All You Need Is A Bench And Weights

You don't need an expensive gym membership for a full body workout. With a set of dumbbells and a flat bench, the opportunities are endless. Many people believe the bench is strictly for arm or chest workouts, but I am here to tell you, you can get a full body workout! Here are two exercises for each muscle group:

I’ll start with the obvious, arms.

Arms - The two workouts below will help strengthen your triceps and biceps. These muscles help you lift and carry things.

• Tricep Extension - Lay with your back flat on the bench, raise the weights directly up towards the ceiling, while keeping your arms in the air, bend your elbows at 90 degrees then back straight up.

• Lying bicep curls: Lay with your back flat on the bench with weights in each hand. Once laying flat, proceed to do a bicep curl by bringing the weight up so that your upper arm is parallel with the bench then releasing your arms slowly back down until your elbows are straight. Although this is an unpopular way to complete a bicep curl, it is very effective at isolating the muscles to prevent any cheating during the exercise. Many people will use their hips, core, chest, and shoulders to pull up the muscles when doing standing bicep curls. The flat bench eliminates any opportunity to bring the weight up with anything other than your bicep.

Chest - These 2 exercise will work the muscles in your chest. The main goal here is to strengthen your pectoral muscles. Pectoral muscles are crucial in the movement of your shoulders.

• Flat Bench Dumbbell Press: Perform this exercise by lying flat on your back on the bench. Bring the dumbbells to your chest and press them up toward the ceiling. Slowly bring the weights back down to your chest then repeat.

• Flat Bench Chest Fly: Lie on the bench flat on your back, put your arms in the air pointing straight up to the ceiling. While keep your arms straight, slowly lower your hands to the floor then bring your arms back up to the neutral position.

Back - The following two exercises are completed to help build the muscles in your back. There are several muscles in your back that are engaged during these exercises including your trapezius and your latissimus dorsi. It is important to strengthen your back muscles because they play a roll in just about everything you do in your day to day life.

• Flat Bench Reverse Fly: Lie on your stomach flat on the bench. Hang your arms down on either side of the bench and grab your weights. While keeping your arms straight, bring the weights up so that your arms are straight out by your side. Slowly lower your arms back down towards the ground then repeat.

• Flat Bench Pullover: This exercise is similar to the tricep extensions, but will be performed slightly different to ignite a completely different muscle group. This exercise is best performed with one weight. Hold the weight around one of the rubber ends of the dumbbell. While laying flat on your back on the bench, bring the weight up so it is perpendicular with your body. Your arms should be straight up in the air towards the ceiling. Slowly lower the weight behind your head, keeping your arms as straight as possible then bring them back up to be perpendicular with your chest. Repeat.

Legs - These exercises are meant to strengthen the key muscles in your legs like your quadriceps and your gluteus maximus that are used for jumping and squatting.

• Bench Step Ups: Stand on either side of the bench so that the bench is perpendicular to your body. Grab weights in both hands. Place one foot flat on the bench and step up with the other then back down. Continue this while switching legs to set up with.

• Weighted Glute Bridges: Sit on the floor with your shoulder resting on the long side of the bench. Put your legs out in front of you, then bend at the knees. Place a dumbbell on your hips and raise the dumbbell up. You want to push the weight up by firing your hips and using your butt muscles to raise the weight up, then slowly bring it back down, and repeat. You can modify this exercise up by using a heavier weight or placing a resistance band around your thighs.

Core - These exercises are meant to strengthen your abdominal muscles and contribute to your six pack beach body.

• Flat Bench Lying Leg Raise: Lay with your back flat to the bench with your legs hanging off. Use your arms to grab the bench behind your head to brace yourself during the exercise. Lift your legs off the ground so your body is in a straight line. Bring your feet up to the ceiling while keeping your legs straight. Slowly bring your legs back down to parallel to the ground then repeat. You can modify this exercise to be more difficult by bringing your hips up in the air when you bring your feet up (think of trying to kick your feet through the roof but remember to keep your legs straight)

• Seated Flat Bench Leg Pull-In: Sit on the bench with your legs off the edge. Put your arms behind your bottom and grab the bench to brace yourself during the exercise. Bring your knees into your chest then kick them out straight in front of you. You should not be kicking your legs up, you should be kicking them out away from you, then bring them back in and repeat.

To check out our available benches and weights click here!