In light of how difficult it became to purchase home gym equipment when the COVID-19 outbreak started, we should all take precautions to guarantee that we are never again caught unprepared for a lengthy period of time at home. One of the most effective methods to do this is to get a set of resistance bands. Combined with tinned food, toilet paper, fuel, and Marmite, we believe these are among the most important items to have on hand when the rest of the world goes out of commission.
That is because resistance bands are a low-cost and effective method to work out wherever you are, and they take up less storage room than almost any other kind of exercise equipment. In addition, they are useful to have on hand when the world is not on lockdown since you can toss them in a bag and still get in a solid exercise on the go — and they can be utilized for a range of activities, from moderate strength sessions to high-intensity interval training.
Allow us to assist you if you are lost for ideas on what to do during your training session. Our Let’s Band master trainer Ben Fildes was kind enough to provide us with a full-body resistance band exercise, which he did with the regimen you will see below. Even though the whole exercise should take no more than 15 minutes, if you have additional time, you may go for another round or two, or even add a few extra sets.
Table of Contents
You will need different types of resistance bands for this workout
Despite the fact that resistance bands all function, in the same manner, they are not all the same. You may purchase looped bands in a variety of sizes and strengths, as well as a straight band with two opposite ends. Often, the latter will be equipped with handles to make them more comfortable to grip. The color of a band is typically a good indicator of how strong it is: blacks and blues tend to be more resistant than reds and greens, which are in turn more resistant than yellows; reds and greens are also more resistant than yellows. It should be noted that this is not always the case, so be certain that you are purchasing something that is suited for your fitness level.
Two different kinds of bands are used in the following exercise. For motions like the glute bridge, a tiny looped band is ideal for stepping onto and positioning just above or below your knees, however for exercises like squats, you will need a bigger looped band that can be wrapped over your shoulders as you stand on it.
If you are looking for a wonderful set of little looping bands for under £15 (or even less), check out this INMAKER package, which also includes a travel bag. If you are seeking bigger looping bands, on the other hand, you will most likely have to purchase them separately. If you are on a limited budget, the AmazonBasics bands are a wonderful choice: the resistance level of each band is mentioned, so you can be sure you are spending your money on a band that is the proper strength for you before purchasing it.
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Full-Body Resistance Band Workout
1. One-arm biceps curl
Set 1 consists of 12-15 reps on each side
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and both feet on the resistance band, do the following exercise. Keep your arm down at your side, palm facing front while holding the band with one hand. Bend your arm at the elbow and raise it toward your shoulders until you feel a strong biceps contraction. Repeat for the other arm. Then carefully lower yourself back to the starting point. Start with one arm and complete all of your repetitions on that arm before switching.
2. Flye
Sets 1 reps 12 to 15
In one hand, hold the resistance band in the other, arms extended straight out to the sides at chest height, and the resistance band running behind your back. Keep your elbows up throughout the exercise and squeeze your chest muscles as you push the band straight out in front of you, bringing your hands together with your arms completely extended. Return to the starting point in a gradual manner.
3. Front squat
Sets 1 Reps 8-15
Bring the top of the resistance band up to rest on the front of your shoulders while standing on it with your feet slightly wider than your shoulder-width apart. With your torso up and your legs over your toes, lower yourself into a squat position. Then raise your body back to the beginning position.
4. Side-lying hip abduction
Sets 1 Rep 10-12 each side
In a supine position, bend both your hips and knees to 90 degrees, then loop a resistance band slightly above your knees to do this exercise. Raise your upper leg to draw your knees apart while squeezing your glutes for two to three seconds, then gently lower your leg to the beginning position to complete the exercise. Complete all of your repetitions on one side before switching.
5. Glute bridge
Sets 1 Reps 10-15
Place your feet on the floor and your knees bent at 90 degrees while lying on your back with the resistance band looped just above your knees. To begin, lift your toes off the floor and then elevate your hips until you make a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, squeezing your glutes throughout the action. Repeat on the other side. In order to push against the resistance band, you should open your knees slightly while you raise your hips.
6. Splitter
Sets 1 Reps 8-10
Standing with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart is a good position to start. Grip a portion of the resistance band with both hands in front of you at shoulder height, at a shoulder-width distance from you. Pulling the band out and back until your shoulder blades flex while keeping your arms straight is important. Return to the starting position in a slow, deliberate manner.
7. Lateral walk
Sets 1 Reps 8-10 steps in each direction
Make two loops using resistance bands, one slightly above your knees, and one around each ankle. Put your feet shoulder-width apart and drop into a half squat stance to produce tension in the bands. After then, take a tiny step to the side, maintaining tension on the bands as you go forward. Complete all of the stages in one direction before switching.
8. Press-up
Sets 1 Reps 5-15
Start in a plank posture, with the resistance band draped over your upper back and the ends of the band held under your hands for support. Drop your chest towards the floor, then engage your glutes and abs and push straight up until your arms are completely extended. Repeat on the other side.
9. Squat to overhead press
Sets 1 Reps 8-10
Stand on the resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet shoulder-width apart. Hands at shoulder level with palms facing up and clutching the resistance band are the proper positioning for this exercise. Drop into a squat, then push yourself back up and fully extend your arms so that the resistance band is raised above your head and shoulders. Then carefully lower yourself into another squat.
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Tips and reminders for your workout
Awareness of one’s own body
Body awareness, which is also known as proprioception, is something that you learn as you move through your lifting career. Proprioception is the capacity of a person to perceive where their body is in space and in relation to their particular body parts. It is a skill that can be learned. When it comes to banded training, this is something that we are working on improving.
Take, for example, the squat. You may notice that your right knee caves in during the concentric (standing up) phase of the squat, and you may decide to modify your technique. In case you did not know, low back discomfort is often caused by weak or dysfunctional glutes.
You, being the astute lifter that you are, make the decision not to stop squatting altogether. As an alternative, you get a set of mobility bands and use them to resolve the problem once and for all.
The first step is to pass your right leg through the mobility band, and then you connect the other end to a post on your left that is about a foot distant. You lower yourself to a lunge posture and begin to move your right leg back and forth against the resistance.
What you are attempting to accomplish here is to come in contact with your right glute as deeply as possible. In order to maintain good hip alignment while in the squat posture, feel this muscle contract and release as you go through your reps. That is proprioception, which is also known as bodily awareness.
You can do it anywhere
When it comes to mobility work and exercise band training, one of the best things about it is that it does not have to be done in conjunction with your workout. When I am at my desk, one of my favorite things to do is take a break and do band pull aparts. Standing up, holding one end of the band in each hand, and pushing it apart and back until your arms are straight out to the side is how you complete this exercise. At the end position, you should have the shape of a T or a cross. Your posterior deltoids (muscles at the rear of the shoulder) and upper back muscles should be activated throughout this exercise.
If you hunch over or have otherwise formed undesirable postural habits, band pull aparts are an exercise that you must undertake on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I have to sit a lot for work, which is precisely why I do exercises throughout the day to keep my body moving.
Warm-up
Bands have a modest effect, a low intensity, and are quite adaptable.
Let us say you are having a deadlift day. If you are planning on doing deadlifts throughout your exercise, you will want to warm up your glutes beforehand. A fast and simple approach to do this is to step within a mobility band and raise it to around knee height before going for a short stroll. There are many ways to do this exercise, including standing, half squats, and full squats. The goal is to stretch your legs apart against the resistance of the band, which may be accomplished in a variety of ways. This should stimulate the glutes in your lower body.
Control your joints
When doing band training exercises, avoid overextending your joints. Essentially, you want to retain the strain in your muscles rather than your connective tissue. Also, try not to be locked out. The reason for this is because, when using bands, the peak of the movement is the most difficult on the strength curve, which is why this is the case. Because it is not secure, your joint may snap back, placing you in a position that you do not want to be in.
The power to control the band
This is similar to the preceding advice, but it differs somewhat in that it serves as a technical cue. If I am teaching someone how to execute a band pull apart and I see that they are attempting to lock out their elbows towards the conclusion of the action, I will urge them to maintain control of their elbow rather than locking it out completely. Nonetheless, if I see them frantically swinging the band about, I will advise them to regain control of the band and not allow it to smack them around. They are both based on the same notion, but they are used in different ways to address distinct problems.
In general, you should move slowly and deliberately through all of your workout routines. Instead of letting the band dominate you, take command of the situation.
Just take a breath
Breathing is one of those very easy things that, if done properly, may have a significant influence on your training, but which is often overlooked by most people. Because the activity itself is not very difficult, band training is an excellent opportunity to concentrate on your breathing. While executing your workouts, make an effort to breathe evenly. Before beginning the repeat, take a deep breath in and then exhale during the more challenging concentric part of the repetition. You should only be holding your breath for a small period of time during the eccentric part of the repetition, and that should only be done on the most extreme lifts. However, banded training is an excellent opportunity to rehearse how you are going to breathe throughout the repetition.
Do you believe that water and food are essential? You may go for days without water and weeks without food if you do not eat or drink. However, how long can you survive without oxygen?
Are you in bad form? Is there no resistance?
Once you are familiar with the exercises without the band, add the Resistance Band to complete the workout. The only exception to this rule is if you are unable to complete an activity effectively because the correct muscles are not activating at the appropriate time. Use your own judgment here, but do not get carried away with increasing resistance when your form is not completely dialed in first.
It is all about activation
It is not necessary to do activation merely before beginning your training session. There are those days when you could be going through a push-up routine and you might have problems identifying your pectorals. What you should do is take a minute to pause and do 20 repetitions of chest flys with a resistance band. You are not attempting to exhaust your chest; rather, you are attempting to locate the innervation of that muscle in order for it to activate effectively while you are benching weights. Flossing the nerve is another term for this procedure.
High reps
In the whole history of band instruction, no one has ever reached their “maximum capacity” with a band. No one, at least not anybody with a half-decent intellect, believes this. If you are trying to pack as many bands into your set as possible, you are missing the purpose. The band should just be tight enough for the muscle to contract appropriately. That is the ultimate purpose of band training. Make use of a band that enables you to complete sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with just MILD exhaustion on the last set of the workout.
Make each your own
By the time you graduate to a bigger band, the thinner one should feel featherweight. Only after you are able to finish many sets of 10 to 15 repetitions with ease will you be promoted to the next level band of difficulty.
Perfect position
Do you remember your mother telling you to stand up straight when you were a child? She was not exaggerating. Make sure you do not slouch or get sloppy while you are training.
Actually, you should never slouch or be sloppy at any time. It is critical to maintaining proper body alignment throughout all exercises, but it is extremely critical during band training, for the simple reason that we are essentially attempting to teach body alignment. In several major lifts, it is acceptable to employ body “English” and to cheat a bit on the lifts themselves. Hell, it is even required from time to time. Although we are attempting to account for and remedy the damage that we are causing elsewhere in the gym, it is vital that we pay attention to our body as a whole unit, train with perfect form, and for Christ’s sake stand up straight when doing band training exercises.
