Top 16 'Park-Bench-Powered' Training Routines to do in Your Local Park This Summer - Goh Ling Yong
The sun is out, the days are gloriously long, and the familiar scent of freshly cut grass is in the air. Summer is the perfect season to break free from the four walls of the gym and take your fitness into the great outdoors. But you don't need a sprawling outdoor gym or expensive equipment to get a killer workout. All you need is a little motivation and one of the most underrated pieces of fitness equipment on the planet: the humble park bench.
That's right. That simple slab of wood or metal is a full-body gym in disguise. It’s an elevation tool, a stability challenge, and a solid anchor for dozens of exercises. Whether you're a beginner looking to build foundational strength or an advanced athlete wanting to mix up your routine, the park bench is your new best friend. It offers the perfect platform to push, pull, jump, and stabilize your way to a stronger, fitter you.
Here at the Goh Ling Yong blog, we believe that fitness should be accessible, effective, and enjoyable. That's why we've put together this ultimate guide to 'park-bench-powered' training. Forget the crowds and the monthly fees. Grab your water bottle, find a sturdy bench in your local park, and get ready to transform your summer workouts with these 16 powerful exercises.
Lower Body Powerhouses
1. The Unbeatable Bulgarian Split Squat
If you want to build strong glutes, quads, and hamstrings while also challenging your balance and core stability, look no further. The Bulgarian Split Squat is a unilateral exercise (working one leg at a time) that corrects muscle imbalances and builds serious lower-body strength. It’s a true powerhouse movement that delivers incredible results.
To perform it, stand a couple of feet in front of the bench, facing away from it. Reach one foot back and place the top of your foot on the edge of the bench. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, lower your body down until your front thigh is parallel to the ground, or as low as your mobility allows. Drive through your front heel to return to the starting position.
- Pro-Tip: Don't let your front knee travel far past your toes. Focus on a straight up-and-down motion. If you're struggling with balance, hold onto a nearby pole or tree for support until you feel more stable.
2. Explosive Box Jumps
For developing explosive power and torching calories, box jumps are king. Using a park bench adds a dynamic, plyometric element to your workout that recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers and gets your heart rate soaring. Just make sure your bench is sturdy and dry before you start!
Stand facing the bench, about a foot away, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower into a quarter-squat, swing your arms back, and then explode upwards, swinging your arms forward for momentum. Aim to land softly on the bench with both feet, absorbing the impact by bending your knees. Step back down carefully; don't jump down.
- Pro-Tip for Beginners: If you're new to box jumps, start with Bench Step-Ups instead. Simply step up onto the bench with one foot, drive your other knee up, and then step back down. This builds the same muscles without the high impact.
3. Perfected Pistol Squat Progressions
The pistol squat, or single-leg squat, is an advanced move that requires incredible strength, balance, and mobility. The park bench is the perfect tool to help you work your way up to a full, unassisted pistol squat. It allows you to control the depth and build strength through the full range of motion.
Stand on one leg in front of the bench, with your other leg extended out in front of you. Slowly lower yourself down as if you're going to sit on the bench, keeping your extended leg off the ground. Either tap the bench lightly with your glutes and immediately drive back up, or sit down completely for a brief pause before standing back up on one leg.
- Pro-Tip: The lower the bench, the harder the exercise. Find a bench height that challenges you but still allows for good form. Focus on keeping your standing foot flat on the ground and your core tight.
4. Glute-Sculpting Single-Leg Hip Thrusts
For isolating and strengthening the glutes, nothing beats a hip thrust. Doing them on a park bench increases the range of motion, leading to a better contraction and more effective muscle building. The single-leg variation adds a stability challenge that also engages your core.
Sit on the ground with your upper back against the edge of the bench. Place one foot flat on the ground with your knee bent, and extend the other leg straight out. Drive through the heel of your grounded foot, lifting your hips towards the sky until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knee. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top before lowering back down with control.
- Pro-Tip: Make sure the bench is supporting you just below your shoulder blades. Don't let your ribs flare out at the top; keep your core engaged to protect your lower back.
Upper Body Builders
5. Foundational Incline Push-Ups
The incline push-up is a fantastic entry point to the world of push-ups. By placing your hands on the bench, you reduce the amount of body weight you have to lift, making the exercise more accessible for beginners. It's an excellent way to build chest, shoulder, and tricep strength with perfect form.
Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the edge of the bench. Walk your feet back so your body forms a straight, solid line from your head to your heels. Lower your chest towards the bench, keeping your elbows tucked at about a 45-degree angle. Press back up to the starting position.
- Pro-Tip: The higher the surface, the easier the exercise. Start with the backrest of the bench if the seat is too challenging. Focus on keeping your core tight and avoiding any sagging in your hips.
6. Advanced Decline Push-Ups
Ready to level up your push-up game? The decline push-up flips the script. By elevating your feet on the bench, you shift more of your body weight onto your upper body, placing a greater emphasis on your upper chest and shoulders. This is a challenging variation that builds serious pressing strength.
Get into a push-up position with your feet on the bench and your hands on the ground. Your body should again form a straight line. Lower your chest towards the ground with control, and then powerfully press back up. This movement requires a very strong core to keep your body stable and your back safe.
- Pro-Tip: Start with a small set and focus intensely on form. If your back starts to arch, stop the set. A principle I, Goh Ling Yong, always stress is that mastering the basics with perfect form is far more important than struggling through an advanced move.
7. Classic Tricep Dips
Tricep dips are a quintessential park bench exercise for a reason: they are incredibly effective at targeting the muscles on the back of your arms. If you want to build strong, defined triceps, this move is non-negotiable.
Sit on the edge of the bench and place your hands on either side of your hips, fingers pointing forward. Scoot your hips off the bench and walk your feet out. For an easier variation, keep your knees bent. To make it harder, straighten your legs. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they are at a 90-degree angle, then press back up to the starting position.
- Pro-Tip: Keep your chest up and your shoulders down and back. Don't let your shoulders roll forward, as this can cause injury. Only go as low as your shoulder mobility comfortably allows.
8. Powerful Inverted Rows
Balancing all that pushing work (push-ups, dips) with pulling movements is crucial for healthy shoulders and a strong back. The inverted row is a fantastic bodyweight pulling exercise. While tricky on some benches, it's often possible by grabbing the front edge of the seat.
Lie on your back under the bench and grab the edge of the seat with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. With your body in a straight line and heels on the ground, pull your chest up towards the bench. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement, then lower yourself back down with control.
- Pro-Tip: To make it easier, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground. To make it harder, elevate your feet on a curb or your water bottle.
Core & Cardio Circuits
9. Core-Carving Bench Leg Raises
This exercise targets the often hard-to-hit lower abdominal muscles. Using a bench allows you to get a greater range of motion and a deeper contraction than doing leg raises on the floor.
Sit on the very edge of the bench, leaning back slightly. Place your hands on the bench behind you for support. Extend your legs straight out in front of you. Keeping your legs as straight as possible, use your lower abs to pull your knees in towards your chest. Slowly lower them back to the starting position without letting your feet touch the ground.
- Pro-Tip: To increase the difficulty, try performing a full "V-Up" or "Tuck-Up" by bringing your chest and knees towards each other at the same time.
10. Dynamic Plank Knee-to-Elbow
The standard plank is great, but adding dynamic movement takes the core challenge to a whole new level. This variation, performed with your hands on the bench, engages your obliques and improves core stability.
Start in a high plank position with your hands on the bench. Your body should be in a straight line. Bring your right knee across your body towards your left elbow, engaging your abs and obliques. Return to the plank position and repeat on the other side, bringing your left knee to your right elbow.
- Pro-Tip: Move slowly and with intention. The goal isn't speed; it's about control and feeling the contraction in your core with every repetition.
11. Oblique-Blasting Side Planks with Hip Dips
Your obliques are the muscles that run along the sides of your torso, and they are crucial for rotational strength and a stable core. The side plank with a hip dip is a fantastic way to target them directly.
Place your forearm on the bench, ensuring your elbow is directly under your shoulder. Stack your feet and lift your hips so your body forms a straight line. From this position, slowly lower your hip towards the ground, then lift it back up past the starting position, squeezing your bottom oblique.
- Pro-Tip: Keep your chest open and avoid rotating your torso towards the ground. Imagine you're between two narrow walls to maintain perfect alignment.
12. Heart-Pumping Mountain Climbers
Take the classic mountain climber and elevate it! Placing your hands on the bench makes this cardio staple a little less intense on the wrists and shoulders, allowing you to focus on speed and endurance. It’s a brilliant way to spike your heart rate between strength sets.
Get into a high plank position with your hands on the bench. Keeping your core tight and your back flat, begin "running" in place by driving your knees up towards your chest, one at a time. Go as fast as you can while maintaining good form.
- Pro-Tip: Create a mini-circuit: perform 30 seconds of Mountain Climbers, followed immediately by 10 Incline Push-Ups, and rest for 60 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times for a quick and effective cardio and strength blast.
13. Agility-Building Bench Taps
This simple yet effective drill is all about quick feet, coordination, and cardiovascular endurance. It’s a great warm-up exercise or a fantastic finisher to completely empty the tank at the end of your workout.
Stand facing the bench. Lightly and quickly tap the top of the bench with the ball of one foot, then immediately switch to the other foot. The movement should be fast and rhythmic, almost like you're running on the spot while tapping the bench.
- Pro-Tip: Stay on the balls of your feet and keep your arms pumping to help with rhythm and speed. The goal is light, quick taps, not heavy stomps.
14. The "Bench Burpee"
Everyone loves to hate burpees, but there's no denying their effectiveness as a full-body conditioning tool. The bench burpee is a slightly more forgiving variation that's easier on the joints while still providing a massive metabolic punch.
Stand facing the bench. Place your hands on the seat and jump your feet back into a high plank position. Perform an incline push-up. Jump your feet back in towards the bench, then stand up and explode into a jump, reaching your hands overhead. Land softly and immediately go into the next rep.
- Pro-Tip: Focus on a smooth, continuous motion. This exercise is all about flow. It combines a squat, a plank, a push-up, and a jump into one powerful sequence.
15. Isolating Calf Raises
Don't forget the smaller muscle groups! The calves can be effectively trained using the edge of the bench to increase the range of motion. Strong calves are essential for running, jumping, and overall leg stability.
Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of the bench, with your heels hanging off. Hold onto the backrest or a nearby pole for balance. Let your heels drop down as far as you can to feel a deep stretch in your calves. Then, press up onto your tiptoes, squeezing your calf muscles at the very top.
- Pro-Tip: For an added challenge, perform this exercise one leg at a time. This will dramatically increase the load on the working calf and improve your balance.
16. The Relaxing Finisher: Bench Stretch
After all that hard work, your muscles deserve a good stretch. The park bench is also a perfect stretching station to improve your flexibility and aid in recovery.
Use the bench to perform a deep hamstring stretch by placing one heel on the seat and leaning forward. You can also do a quad stretch by facing away from the bench and placing the top of one foot on it, just like the starting position of a Bulgarian Split Squat. Finally, use the backrest for a chest-opening stretch by placing your hands on it and pressing your chest forward and down.
- Pro-Tip: Hold each stretch for at least 30-45 seconds. Breathe deeply and relax into the stretch. Don't bounce.
Your Park, Your Gym
There you have it—16 powerful, effective, and completely free exercises that turn any local park bench into your personal fitness center. You can mix and match these movements to create endless full-body workouts. Try creating a circuit by picking one exercise from each category and performing them back-to-back.
This summer, step outside, find a bench, and rediscover the joy of moving your body in the fresh air. Fitness doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes, the best tools are the ones hiding in plain sight.
Now it's your turn. What's your favorite park bench exercise? Did we miss any of your go-to moves? Share your thoughts and routines in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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