This bench has been a mainstay in the York Barbell line for a number of years. It is old but many lifters still use one of these benches and they are sturdy.

This particular version in the above photo was the earlier model as indicated by the half-moon shaped barbell supports. The newer model changed the supports to include a longer back than the front of the support. This allowed the bencher to simply move the barbell back and the longer back of the support would “catch” the incoming barbell. This made for safer lifts and a little more piece of mind. Here is a photo of this version of the Multi-Purpose Bench.

Here is an advertisement that appeared in a Muscular Development magazine. You can see that it features the earlier version of this bench with the half-moon shaped supports.

Prior to a bench like this being made, the lifter who wanted to bench press a barbell had to first get the barbell into position on top of his chest before complete the reps in his lift. This was awkward at best and downright scary at worst. Some of the strongmen, however, were very capable of doing this. Some would leave the one end of the heavy barbell on the floor and then tilt the barbell into position!

Thankfully today we have safer features. The York Multi-Purpose bench has been used by a lot of people over the years. It still is functional today and I use mine during each and every workout. The history and practical use of this item makes it much talked about and much used. Gladly, this bench is up to the task and performs beautifully!