Creating your home workout isn’t as difficult as you think, in fact, with the best weight bench, you can enjoy a variety of weight bench exercises that will work a number of major muscle groups. But if you’re a beginner, it’s hard to know where to start, especially considering the wide range of exercises to choose from.
When you first start, you should focus on learning some basic moves, then you can branch out to other muscle groups once you’ve built up your strength.
Bench Presses
Bench presses are among the most common weight bench exercises. This exercise focuses on the minor and major pec muscles in the chest. To do this exercise, begin lying flat with your feet placed firmly on the ground. Make sure you keep your back flat as you hold the barbell up in front of your chest. Next, press the weight up until your arms are completely straight. This works to create tension in the pecs and other muscles in the chest. Complete four sets of eight reps.
Dumbbell Flyes
Dumbbell flyes will also target the pecs. Grab a set of dumbbells, keeping your arms fully extended straight above your chest. Open your arms into a wide T position at the sides, and make sure you keep the elbows slightly bent. If done correctly, you should feel a nice stretch throughout your chest. Complete five sets of ten reps.
Pullovers
With this move, begin by lying flat, perpendicular to the bench with only your upper back resting on the cushion. Your feet should be resting flat on the floor, with your back straight. Hold one dumbbell in each hand over your head, keeping your arms straight. Throughout the movement, keep your arms slightly bent. Pull from an overhead position, just above the chest. Complete three sets of twelve reps.
Working the Abs
A well-rounded strength training routine should include some solid core work. Basic plank exercise can strengthen the upper body including the chest, quads, and abs. To do this exercise, place both of your feet on the bench, placing your hands on the floor. Lie in a facedown position with your body in a straight line, holding this position for thirty seconds. You can make this position more difficult by walking your hands backward.
If you have a leg roller attachment you can also try crunches, sit-ups, and advanced crunches. Complete four sets of thirty-second planks.
Arm Exercises
Tricep kickbacks are a classic arm exercise that will target the triceps. It’s a great exercise that can provide more definition in your upper arms, but it can also leave you sore for a few days after when done correctly.
To do, place the weight bench in a flat position. Using dumbbells, get on the left side of the bench, resting your right knee and right arm on the bench. Lift with your left hand. During this move, the upper arm should remain parallel to the floor. The elbow should be bent, keeping the forearm perpendicular to your upper arm. Your palm should be facing your body. While your upper arm is kept still, slowly straighten your arm until the arm is parallel to the floor. Next, bring the weight back to the starting position. During the entire exercise, your upper arm should not move. If it does move, it will cause your upper back and shoulders to take on some of the weight, which means it won’t have as much of an impact on your triceps. Repeat this move on the opposite side. Complete four sets of six reps.
Back Exercises
Place the bench in a flat position to focus on tough back exercises.
One arm dumbbell rows focus on your lats, and it also works on the rhomboid muscles, which are found between the shoulder blades. For this exercise, use the same starting position that you did with the kickbacks. However, this time you’ll pull the weight up to your lower abs. Slowly lower your arm to the floor until the arm is fully extended. Your arm should be kept tight throughout the duration of this move.
Weight Bench Leg Exercises
With a leg attachment, you can perform a challenging lower body workout that includes leg curls, leg extensions, and lying leg curls. For more information on how to use proper form, and how to create your own leg day workout, take a look at our article on how to use weight bench with leg rollers.
The key to a successful weightlifting routine is choosing the right amount of weight for you. Of course, choosing the right weight will be different for everyone and it’s often based on your current fitness level and fitness goals. You should start off lifting a weight that will cause the muscles to feel sore and fatigued at the end of a ten-rep set. For flyes, you can begin with ten to twenty-pound dumbbells. For bench presses, begin with forty to sixty pounds. Be careful not to overdo it. If possible, have a spotter available to assist you during a heavy lift.
When you’re first starting out, do just one set of each exercise. After the second week of doing these exercises four days a week, add one to two more sets.
During the third week, you’ll begin to notice some major changes in your body such as an increase in definition and more muscle mass. In order to continue to see progress, you’ll need to change up your routine, so your muscles don’t become adapted. If you want to continue to stick to the same routine, try changing up the angle of the bench as you perform each movement to make each exercise more challenging. Doing so will give you the best results and it can also help to prevent a weight loss plateau. After the first month, make sure you switch it up again to keep your workouts challenging.
If you’re looking for a versatile weight bench, we recommend the Bowflex SelectTech 5.1 Adjustable Bench, which will work for any budget.
