Incline Pushups

• Perform this exercise as you would regular pushups except use the bench to put your body at an incline
• Place your hands about shoulder width apart
• Slowly lower your chest to the bench
• Return to the starting position with your arms extended but stop before locking the elbows

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and sit down near the end of a flat bench, resting a dumbbell on each knee
• Lie back on the bench, positioning the dumbbells in the starting position with the palms facing in
• Keeping the elbows slightly bent, slowly lower the dumbbells bringing your elbows toward the floor
• Stop when your feel a stretch in the front of the shoulder and in the chest
• Pull the dumbbells together keeping the palms facing in until you reach the starting position

Dumbbell Rows

• Grasp a dumbbell in one hand and get in the starting position with the opposite knee and hand stabilizing you on the bench
• Slowly pull the dumbbell up to your waist and pause for one second in this position
• Slowly lower the weight to arms length feeling a stretch in your back

• Grasp a bar capable of holding your body weight with an underhanded grip; hands shoulder width apart
• With your back slightly arched, pull your chest to the bar
• Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position

If you cannot chin your body weight, stand on a stool or bench and start from the chinned position. Then slowly lower yourself. Or ask a friend to spot you by the ankles and have them help you through the movement.

Seated Dumbbell Press

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and sit down near the end of a flat bench, resting a dumbbell on each knee
• Lift the dumbbells into the starting position just at or slightly above shoulder height, palms facing forward
• Press the dumbbells upward slowly and smoothly
• Stop the movement just before your elbows straighten
• Slowly lower the weights to the starting position

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and sit at the end of the bench
• Lean forward until your chest is almost touching your thighs and your arms are hanging down near your feet
• Maintaining this body position, slowly raise the dumbbells out away from your sides as high as possible
• Slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position

Overhead Dumbbell Extensions

• Grasp a dumbbell in one hand and sit sideways on the bench
• Stabilize yourself with the other hand by grasping the bench
• Lift the dumbbell overhead positioning it so your elbow is straight and your palm faces in
• Keeping your elbow close to your ear, lower the dumbbell slowly and smoothly behind the head as far as possible
• Pause and then raise the dumbbell back to the starting position

• Grasp a dumbbell in your right hand and stabilize yourself on the bench with the left hand, bending forward at the waist
• Position in the right arm so the elbow is close to your side and is bent to about 90 degrees
• Keeping the elbow next to the side, straighten the arm by extending the elbow
• Slowly lower the weight to the starting position
• After completing the exercise with the right arm, repeat with the left

Seated Dumbbell Curls

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and sit on the end of the bench
• Begin the movement with the weights by your side and your palms facing in
• Either together or alternating hands, slowly curl the dumbbell as far as possible
• As you are lifting the dumbbell rotate your hand so your palms are facing backward at the top of the movement
• Slowly and smoothly lower the weight to its starting position

• Grasp a dumbbell in the right hand and sit on the bench
• Lean forward resting you right elbow on your right inner thigh
• Get into the starting position with the elbow straight and the weight close to the floor
• Curl the dumbbell up toward your body as far as possible keeping the palm facing your body
• Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position
• After completing the exercise with the right arm, repeat with the left

Dumbbell Squat

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand
• Stand with feet shoulder width apart
• Begin squatting slowly, bending at the knees and hips so the knees come forward over the toes.
• When the legs are parallel with the floor, slowly return to a standing position keeping the torso upright as you ascend.

• Sit on the end of the bench positioned so your thighs are supported by the bench
• Hold a dumbbell between your feet
• Slowly straighten the leg, contracting the quadriceps
• Slowly lower the weight to the starting position

Lying Leg Curls

• Lie face down on the bench and have someone place a dumbbell between your feet or use ankle weights
• Get in the starting position with your legs straight
• Keeping your hips in contact with the bench, slowly bend your knees lifting the weight
• Stop when your knees are bent to 90 degrees
• Slowly lower the weight to the starting position

• Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and stand erect with feet about shoulder width apart
• Keeping your knees extended or slightly flexed and the lower back straight, bend forward at the waist stretching your hamstrings
• Stop when you cannot bend any further without rounding your lower back
• Slowly return to the standing erect position

One-Legged Calf Raises

• Stand with your toes and the ball of one foot on a stable step of some kind
• Balance your upper body by holding onto a stable object such a chair or railing
• Keeping your leg straight, slowly lower your heel as far as you can to stretch the calf
• Then raise up on your toes as high as possible, contracting the calf muscles
• Make sure movement occurs only at the ankle joint

As you become stronger with this movement, you can increase the resistance by holding a dumbbell in one hand

• Sit on the end of the bench holding a dumbbell across your knees
• Place your toes and the balls of your feet on a step or a block that is high enough to allow your calves to stretch fully without your heels contacting the floor
• Your knees should be bent at about a 90 degree angle
• Slowly lower your heels as far as you can to stretch the calves
• Then raise up on your toes as high as possible, contracting the calf muscles
• Make sure movement occurs only at the ankle joint

Full Crunch

• Lie face up on the floor or the bench with the hands supporting the head and the knees and hips bent to slightly less than 90 degrees
• Slowly curl the shoulders off the bench while simultaneously pulling the knees toward the chest
• Pause briefly
• Slowly return to the starting position

• Lie on the floor with your feet on the bench, hips and knees bent to 90 degrees
• Support the head with the hands
• Cross the right ankle over the left thigh
• Begin curling the shoulders off the floor and then twist the torso slightly bring the left elbow toward the right knee
• Pause briefly
• Slowly return to the starting position
• When your have completed the exercise, repeat on the opposite side