8 Easy Workout Bench Exercises to Lose Weight – For Beginners

If you want to lose weight, tone your body, and improve your overall fitness, then workout bench exercises are an excellent place to start. Workout benches are versatile pieces of equipment that can be used for various exercises targeting different muscle groups. Whether you’re new to fitness or trying to incorporate more strength training into your routine, it can help you lose weight and build muscle effectively.

We’ll go through 8 easy workout bench exercises for beginners that will help you burn fat, strengthen your core, and tone your entire body. We will also include a 3-week workout plan to help you track your progress and see visible results.

1. Elevated Hip Thrusts – A Simple Lower workout bench exercise

Elevated hip thrusts are an excellent workout for targeting your glutes, hamstrings, and core. This exercise is particularly effective for beginners as it helps build strength in the lower body, which is crucial for boosting metabolism, enhancing fat burning, and improving overall fitness.

How to Perform:

• Sit on the floor and place your upper back on the bench, ensuring it’s stable.
• Roll a weight (such as a barbell or dumbbell) over your hips, making sure it’s positioned comfortably.
• Place your feet flat on the floor, about shoulder-width apart, with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Engage your core and push your hips up toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
• Lower your hips back down slowly and repeat the movement for the specified number of reps.

Why It Works: The elevated position enhances the range of motion for the hips, increasing the intensity of the workout while effectively targeting the glutes and hamstrings. It is also excellent for strengthening the lower body, which can lead to improved posture and overall fat loss.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press – Strengthen Your Upper Body

The dumbbell bench press is a classic weight training exercise that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s perfect since you can start with light weights and gradually increase the load to build strength.

How to Perform:

• Lie flat on your back on the bench, keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and bring it above your chest with your elbows bent at about a 90-degree angle.
• Push the dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended, keeping your movements controlled.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, keeping your core engaged throughout the movement.

Why It Works: Dumbbell bench presses activate more muscles and offer a greater range of motion compared to using a barbell, which can help enhance muscle growth and strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

3. Dumbbell Bench Rows – Strengthen the Back and Improve Posture

This exercise is great for strengthening your upper back, biceps, and shoulders. By focusing on your back, you also improve your posture, balance, and stability, which are important for daily activities.

How to Perform:

• Position one knee and hand on the bench for support, with your other leg flat on the floor for balance.
• Hold a dumbbell in the free hand, ensuring your back remains straight and neutral.
• Pull the dumbbell toward your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you lift.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.

Why It Works: Dumbbell bench rows work your upper back, arms, and shoulders, which are vital for building overall strength and improving your posture. A strong back also helps maintain balance and stability during another workout.

4. Flat Bench Press – A Full Chest and Triceps Workout

The flat bench press is a great exercise for building strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It is easy for beginners to learn and allows you to work on multiple muscle groups at the same time. During the exercise, you lie flat on a bench and push the barbell away from your chest. This helps you develop upper body strength and improve your balance and coordination.

• Lie flat on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor for stability.
• Grasp the barbell with both hands, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Lower the barbell to your chest in a controlled manner, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
• Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms at the top.

Why It Works: This is an excellent workout bench exercise for building upper body strength, particularly in the chest. Strong chest muscles improve posture and contribute to better overall strength for pushing movements.

5. Bench Step-Ups – A Simple Leg and Glute Exercise

Bench step-ups are an easy exercise that helps strengthen your legs, glutes, and core. This movement is low-impact, making it safe for most people. It also boosts your metabolism by working several muscle groups at once.

How to Perform:

• Stand in front of the bench, keeping your posture upright and shoulders back.
• Step one foot onto the bench, bringing your other foot up to meet it.
• Step back down one foot at a time and repeat the process for the desired number of reps.

Why It Works: Step-ups primarily target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, which are crucial for lower body strength and toning. Also, engage the core to help with balance and stability.

6. Dumbbell Chest Fly – A Good Option for Your Chest

Dumbbell chest flies are a highly effective isolation exercise that targets the chest muscles. It helps you to improve muscle definition and flexibility in the chest, complementing other pressing workout bench exercises in your routine.

How to Perform:

• Lie flat on the bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Keep a slight bend in your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells out to your sides.
• Once you feel a stretch in your chest, bring the dumbbells back together in a controlled motion, squeezing your chest at the top.

Why It Works: This exercise focuses on the chest muscles better than traditional presses. It helps improve muscle definition and flexibility. By stretching the chest muscles, it supports muscle growth and gives a fuller appearance.

7. Bench Dips – Tone Your Triceps and Shoulders

Bench dips are simple but effective bodyweight workout bench exercises that target the triceps, shoulders, and chest. It’s ideal for beginners as it requires no equipment other than the bench.

How to Perform:

• Sit on the edge of the bench and place your hands beside your hips, fingers pointing forward.
• Slide your buttocks off the bench, keeping your arms straight and your feet flat on the floor.
• Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
• Push yourself back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.

Why It Works: Bench dips are excellent for toning the triceps and shoulders, which are essential for upper body strength. They also engage the chest muscles and provide an effective workout for the arms and shoulders.

8. Abdomen Bench Exercise – Target Your Core

It is a great way to tighten and tone your core muscles, which is important for overall stability and strength. also helps you to improve posture and supports effective weight loss by targeting the obliques and abdominals.

How to Perform:

• Sit on the edge of the bench and lean back slightly, keeping your core engaged throughout the movement.
• Hold a weight (optional) with both hands and twist your torso from side to side, bringing your elbows toward the opposite knee.
• Continue alternating sides for the specified number of reps.

Why It Works: This exercise targets the obliques and abdominal muscles, helping to create a more toned and defined midsection. A strong core is crucial for improving overall stability and supporting fat loss.

3-Week Workout Plan for Workout Bench Exercises

Week 1:

• 3 sets of 10-12 reps for each exercise
• Focus on learning the correct form and using light weights for the dumbbell bench press, dumbbell bench rows, and bench step-ups. The goal is to familiarize yourself with each movement and build a solid foundation for future progress.

Week 2:

• 4 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise
• Increase weight slightly to continue progressing. Add bench dips and abdomen bench exercises to target the core more effectively, providing a more balanced routine that strengthens both the upper and lower body.

Week 3:

• 5 sets of 12-15 reps for each exercise
• Continue to increase the weights for workout bench exercises like the flat bench press and dumbbell chest fly. Aim to push yourself for greater intensity, ensuring you challenge your muscles for optimal growth and fat burning.

The Bottom Line

Workout bench exercises are one of the best ways to lose weight and tone your body. These 8 simple workouts target multiple muscle groups, making them effective for beginners who want to get fit without spending hours at the gym. By following the 3-week workout plan, you’ll see noticeable improvements in your strength, body composition, and overall fitness. But remember consistency is key.

Pair your workout bench exercises with a balanced diet, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your fitness goals.

Written by

Jordan Blake (certified fitness coach from NYC)