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Leg training with a park bench is the same as leg training without a bench. However, having a bench does give you some new ways to work out that you can add to your routine.
Many exercises you do without a bench can also be done with a park bench. They can also be slightly changed so that you use the bench to increase or decrease your range of motion or to help keep your balance.
On that note, here's a look at a few best leg exercises for the lower body you can do on a bench, as well as how you can plan your workouts around them.
Leg Exercises with Park Bench
Check out these six simple exercises that can be done with a park bench:
1) Step Up
The step up is a one-legged exercise that can help strengthen the knees and glutes. In the gym, it's performed with a box, but it can also be done easily on a park bench.
To do this exercise:
Before you do a step-up, make sure your bench is stable and won't move, fall, or shake when you stand on it. Most benches should be able to hold your weight, but make sure it's enough to stand on.
When doing a step up, put your entire foot in the middle of the bench, and make sure no part of the foot is hanging off the end or too far to one side, as that could cause the bench to fall over.
With one foot on top of the bench, slightly lean your chest over the front thigh, and stand up by pushing through the toes, midfoot, and heel. As you step up, the heel on the foot that's on the bench shouldn't lift.
When you stand up, the other leg should be loose and land on top of the bench. To go down, either do a step down (see next exercise), or step down slowly and carefully.
2) Step Down
Most people aren't very good at slowly lowering themselves, but this move can help you get better at it. In the gym, it's performed with a box, but it can also be done easily on a park bench.
To do this exercise:
To do a step down, step up, or use your other leg to help you up. Slow down the step down on purpose, controlling the lowering phase and going as slow as you can before you lose control.
3) Bulgarian Split Squat
This exercise also requires a bench-type equipment. Training one leg at a time can be a great way to fix muscle imbalance and improve overall strength.
To do this exercise:
The Bulgarian split squat is a split squat with the back leg on a bench. By putting the back leg on the bench, you increase the load on the front leg. That makes the hips and knees more stable and gives the back hip flexors and quads a deep hip strength workout.
Do a split squat or lunge while your back leg rests on the bench. The more you learn about this movement, the more you will get out of it.
Make sure that your hips don't turn. The back leg should be tight, and pull your hip back, so keep the hip of the front leg pulled back, which forces the glute to work.
4) Hip Thrust
This is another great exercise to do with a park bench that can help you isolate the glutes and build serious muscle mass and strength without loading the spine or hamstrings.
To do this exercise:
To do this exercise, put your upper back on a bench (either running perpendicular or parallel to the bench), and put your feet on the ground. Start with your hips up (fully extended) and glutes tight. About 90 degrees is a good bend for the knees.
When you're in the top position, keep your ribs pulled into your body to keep your lower back from extending. Lower the hips about 8-12 inches while keeping the ribs close to the body. Raise the hips back up.
5) Single Leg Squat to Bench
This is a backwards version of a pistol squat, and it's a good way to build strength in one leg while facing a target. That can also help people of all skill levels get stronger in one leg in a limited range of motion.
To do this exercise:
To do a single leg squat to bench, stand on one leg in front of the bench like you would for a bench squat. Slowly lower yourself while standing on one leg till your hips just touch the bench. Stand back up.
Don't let yourself get too low and lose control. Make sure you can control your body in all positions, and stand on one leg.
6) Box Jump
Another easy park bench exercise, this one can be a great option to add plyometric leg training, which can improve power and fast-twitch muscle fibers.
To do this exercise:
Stand in front of a box or other flat surface, and jump on it. You can do that with a bench, as long as they are stable, won't fall over, and can hold your weight and the force of you landing on them.
If you have a bench that can do all that, and you know how to jump or at least can do bodyweight jumps and high impact exercises, you can add this workout to your training.
Takeaway
If you are a pro at bodyweight exercises or just a beginner, the aforementioned park bench exercises can be a good variation to your workout routine.
Sometimes, when you're performing the same exercises over and over again, you can hit a plateau i.e., you're not losing any more weight. Moreover, performing the same kind of exercises over and over does not challenge the body any more.
In that case, you can add some variety and a new challenge to your workout routine by adding the aforementioned park bench exercises.
