:02 AM #19
Yep, I really think the Thompson pad is for barbell bench presses only and bigger dudes. I have both a 12" flat bench and a 10" wide 0-90° that I now use just for dumbbells and incline work. If I had to keep just one, I do like the 12" though...but then again, I'm more of a barbell bencher...for those that do more DB work, the slightly narrower bench might be preferred.
Garage Gym Owner
-
08-18-2014, 08:55 AM #20
-
-
08-18-2014, 09:15 AM #21
Geez. Do you really need an extra 0.25" of height and 1" of pad length? They already make a bench with a 47" pad length and 17.5" height: http://www.roguefitness.com/monster-utility-bench
Their regular utility bench is also a 47" pad length, but 18" high.Garage Gym Owner
-
08-18-2014, 09:40 AM #22
well, i ordered the padding. i ordered 2" of neoprene and 1.5" of rebond. for a total of 3.5" padding, which in my estimate is the same as Thompson fat pad.
i didn't want to go this thick but i decided that it will be relatively easy to make the pad thinner later on and just add a spacer ( like a layer of rigid foam on the bottom ), on the other hand if i went with a thin pad it would be impossible to make the pad thicker later on because the bench would get too tall.
i will need to cut the foam sheet down to size, which will be 12 x 54.
what's better - 17.0" overall bench height or 17.25" ? LOL ... no seriously though
or at least which one would have better resale value ?
-
08-18-2014, 10:28 AM #23
-
08-18-2014, 10:36 AM #24
-
-
08-18-2014, 10:56 AM #25
-
08-18-2014, 11:08 AM #26
I'm really struggling to see why you are making a big deal over 1" in length that will not be used. Height and width of the bench are infinitely more important than if a bench is 47" or 48" long (most people will probably use 36" of bench I'm thinking). If you were running an IPF competition, that's another story - but you wouldn't be using movable utility benches anyway.
Garage Gym Owner
-
08-18-2014, 11:47 AM #27
-
08-18-2014, 10:26 PM #28
-
-
08-18-2014, 10:32 PM #29
That's a good point. I also prefer a narrower bench for inclines. 11" is probably my personal sweet spot.
I think that's a safe bet.
I was also thinking primarily in flat barbell bench terms.
For me, it's not so much about comfort as it is performance. If you get the densities and layers just right, you'll get an optimal balance of support and scapular movement. If that optimal balance equates to a stronger bench press and better shoulder health, then that is worth finding, imo.Last edited by BloodType3R; 08-18-2014 at 10:58 PM.
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] Equipment Crew #57 [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
[]──[] Ivanko Barbell Crew #26 []──[]
❍--❍ York Barbell Club #34 ❍--❍
☆☆☆ That On3 Cr3w That Has Too Much Pow3r Cr3w ☆☆☆
-
08-19-2014, 08:01 AM #30
Bookmarks