These days, commercial fitness centres are filled with everything from treadmills to smith machines, with a huge range of cardio equipment, pin loaded machines and free weights for users to choose from. However, if you’re new to the fitness scene – or perhaps you want to reinvigorate your workout routine – then consider stripping it down and taking it back to basics. Do you think you’d be able to get in an effective full body workout with nothing but a Body Solid Bench? The answer may surprise you!
Upper Body
• Tricep Dips
Target your triceps with easy to complete tricep dips. Sit on the Body Solid Bench with your hands palm down and fingers facing forward – gripping the bench. Next, move your bottom off the bench, lowering yourself toward the ground before pushing yourself back up! Make the workout harder by increasing your repetitions or placing your feet further away from the bench.
• Incline Push-ups
This is an excellent way to grow strength in your chest and biceps, especially if you haven’t quite mastered standard push-ups. Begin in plank position, yet with your feet on the floor and your hands on the bench. Then – begin! Add more sets and repetitions as you improve.
• Decline Push Ups
Unlike incline push-ups, the decline option is actually far harder than standard push-ups. With your feet on the bench and your hands on the floor, you’ll find gravity is working against you. This is a great choice if you’ve been working out for a while and want to push yourself further.
Lower Body
• Step Ups
Another great exercise that only requires a body solid bench is Step Ups. Fairly self-explanatory, users continue to step up forward and down backward until they’ve finished the set. To make it harder, add more repetitions or bring your knees up to chest height as you step onto the bench.
• Assisted Pistol Squats
Pistol squats are one of the hardest body weight exercise out there – even most of the weight lifters at your fitness centre will struggle. Whether that’s the goal you’re working toward or you just want to target your glutes, this is still a tough exercise. Start by standing with your back to the bench, raise one leg out in front of you, then sit down and stand back up – whilst remaining on one leg. To make it harder, try moving slower.
• Box Jumps
This is an excellent way to incorporate a cardio element into your lower body workout. Simply stand facing the bench, squat down, and jump onto the bench with both feet. Begin by doing three sets of five, adding more sets as you grow stronger.
Core
• Hop Overs
Another great cardio workout, Hop Overs require you to stand on one side of the Body Solid bench, and grip the sides of the bench with both hands. Then, push off from the ground so that you go up and over the bench to the other side. This will work up a sweat and target your core, quads and hamstrings.
• Mountain Climbers
Begin as though you’re completing an incline plank, then pull one knee up toward your midsection before returning it and pulling the other knee upward, moving quite fast as though you were jogging on the spot. Try completing three sets of 20, increasing the repetitions as you grow fitter.
• V Crunches
Begin by sitting on the bench, gripping the sides next to you. Then, lean backward and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle toward you, before straightening them out in front of you again. Make this workout harder by letting go from the bench and hovering your hands next to your thighs.
As you can see, you don’t need to use the latest equipment and heaviest weights to fit in an effective, high-intensity and muscle burning workout. Sometimes, all it takes is bodyweight, a quality bench, and a bit of planning. With comfortable cushioning and easily adjustable angles, the steel reinforced frame of a Body Solid bench is up to the challenge of any workout you throw at it! Regardless of whether you’re targeting the upper or lower body, or you’re hoping to squeeze in a full body workout, you can be confident that you’ll finish your session covered in sweat and wake up the next day with sore muscles – in short, the perfect workout!
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