Resistance Band Total Body Workout with Isometric Holds

I'm excited to bring you this total body workout today because a lot of people I know are traveling and this workout is GREAT for hotel rooms and when you're away from home.  Resistance bands are just as good (if not better) than dumbbells in my opinion, and they're also just about the best piece of fitness equipment you can realistically pack in a suitcase.  I'll be upfront, though - this workout doesn't involve many isolated abdominal exercises.  So if you're on the go or away from home and want a good ab burn to go along with this workout, I'd recommend this one and/or this one (you don't need any equipment for either).

Back to today's workout, though, there are 3 rounds of 2 exercises each.  You'll go through each round 3 times, doing each exercise for 1 minute, and holding a position where the band is taut (isometric hold) for 30 seconds.  Keep reading for the workout details, and make sure to save this one to that workout Pinterest board for when you're traveling! 

Resistance Band Total Body Workout w/ Isometric Holds

What You'll Need: a heavy resistance band (I used 30lbs), an exercise mat, and some floor space.
What You'll Do: start with round 1 and do each exercise for 1 minute followed by a 30-second isometric hold (explained below for each).  Do each round 3 times through before moving onto the next, trying only to take breaks between rounds if you need to.

Round 1 (x3)

Rowing Sit Ups (1 minute) + Row Hold (30 seconds) - lie down on the floor with the band wrapped securely around your feet (shown below), holding the handles in each hand by your sides. From here, perform a full sit up while simultaneously pulling the band handles to reach your sides, in a rowing motion.  Keep your shoulders down and focus on bringing your shoulder blades together in the row.  Slowly reverse the move and lower yourself back down to the floor.  Continue the sit ups for 1 minute.  After 1 minute, hold the upright row position for 30 seconds.  Trainer Tip: if you want more abdominal engagement during the hold, lean back slightly to engage them, keeping the band pulled in towards your sides.

 Secure Foot Loop (above): start by wrapping the middle of the band over the tops of your feet.  Loop it around the outside of your feet, and bring the handles through on the inside.  This prevents the band from slipping off your toes when you pull (which has happened to me, and boy does it hurt!).

Resisted Push Ups (1 minute) + Push Up Hold (30 seconds) - wrap the band around your back, between your arms and your sides (so it's not rubbing against your arms).  Get into a push up position on the floor with your hands flat, holding the band down by the handles.   Do as many push ups as you can for 1 minute.  After 1 minute, hold the lowered push up position for 30 seconds.  Trainer Tip: you can do these from your knees as well, just remember to keep your spine aligned - no butts in the air!

Round 2 (x3)

Donkey Kicks (1 minute) + Straight Leg Hold (30 seconds) [L then R] - get into an all-fours position with a band handle looped on your left foot, holding the band tight in your left hand, excess on your right.  From here, kick your leg back pulling the band, keeping your foot flexed, and squeezing your glutes.  Bring your leg back down, bending your knee toward your chest.  Do 1 minute of kicks on the left leg, then immediately hold that same leg out straight for 30 seconds. Repeat on the right leg.

Squat Abductor Raises (1 minute) + Lateral Hold (30 seconds) [L then R] - place the resistance band under your feet holding the handles in each hand.  Perform a squat.  Come back to standing and lift your left leg out to the side, keeping it straight and your foot facing forward.  Squat back down, and repeat on the other side.  Continue alternating sides between squats for 1 minute.  After 1 minute, hold your left leg out to the side for 30 seconds, then repeat on the right.

Round 3 (x3)

Biceps Curls (1 minute) + 90˚ Hold (30 seconds) - start standing with the band underneath your feet, holding the handles in each hand by your sides.  Perform a biceps curl, bringing the band handles up towards your shoulders.  Slowly lower the band back down.  Keep curling for 1 minute.  After a minute, hold the handles up, elbows bent at 90˚, for 30 seconds.

Straight Leg Kickbacks (1 minute) + Hold (30 seconds) [L then R] - loop one handle around your left foot, holding the band tight by your left hip.  Keeping the band held at your hip the whole time, lift your leg straight back as high as you can.  Keep the lifts going for 1 minute, then hold your leg up for 30 seconds.  Once done with the left, repeat on the right.

Caption This Blooper!

Because it's Monday and we could all use a good laugh at the start of the week, I'm leaving you with this precious gem of a workout pic blooper...

Readers: chat with me!  Do you use resistance bands in your training?  What are your favorite exercises?  And because I don't take myself all that seriously, let's have some fun - caption the blooper pic above!  Happy Monday!

Resistance Band Total Body Workout with Cardio Intervals

Happy first day of December, everyone!  Can you believe we're in the last month of 2015?!  Me neither.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, you might be finding yourself needing to get back in the swing of (fitness) things this week.  I've put together this total body workout to jump start (or continue) your fitness routine after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Holidays are packed with traveling and family visits, so resistance band workouts are fantastic for keeping up your fitness when you're on the road.  Of course, they provide better resistance than bodyweight alone, which makes them ideal for working your muscles while you're on the go.  

This one is a full hour workout if you complete it twice through (recommended), but if you're short on time today, you can always drop it down to once through for a 30-minute total body workout.  Ready for the fun?  Let's get started!

Resistance Band Total Body Workout w/ Cardio Intervals

Equipment Needed: 1 resistance band with handles and some floor space + a timer.
What You'll Do: each exercise in every round will use the resistance band except for the cardio move.  You'll start with exercise #1 in round 1 and go through each move for 1 minute.  Between each exercise, you'll do that round's designated cardio exercise for 1 minute.  So, you'll alternate exercise #1, cardio, exercise #2, cardio... and so on.  Go through the full 3 rounds two times, which will take about an hour to complete.

Round 1: Legs

Designated Cardio: Jump Reaches - squat down as low as you can get keeping your chest up and gaze up above you.  From here, propel yourself up and jump as high as you can reaching your arms up above you as you jump.

1.  Side Steps (4 each way) - start by standing on top of the resistance band, holding the handles at your sides so the band is coming up on the outside of your foot.  From here, hold a slight bend in your knees and step to one side for 4 steps.  Go back the way you came for 4 steps.  Every step will pull the band slightly and you should feel it in your outer thighs.

- 1 minute jump reaches - 

2. Lying Side Kicks + Pulse (1 minute each leg) - lie on one side with the band wrapped around the top foot, holding the handles up by your abdomen.  Keeping the handles where they are, extend that top leg out as if performing a slow side kick, driving with your heel.  Do 10 kicks, then keep your leg out straight and do 10 pulses up and down.  Keep alternating 10 kicks and 10 pulses for 1 minute, then switch to the other leg.

- 1 minute jump reaches -  

3. Donkey Kicks (1 minute each leg) - get into an all-4's position with one band handle wrapped around your right foot (flat part on the bottom of your foot), with the rest of the band underneath your hands holding firmly on the ground.  From here, bring your right knee into your chest and then immediately extend it out straight as if kicking behind you.  Do all kicks on the right leg for 1 minute before switching to the left.

- 1 minute jump reaches - 

4. Resisted Glute Bridges - lie on your back, legs bent, heels in close by your butt, with the band resting over your pelvis.  Hold the band firmly to the ground so your hands are planted, and perform a glute bridge by raising your pelvis up towards the ceiling.  Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes at the top.  Remember to keep the band pulled taught as you raise so you feel the resistance.

- 1 minute jump reaches - 

Round 2: Abs

Designated Cardio: Cross-Body Mountain Climbers - just like regular mountain climbers, but instead of bringing your knees to your chest straight on, cross them to the opposite side of your chest.  Trainer Tip: if the running is too much, slow it down to just stepping.

1. Rowing Straight Leg Sit Ups - lie on your back with your legs out straight, band wrapped around your feet, holding the handles by your sides.  Keep your legs out straight and do a full sit up, pulling the band handles in toward your armpits as you come up.  Reverse the movement by slowly releasing tension on the band as you slowly lower yourself back down.  Trainer Tip: when rowing, keep your shoulders down and relaxed as much as possible and focus on using the muscles in your upper back to do the work.

- 1 minute cross-body MC - 

2. Resisted Side Plank Pulls (1 minute each side) - this one is challenging to explain so bear with me.  You'll start in a side plank, holding a band handle in the top hand and the other hand holding the band in place underneath it.  Keeping your torso in that side plank, pull the band across your chest (elbow up towards the ceiling) so there's tension.  Release it back down.  Keep pulling (like a side facing lawnmower almost) for 1 minute each side.  Trainer Tip: if the full side plank is too much, drop your bottom leg so your propped up on that knee, keeping your top leg extended out straight.

- 1 minute cross-body MC -

3. Resisted Russian Twists - like regular Russian twists, but the band is looped around your feet and you're pulling the handles to each side.  You have the option here to either keep your feet on the ground (knees bent, feet flexed), or for an added challenge, raise them up off the floor.

- 1 minute cross-body MC -

4. Resisted Leg Lifts - lie on your back with your legs out straight, band wrapped around your feet, holding the handles up by your sides.  Keeping your upper body planted on the ground, lift your legs up and bring your knees to your chest.  Extend them back out reversing the movement and bringing them back to the floor.  Keep going for 1 minute.

- 1 minute cross-body MC -

Round 3: Arms

Designated Cardio: Frog Stamp Jumps w/ Push Up - start in a high plank and jump your feet to the outside of your hands keeping your hands on the ground the whole time.  Jump your feet back out into a plank and do 1 push up.  Come back up into a plank and jump your feet to your hands again.  Keep alternating jump up, jump back, push up for 1 minute.

1. Lawnmowers - stand in a semi-lunge position with your left leg forward, right leg back straight, band underneath your left foot and handle out on the right side.  (Make sure your foot is relatively close to the handle to allow resistance when you pull.)  Using your right arm (left arm is lightly propped on your knee), pull the band up to your chest while turning your upper body to look toward the ceiling.  Release it back down close to the floor.  Pull up again.  Repeat that motion for 1 minute on the right arm, and then switch to the other side.

- 1 minute frog stamp jumps w/ push up -

2. Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press - start standing with one foot slightly in front of the other, band underneath the front foot, holding the handles by your sides.  From here, do a bicep curl, then immediately press the band handles up over your head.  Reverse the movement back down to starting position.  Keep going for 1 minute.  Trainer Tip: if the double-arm approach is too much, you can do this one arm at a time (holding the band in only one hand) to release some of the tension.  If you do this, go for 30 seconds on each arm.

- 1 minute frog stamp jumps w/ push up -

3. Resisted Lateral Raises - you're still in a standing position with the band under your feet and handles by your sides.  From here, keep your arms straight and lift the band up out to the side as high as you can.  It might not be a very high raise, and that's okay!  Lower back down.  Keep the raises going for 1 minute.  Trainer Tip: if the resistance is too much with the band under both feet, step one foot back so you're in a slight lunge and do the move with the band under one foot.

- 1 minute frog stamp jumps w/ push up - 

4. Straight Arm Tricep Kickbacks - this is another one you'll do standing either with the band under both feet or one depending on your resistance preference.  What you're doing is hinging slightly forward at the hips, chest up, gaze forward.  Keeping your arms straight with your palms facing front, raise your arms straight up behind you, squeezing the backs of your arms at the top of the raise.  Slowly lower your arms back down to your sides.  Keep raising and lowering for 1 minute.

- 1 minute frog stamp jumps w/ push up -

Remember to go through each round once more for the full workout today!  I hope your whole body feels it!

Readers: chat with me!  How was your holiday?  Did you stay active over the break or did you take the time to relax?  How are you getting back into the swing of physical activity now?  Do you enjoy resistance band workouts?

Resistance Band Upper Body Superset Workout

Resistance bands are one of the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment.  They can be used to work just about every muscle in the body.  They're also great for traveling with since they're super light and hardly take up any space in your bag.  Do you have a set of bands?  How do you like to use them?  I'm a HUGE fan of bands both during the classes I teach and my own personal workouts.  

I'm also a huge fan of supersets.  A superset is when you do 2 exercises usually targeting the same muscle group back to back with no break.  They are a GREAT way to change up your routine a bit, and add a little bit of an extra challenge to stimulate muscle hypertrophy (growth).  Today's workout is all about the band and the muscles in the upper body.  Ready to get your sweat on and make those arm muscles pop?  Let's get right to it and start your Monday off right!

Resistance Band Upper Body Superset Workout

Equipment Needed: just a heavier resistance band and some room on the floor, plus a water bottle or sweat towel.
What You'll Do: repeat each superset 3 times before moving onto the next.  Once through should be enough of a workout for your whole upper body, but if you want to repeat the workout once more to really get a good burn, be my guest!

Superset 1: Biceps

15 Bicep Curls - stand on the band with your feet about hip width apart, holding a handle in each hand.  Curl up doing a regular bicep curl for 15 reps, keeping your elbows by your ribs.  Trainer Tip: for less resistance, stand on the band with one foot instead of two.  For increased resistance, loop the band once around both feet to shorten the length.

15 Second Hold - keep the band in the same position as you had it with the curls.  All you'll do here is keep a 90˚ angle in your arms and hold the band up.  Remember to keep your elbows by your ribs here, too.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

Superset 2: Back

20 Lawnmowers (each side) - stand in a semi-lunge position with your left leg forward, right leg back straight, band underneath your left foot and handle out on the right side.  (Make sure your foot is relatively close to the handle to allow resistance when you pull.)  Using your right arm (left arm is lightly propped on your knee), pull the band up to your chest while turning your upper body to look toward the ceiling.  Release it back down close to the floor.  Pull up again.  Repeat that motion for 20 reps on the right arm, and then switch to the other side.

10 Lat Pull Downs - stand with your feet hip width apart, hands holding the band with about 1-2 feet between them (handles will dangle down).  Raise your hands above your head to start.  From here, pull the band while bringing your arms down, trying to bring your shoulder blades together.  So, your elbows and the band come slightly behind you as you pull down.  Slowly raise it back up to above your head.  Do 10 reps total.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

Superset 3: Back/Chest

20 Seated Rows - sit down with your legs out straight, feet flexed and band around them with handles crossed.  Keeping your back up straight and chest up, pull the handles toward your chest.  Trainer Tip: keep your elbows down (not winged), palms facing each other (not toward the floor), and relax your shoulders.

10 Resisted Push Ups - get into a push up position (either on your feet or your knees) with the band looped over your upper back, and underneath your hands to hold it in place.  From here, do a regular push up.  You should feel resistance from the band on the concentric phase of the push up (the actual push back up).  Trainer Tip: if you don't feel a resistance, you may need to shorten the amount of band that's behind your back.  To do this, just move your hands farther up the band and place them back down on the floor.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

Superset 4: Triceps

20 Tricep Extensions (each side) - in a standing position, hold the band vertically with one arm raised above you, elbow bent, palm facing forward, and the other arm bent behind you, palm facing away.  From here, hold the band tight and in place with the bottom arm while you take your top arm and pull the band up, moving only from elbow to wrist (shoulder to elbow stays stationary).  Do 20 reps on one arm, and then switch sides.  Trainer Tip: to decrease the resistance here, simply move your grip farther away on the band; to increase resistance, move your hands closer together.

10 Straight Arm Frontal Raises - stand with one foot on top of the band and a handle in each hand, arms by your sides, palms facing backwards.  From here, keep your arms straight and lift them up as high as you can (max = up to shoulder height).  Lower them back down.  Keep lifting for 10 reps.  Trainer Tip: to increase resistance here, stand on the band with both feet.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

There you have it!  How do your arms feel?  I hope you all had a great weekend (and Halloween!) and your week is off to a good start.  Oh, and happy November!  Did you enjoy your extra hour of sleep yesterday?

Readers: chat with me!  Do you use resistance bands in your workouts?  Do you typically use them at the gym or at home?  How many of you travel with bands to get a good workout in while you're away?