Our gif guide to the bench workout you can do anywhere

Have you ever arrived at the gym and all the weights or machines you want to use are being used? Waiting around can be a pain. Well, if there’s a bench free then you are in luck, it’s all you will need for this workout. What’s even better, you can do this workout at home if you have a solid bench/chair or even on a park bench if you are not too embarrassed to work out in public.

In this workout we will be targeting the core, working your thigh, bum and also working on your upper body strength. I incorporate some of these exercises when training clients but I nearly always include weights in as I’m all about building muscle and turning your body into a fat burning machine.

Perform these exercises one after the other with minimum rest. After completing one round, rest for two minutes. Complete a total of five rounds.

• Standing with the bench on your left side, place your left foot on the bench.
• Push up through your left foot (you should feel it in your left glute) until left leg is straight.
• Balancing on your left leg, bend the right leg and bring your knee up as close to your chest as possible. Keep your torso in an upright position.
• Slowly lower your right leg, bend left knee to lower back down to the ground. That's one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps on one leg, then repeat on the other side.

• With elbows tucked at your side, lower torso to the bench.
• Perform a press up, keep your core engaged and hips lifted up.
• Try get your chest as low to the bench as possible while keeping a strong position.
• The lower the bench the harder this exercise will be. Complete 12 to 15 reps.

• Stand facing the bench with knees slightly bent and weight in your heels prepared to jump.
• Jump up onto the bench, landing softly with knees bent. You can land in either a squat position or more of a standing one.
• Step back down one foot at a time to complete one rep. Complete 10 to 12 reps

• Position your hands about shoulder-width apart on the bench, fingers facing towards your body.
• Extended legs out in front of you.
• Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps.
• Slowly lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle.
• Keep your back close to the bench.
• Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning to the starting position. This completes one rep. Complete 12 to 15 reps.

• Lie flat on your back on the bench.
• Place your hands back next to your head and grab the edge of the bench.
• Keeping your legs slightly bent, raise your legs up, keeping your hips on the bench and make sure that your abs are doing the work.
• Slowly lower legs back down to the start position and repeat. This completes one rep. Complete 12 - 15 reps.

Give this workout a go and let me know how you find it. Even better, come and train with me! After so many enquiries, especially after  Jessica's article, I have added in an extra day to my group training course. My classes run twice a week for six weeks, results guaranteed. Mail me here info@metabolicfitness.ie or via Facebook to enquire https://www.facebook.com/metabolicfitnessdublin/

Oh and I wore my new Nike leggings that I picked up in the January sales, these are so comfy for the jump up exercise as I don’t have to keep hiking them up as I move. My top is H&M.

Until next week,

Fi x

Metabolic Fitness Trainer

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