Bench width for kids

[KeithI]

My daughter likes to lift with me sometimes. She’s a young female person and my bench is too high and wide for her. I’m going to make one but haven’t decided what size to make it. I’m leaning towards making it an inch or so higher than the distance from her heel to the back of her knee. Have you got any sort of guidelines for width? I’m thinking measure the distance between her shoulder blades and then use whatever wood I’ve got that’s close to that.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Make her a 10" wide bench at standard height, and shim up her feet with plates or blocks.

[KeithI]

Thanks

[TommyGun]

Keith, one of my best purchases was the Starting Strength bench. Told the wife "it was for the kids".
It worked out great for both my son and daughter when they were younger. Now I can't imagine ever using a cushioned and wide bench.
I am sure you are an excellent craftsman but the SS Bench is aesthetically beautiful and practical.

I also ended up getting a women's bar for my daughter and wife. They needed the lighter bar with a smaller diameter, so keep an open mind on that. Not sure of Texas Power Systems makes a women's bar but I think Rogue has a few, including one spec'd out by Rip back in the day. I let my daughter pick out the women's bar from the Rogue website, she went with the one with the picture of the dog on the end of it. Now she calls it her bar.