Weight benches provide a stable object for a person to lie or sit on when lifting weights. The best ones are adjustable, allowing you to raise or lower one end of the bench so you can do incline and decline exercises. Inclines and declines change the emphasis of exercises onto different muscle groups or different parts of muscle groups for a more complete workout potential. They up the options of exercises available.
Seated Exercises
Step 1
Sit on the bench sideways with your feet flat on the floor. Sit up straight and squeeze your abdominal muscles to maintain good posture and exercise form.
Step 2
Incline the bench all the way up like a chair to relax against to do certain exercises if you want to rest your back or use the back rest for more support when lifting, if your bench is capable of raising that high. Do this by pulling out the pin underneath the bench and pushing up on the long part of the bench to make a seat with the shorter portion.
Step 3
Do seated exercises with dumbbells such as bicep curls, hammer curls, seated triceps extensions, shoulder presses, bent-arm lateral raises or chair squats. Use heavy weights and rep numbers of less than six to build maximal strength. Do six to 12 reps with medium weights to make your muscles larger. Do 12 to 20 reps for increasing muscular endurance.
Step 4
Work your upper body with overhead presses. Sit up straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows and raise the weights to shoulder height at chin level with your palms facing forward. Straighten your arms at an angle slightly forward at an incline and bring your weights together. Bend your elbows and return to your starting position. This exercise primarily works your shoulders, triceps and chest, with your biceps and back getting some work on the downward movement.
Step 5
Bend your elbows and rest the dumbbells on your shoulders. Make sure your feet are hip width apart and that your feet are parallel to each other. Stand up and straighten your legs. Sit back down slowly with a controlled movement so that you do not drop back onto the bench. This action works your quads and glutes with some work for the hamstrings.
Lying-Down Exercises
Step 1
Lie face up on the bench to do popular exercises like the chest fly, chest press, lat pull-over or reverse crunch, or kneel on the bench with one leg to do a row or reverse fly.
Step 2
Take out the pin and press up on the bench to a 45-degree angle to do the incline chest press and fly. Put the pin back in the round hole once you reach the 45-degree angle and before you lie on the bench.
Step 3
Lie on the bench with your head at the top of the bench and your butt on the seat. Bring your hands to sides with a dumbbell in each hand next to your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Alternatively, you can hold a barbell an inch above your chest with your hands shoulder width apart. Press your arms straight up toward the ceiling. Bend your elbows back down to lower the weights and complete one incline chest press.
Step 4
Get off the bench and set your dumbbells on the floor. Remove the pin and press down on the top of the bench to lower it all the way down to a decline position. Put the pin back in and lie on the bench with your head at the top of the bench, which will place your head below your hips. Use the same chest press motion with your dumbbells or a barbell pressing straight up to the ceiling to do a decline chest press.
Things You'll Need
- Two dumbbells
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