Bench Workout

Perfect to do in a park where there are benches spaced around the perimeter. Between bench exercises, sprint 100 yds or to the next bench.

Bench 1:

20 (pike) handstand pushups
20 step ups
25 Russian twists (right+ left = 1)


Bench 2:

20 tricep dips w/leg lift
20 Bulgarian split squats (each leg)
25 V-crunches


Bench 3:

20 4-point Supermans
20 jumps onto bench (alternative: tuck jumps)
25 bicycle crunches


Bench 4:

20 pushups with rotation
20 standing donkey kicks
25 reverse crunches


(Pike) Handstand Pushups (HPU): Set your hands on the ground a little beyond shoulder width apart and about 2 feet in front of the bench. When your hands are planted, step back and up and set your toes on the bench. Bend only at your hips so your body forms an upsidown "L" shape. When doing this exercise, your fingers should be spread wide for best stability. Look directly back and underneath the bench in order to keep your torso vertical. If you try and look forward, you'll change the focus of the exercise and possibly plant your nose into the floor. Lower yourself down just like you were doing the negative of a shoulder press. Touch your head lightly to the ground then press yourself back up.

Tricep Dip with Leg Lift (TrDp+LL): With your back as close as possible to the bench, grab the edge of the bench (seat) with your hands slightly more than hip-width apart. Push your heels into the floor as you straighten your arms. Perform a dip. Straighten your arms, then reach your left arm straight out in front of your body at shoulder height while lifting your right leg. Hold for a few seconds, then repeat, lifting the opposite arm and leg. That’s one rep.

Bulgarian Split Squat (BSSq): Stand about three feet in front of a bench. Place one foot on the bench behind you so that only your instep is on it. Lower your body until your front leg reaches ninety degrees and your back knee almost touches the ground. Drive up back off the lead leg to starting position.

Russian twists (RTw): Lean back at about a 45° angle. Lift feet slightly off floor. Reach arms out straight forward then "twist" or rotate to one side as you reach for the floor while keeping feet up. Rotate back to other side.


4-point Supermans (4-S): From a push-up position, simultaneously raise right arm and left leg and hold for 3-5 sec; repeat with left arm and right leg (both sides = 1) DEMO


Pushup with Rotation (PU+R): Perform the pushup motion; once ascending back up, rotate to one side and bring the opposite arm off the ground aiming it straight towards the sky while extending the opposite arm straight. Hold with body perfectly perpendicular to floor, then slowly bring arm back down to beginning push-up position.


Standing Donkey Kick (Donk): Stand behind the bench, holding onto the bench. Raise one foot towards sky and, with knee bent at a right angle, squeeze bottom and press foot straight up to the sky.

40-down circuits

40 squats
40 crunches
Sprint 40 yds

30 lunges (right + left = 1)
30 pushups
Sprint 40 yds

20 squat jumps
20 bicycle crunches
Sprint 40 yds

10 lunge jumps (right + left = 1)
10 pushups with a clap
Sprint 40 yds

Rest, the repeat two more times.

3-30s

3- minute circuits, with 30 second increments of two exercises, followed by a 30-second break.

Example circuit:

(Sq/Lng)
1. Squats for 30, lunges for 30, squats for 30, lunges for 30, squats for 30, lunges for 30 -- take a 30 second break

Then...

2. Pushups / swimmers (PU/Swmr)
3. Suitcase crunches / flutter kicks (SCcr/Fltrkx)
4. Mountain climbers / burpies (MtnC/ BP)
5. Gator pushups / pillars (elbow) (GtPU /PLR)
6. Reverse lunge with forward kick / side squat with side kick (RLng+fkx / SSq+Skx)
7. Triceps pushup / tricep dips (TrPU/TrDp)
8. Jumping jacks / 180 turns (JJ/180)
9. Side plank / bicycles (SPlnk /bicy)
10. Skiers / skaters (ski/sk8)

Some descriptions:

• Swimmers (Swmr) - lie on stomach, arms above head; lift arms and legs off the ground, move arms out to the side and down toward hips/back, squeeze shoulder blades together, keep head up (like a modified breast stroke), return to starting position
• Suitcase crunches (SCcr) - lie on back, hands behind head, legs lifted above the ground; contract abs, lift hips, shoulders and head at the same time (like closing a suitcase) DEMO
• Flutter kicks (Fltrkx) - lie on back, hands under hips for support; raise shoulders off the ground, lift legs and flutter kick legs as you would do when swimming freestyle stroke DEMO
• Mountain climber (MtnC) - From basic pushup position, bring one knee toward your chest and back, alternate legs as rapidly as possible DEMO
• Burpee (BP) - Begin in squat position, hands on floor in front, kick feet back to pushup position, immediately return your feet to a squat position, leap up as high as possible from squat position DEMO
• Gator pushup (GtPU) - From a pushup position, walk your left hand out about a foot in front of your right hand and do a pushup. Now walk your right hand out about a foot in front of your left hand, drag your feet forward, and do another. Reverse the move to walk back to the starting position.
• Pillars (PLR) - Get in a classic push-up position. Instead of placing your hands on the floor, however, rest on your forearms so that your elbows are bent at 90-degree angles. Keeping your head and back straight, hold this position as long as you can.
• Side Plank (SPlnk) - DEMO
• Bicycles (Bicy) - Lie on back, hands behind head. Contract abs, bring right elbow to left knee, alternate.
• Skiers (ski) - Feet together, hop side to side over (imaginary) center dot as fast as possible. DEMO
• Skater (sk8) - Start on one leg, jump sideways onto the other leg, keeping knees slightly bent, and alternate rapidly. DEMO