There are some people that believe that the bench press is just for bodybuilders who are looking to bulk up and get huge chest muscles. This is absolutely not true, as the bench press can be beneficial for anybody who is looking to get tight and toned, especially for woman who are looking to firm up their chest and look better in strapless or halter dresses. The bench press works the chest, triceps, biceps, and shoulders and it is a great upper body exercise to develop strength while toning your muscles.

Here is how to do a basic bench press:
1. Lie flat on your back on a workout bench with the top of your head slightly past the rack.
2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip with your arms slightly shoulder-length apart.
3. Push the barbell straight up to remove it from the rack.
4. Bend your elbows and lower the barbell to your chest. Keep the barbell off your chest at least an inch or two.
5. Straighten your arms up as your lift the barbell straight up in the air. Look straight up, not at the barbell.
6. Lower the barbell back down and repeat the exercise for the desired amount of reps.

There are a couple of different variations of the basic bench press that you can do. Some variations are with your grip on the barbell such as the wide-grip bench press and the close-grip bench press. By gripping the barbell differently you can focus your exercise on a more specific area that you want to work. The close-grip bench press will work out the triceps more than the basic bench press will.

The other type of variation that you can do with the bench press actually has to do with the workout bench. You can choose to do an incline or decline bench press. The decline bench press will put more focus on the lower muscles of the chest while the incline press will target the upper chest muscles.

The bench press is a great exercise to add to your strength training workout if you want to work your entire upper body at once. It is an exercise that is beneficial to both men and women.

Squats are a great lower body exercise that can do wonders for your butt, hips and thighs. Not only do squats strengthen and tone your lower body, but they can also slim your hips while firming and raising your behind.

Here is how to do a basic squat:
1. Stand with your feet approximately hip-width apart. You can place your arms out in front of you or if hold weights at your sides.
2. Bend your knees as you move your butt towards the ground. Be sure that your knees are over your ankles and not past your toes. How far you can squat will depend on your fitness level.
3. Raise yourself back up by straightening your legs so you are back in starting position.

Squats can be done with no weights or you can add dumbbells or a barbell to add more resistance to the exercise. You may want to start out with no weights and then add weights as you get more physically fit to constantly challenge your muscles during this exercise. Also, beginners may want to place a chair behind them to get the moves of the exercise down and have the extra support just in case.

There are a few variations of squats that can be done that will target different areas of the lower body in a new way.

A plie squat specifically targets your inner thighs. By placing the legs farther apart and pointing your toes outwards, you are targeting your inner thighs to do more of the work when you squat down.

Wall sits are a form of a static squat. This means that you hold the exercise for a given length of time to engage the muscles. Use a wall to slide down into a squat position and hold the squat against the wall for at least 30 seconds. Aim to increase your time as you get more advanced.

For the really advanced person, you can try a one legged squat using an exercise ball against a wall. Lift your one leg slightly off the ground as you use the exercise ball to squat down while only on one leg.

Squats are a great exercise that can be added to a strength training routine, a cardio workout or a circuit training workout.