Forget the gym — this park bench workout will help you lose weight and shape up

Now that summer’s here, you might be eager to get outside for your workout. But if you fancy something other than a high intensity routine in your back garden, then this park bench workout will be right up your street.

It simply requires your own bodyweight and — you guessed it — a park bench. Not only does the bench help to add a bit of variety to your workouts, but it also allows you to add intensity to bodyweight exercises.

Keen to get moving? Find a free bench and follow the below moves for the allotted reps.

The benefits

A big benefit to this park bench workout is that it costs nothing, and it’s also equipment-free. You’ll get a great workout using just your body weight.

Bodyweight exercises are a fantastic way to get some resistance-based moves into your workout routine. Resistance is essential when it comes to building muscle, which in turn improves strength, balance, postur,e and also protects your bones. What’s more, research in the journal Experimental Physiology found that bodyweight exercises could increase muscle hypertrophy, aka, muscle size.

When you feel ready, you can do this workout in the gym using gym benches, dumbbells, and kettlebells. This adds extra resistance, challenging your muscles even more.

This park bench workout can also be incorporated into a run or walk. If you’re out and about and spy the perfect bench, then why not stop and do two to three rounds of the below? Once you’ve completed your rounds, continue with your run or walk.

If weight loss is your goal, then this park bench workout will help you burn calories. Upping the ante and moving quicker or adding extra resistance will boost the calorie burn. Being in a calorie deficit (burning more than you consume) is important if you want to shed unwanted pounds, so make sure you’re sticking to a healthy, wholefoods diet that will help to ensure you help to maintain a deficit.

So, as long as you’re OK with potential passers-by seeing you do tricep dips, then this park bench routine is a free, accessible, and ideal way to mix up your routine.

Your 5 move park bench workout

1. Tricep dips

The back of your arms — your triceps — will be burning throughout this exercise.

• Sit on the bench with your hands on either side of your glutes. Your feet should be flat on the floor with your knees bent.
• Slide your bum off the bench and bend your elbows to lower your body down towards the ground. Aim to keep your elbows pointing directly behind you, rather than flaring out to the sides.
• When your elbows are at a right angle, push up through your palms to lift your body back up.
• To make this more challenging, straighten your legs out in front of you.
• Complete 10 to 12 reps.

2. Push ups

This move targets your shoulders and core, and will be significantly more difficult using a bench.

• Get into a high plank position with your hands on the edge of the bench and your body out in a straight line behind you.
• Bend at your elbows and lower your chest towards the bench.
• Push up through your palms to return to your starting position.
• Complete 10 to 12 reps.

3. Step ups

Your entire lower body and your core will be working with these step-ups.

• Stand in front of your bench. Then, step your right foot on the bench and push yourself up. Your left foot should meet your right foot on the bench.
• Next, step down with your left foot and follow with your right, until you’re back to standing.
• To make this more challenging, drive your left knee up to hip height as you come to standing on the bench. Then step down as usual.
• You can also slow down the tempo to keep your glutes, quads, and hamstrings under tension for longer.
• Complete 10 reps on each leg.

4. Bulgarian split squats

Work your quads, glutes, and hamstrings with this move that targets each leg individually. You’ll also test your balance as you balance on your front leg.

• Stand facing away from your bench. Step forward slightly, then place the top of your right foot on the bench behind you. You might need to adjust yourself a little and edge forward slightly.
• Bend your front knee and lower your body down towards the ground. Your knee should be at a right angle and shouldn’t come further forward than your toes. If it does, edge your front foot forward a little.
• Meanwhile, your back knee should be bent and close to the floor. Then, push up through your left foot to rise.
• Tilt forward slightly at the hips to target your glutes.
• Want to make this harder? As you rise from the split squat, explode up and jump your front foot off the ground. Then lower straight back down.
• Complete 10 reps on each side.

5. Shoulder taps

Your entire core will be tested with this move.

• Get into a plank position with your feet on the bench and your body straight out in front of you, with your palms on the ground and shoulders stacked over your wrists.
• Aim to keep your body as still as possible as you tap your right shoulder with your left hand. Then return to the plank and tap your left shoulder with your right hand.
• Keep alternating sides.
• Complete 10 reps on each side.

More from Tom's Guide

• Goodbye planks! This 6-minute Pilates workout will help you sculpt a strong and stable core
• Pilates instructor shares full-body routine to strengthen muscles and boost posture — and it only takes 20 minutes
• 8 moves and 8 minutes are all you need to activate your deep core, sculpt your abs and improve posture, according to a Pilates instructor