You've just set up your brand new, shiny weight bench in your room, living room or garage. Just grab some dumbbells and start exercising! But where should you start, and with which exercises? Check out our favourite exercises to do with your new workout partner!
TARGET SPECIFIC MUSCLE GROUPS:
EXERCISES THAT TARGET YOUR SHOULDERS
Sit down with your back flat against the backrest. Place your feet on the floor so that your legs are at a right angle. Now you're ready to work your delts. Spread out your legs a bit to stay stable during seated shoulder presses. Keep them tight during dumbbell raises, either front raises, which target front shoulder muscles, or lateral raises, which work exterior muscles.
SEATED DUMBBELL PRESS
FRONT RAISES
LATERAL RAISES
EXERCISES THAT TARGET YOUR PECS
For the next two exercises, you can lay your bench flat or progressively raise the backrest. The higher the backrest, the more you will work your upper pectoral and shoulder muscles!
Flyes
The chest fly is the ideal isolation exercise that works all pectoral muscles without using any other muscle groups. If this is your first time doing flyes, we recommend starting with light weights.
Bench press
The bench press is the most popular weight training exercise that works the pecs and much more!
It is a global move that targets your shoulders, biceps, triceps and pecs. You can use heavier weights than you use for flyes.
FLYES
INCLINED FLYES
BENCH PRESS
INCLINED BENCH PRESS
CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS
EXERCISES THAT TARGET YOUR ARMS
Curls
Whether you do them seated or inclined, curls work your biceps. If this is your first time doing curls, we recommend doing them with your palms facing up.
Extensions
Extensions are perfect for working your triceps. They can be done with a single dumbbell to ensure your muscles are being worked evenly!
INCLINED BICEP CURLS
OVERHEAD TRICEP EXTENSIONS
EXERCISES THAT TARGET BACK AND LOWER BODY
Rows
Incline your backrest to do rows and target your upper back muscles: latissimus dorsi, trapezius and rhomboid muscles.
Hip thrusts
Ideal for targeting your glutes, the hip thrusts also work your hip muscles. We recommend starting with light weights ;-)
INCLINED DUMBBELL ROWS
HIP THRUSTS
FINISH UP WITH SOME ABS
End your workout with a few minutes of core work, it's the best way to get the most out of your workout, even though the exercises are fairly easy. And speaking of core, what's better than a few crunches to target your abdominal belt?
INCLINED CRUNCHES
