Equipment

Bench Exercises

A flat bench is a simple support that opens up many exercises. Used on its own, it lets you lie with your hips at the edge for lower-body and core moves such as flutter kicks.

Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated

Exercise
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About the bench

A sturdy flat or adjustable bench is the most useful single piece of equipment after dumbbells. Most exercises that use a bench list another piece of equipment as their main one (for example the dumbbell bench press), so this page lists exercises where the bench itself is the equipment.

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How to train with it

For lying bench flutter kicks, lie face down or face up with your hips at the end of the bench, hold the sides for stability and move the legs in small, controlled kicks. Keep the lower back from arching and stop the set when you can't keep the movement controlled. Always check the bench is stable before you use it.

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Choosing exercises

Use bench exercises as part of a glute or core circuit. See the dumbbell and bodyweight pages for many more exercises that use a bench, such as bench dips and incline push-ups.

Sources
  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2009.

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