Not enough money for a fashionable fitness club, and square meters of the house are not enough for sports? No problem! The Woman’s Day team knows five effective bench exercises that can be done in any courtyard in the city.
Exercise 1: push-ups from the bench are reverse and classic.
What are we pumping: reverse – arms-triceps, ordinary – arms and pectoral muscles.
Equipment: reverse push-ups – turn your back to the bench and place your hands on it, grip shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower your body down, bending your elbows – your buttocks should reach a position where your shoulders are not parallel to the floor. Using the power of your triceps, push your torso upward, lifting yourself up with all your strength. Classic push-ups – put your hands on a bench and make sure that there is a right angle between your arm and shoulder. With your back straight, lower yourself so that your chest touches the bench.
Approaches: reverse push-ups – 8-10 times, 1 approach. Classic – 15-20 times, 2 sets.
Exercise 2: squats.
What are we pumping: legs and buttocks.
Technique: stand with your back to the bench and straighten your back, legs slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Slowly begin to sit on the bench using the pelvic retract, not the bend of the knees. The lower you go, the more your glutes and hips will work. Please note that you should not sit down in the literal sense of the word on the bench and relax: touch the bench with your buttocks and go upstairs in the same way. This is a simplified version for those who have not developed a squatting technique. And if you are already a pro in this exercise, then make pistols next to the shop.
Approaches: from 5 times to as much as there is enough strength.
Exercise 3: walking to the bench.
What are we pumping: gluteus maximus muscle, quadriceps – the front of the thigh, biceps of the thigh – the back surface experiences only additional stress.
Equipment: A simple and effective exercise will help pump your butt and hips. Straighten your back and place your full foot on the bench, then lift the other leg and repeat the exercise. To enhance the result, use light dumbbells – 3-5 kg for women and 7-10 for men.
Approaches: 15-20 reps in three sets.
Exercise 4: Press.
What are we pumping: abdominal muscles.
Technique: Please note that the abdominal muscles should always be in tension when performing the exercise, and flexion should be on exhalation, extension on inhalation. Lie with your back on the bench, pressing your lower back firmly. Bend your knees, arms behind your head and start doing the exercises. Do the snatch workout and do the curls with a straight back.
Approaches: 10 times for 3 sets.
Exercise 5: jumping over.
What are we pumping: all leg muscles.
Equipment: doing this exercise requires good physical condition. The most important thing is to choose a low bench without a back. Stand on bent legs on one side of the bench and, with all your might, jump to the other side. Try to choose a narrow bench to start with to avoid injury.
Approaches: 20, 30 or 45 seconds in a row, depending on endurance, 2 sets.