Fun with Resistance Band Circuit Training

Recently someone asked me if I had any ideas about an exercise routine they could do with their resistance bands.  I was surprised that this was a subject that I had not covered yet but was excited for the new idea.  Resistance bands are super easy for travel, at-home workouts and even circuit training when you're crunched for time.  They are a great tool to use for lighter resistance and higher repetitions.  Bands comes in all different styles and thicknesses.  I recommend investing in a few different thicknesses of bands so you have some variety in 'weight' for your workout.  The band that I used for my workout is made by Power Systems and is long enough to be wrapped around an anchor point.  It also has an attachment that you can close into a door and it will stay.  Bands are typically pretty inexpensive and depending on how often you use them, they should last you a good amount of time. 

The workout I designed would work well as a timed circuit.  This means that you complete one set of each exercise for a set amount of time and then start over at the beginning.  I recommend doing three sets of each exercise performing each exercise for one minute with a 20-30 second rest in between to get yourself set up for the next exercise.

Your workout will consist of seven exercises:

Using a tree as an anchor point:

Chest Press

Chest Flies

Squat to a High Row (not pictured)

Using your foot as an anchor point:

Squat to a Overhead Shoulder Press

Bicep Curls

Reverse Flies

Single Arm Tricep Extensions

CHEST PRESS: Wrap the band around the tree and face away from the tree to start with one foot in front of the other.  It doesn't matter what foot you have in front...whichever you prefer is just fine.  Contrary to my picture, the band should be at chest height to start, my band is a little lower than it should be though i was still able to complete the exercise with correct form.  The starting position for your hands is palms facing eachother.  As you press the band forward, your palms will turn down towards the ground keeping your arms at chest height.  As you come back to your starting position, your palms will end by facing one another once again.  Remember for each exercise that exhalations are performed when the exercise is difficult and inhalations are performed when the exercise is easier.  For example, the press forward is the hard part so you'll exhale and inhale as your hands return back to their starting position.

CHEST FLIES:  You will begin in the exact position as the chest press with your palms facing one another and your feet in a split stance.  Again, the band should be at chest height and not quite as low as the picture shows.  Begin the exercise by extending both arms straight out in front of you at chest height with your palms facing one another.  Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, (not 180 degrees and not 90 degrees but somewhere right in between those two angles) you are going to extend your arms to the sides until they are in line with your body.  Press your palms back towards your starting position and repeat.

SQUAT TO A HIGH PULL

I failed to download this photo but you can always refer back to previous posts if you're confused on form.  This will be the only exercise where you will be facing the tree.  Feet will be shoulder width apart and your arms will be extended in front of you at chest height.  You will perform a squat with a good form...push that booty back and let your weight shift back into your heels not letting your knees cross the planes of your toes.  Keep your arms outstretched until you begin to stand.  As you stand, you are going to pull the band back towards you with your elbows high squeezing your shoulder blades together.  Your arms will end at a 90 degree angle.  As you begin to extend your arms back, you will perform your next squat and repeat this full body exercise. 

SQUAT TO AN OVERHEAD SHOULDER PRESS

Start with your feet shoulder width apart with the band underneath each foot.  You have control on the resistance you're up against by how tight the band is when you step on it.  If you need to make the resistance easier, simply give the band some slack and then step onto it.  The exercise is performed similiar to the last exercise but instead of a row you will perform an overhead shoulder press.  Start by performing a squat with your hands at your shoulders and palms facing in front of you.  As you stand from your squat you're going to press the band up overhead and repeat by dropping your hands back to your shoulders while performing your next squat.

BICEP CURLS

Start in the same position as the squat press with the same rules applying when it comes to how much resistance you can handle.  Palms will be facing away from your body and you're just going to curl the band up to your shoulders with your elbows staying close to your body and then return back to your starting position.

REVERSE FLIES

Grab the band with both hands holding it out in front of you about shoulder width apart.  You can adjust the resistance if necessary by giving yourself a little more slack between your hands.  Pull the band at chest height until your arms are fully outstretched at your sides and squeeze your shoulder blades at the end of your exercise.  Bring your hands back to their starting position and repeat.

 

SINGLE ARM TRICEP EXTENSIONS

Step on the band with one foot giving yourself the appropriate resistance.  Since we are doing one arm at a time, feel free to switch arms at the 30 second mark.  Bring your arm up overhead and hinge at your elbow keeping it nice and close to your ear the entire time.  Palm will be facing up to start the exercise and just press the band up until your arm is extended and lower back down to your starting position.  Your elbow should stay high the entire exericse.

Like I said before, perform each exercise for one minute doing as many reps as you can with correct form in that time.  Give yourself 20-30 seconds in between each exercise.  Try to perform one set of each exercise before taking a longer break before you start your next full circuit.  I plan on doing another band workout post in the near future so have fun with this one and stay tuned for more band excitement.

Let's Work It Out Smarter.

Doesn't everyone want to work smarter not harder?  Well I can help you accomplish that...though you'll still have to work hard.  Full body exercises give you a little more bang for your buck because they work more than one muscle group at a time.  Though I know most exercises do this, full body exercises take it one step farther by basically combining two exercises and making them one tough set.  You will tend to feel a quicker fatigue when performing these combinations but it will be very effective as long as proper form, breathing and focus are all working together.  With that said I would like to apologize for the lack of proper footwear in my photos.  I always wear shoes when I work out but was taking full advantage of this beautiful day with a pair of flip flops and failed to bring shoes with me.
 
So here are the exercises I combined to make them into a full body, get your heart rate up and get you tired exercise. 

 
Kettlebell Sumo Squat High Pull

Target muscle groups: Quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, traps, shoulders.  (There are many other muscles all of these exercises work, I will keep it simple and just name the primary targets.)
 
Feet should be wider than your hips with your toes pointed out to the side as if you were going to do a plié.  As you squat down, drive your knees towards your toes.  Don't let your knees dip towards the middle.  One way to keep this form is to think about pushing through the outside of your shoe as you stand from your squat.  The kettlebell will be in both hands to start with your arms straight.  As you squat down and start to stand, lead with your elbows and pull the kettlebell towards your chin.  Repeat this exercise.

Kettlebell Swing

Target muscle groups: hamstrings, quads, glutes, shoulders, heart. (When I say heart, I mean it will be a cardiovascular exercise as well as a strength exercise)

Start in just about the same position as the sumo squat but bring your feet in a little closer together and your toes can be facing forward.  Think about your hips being a hinge throughout this exercise.  You should never try to control the kettlebell with your upper body but rather use the momentum of the swing to keep the exercise going.  I always tell my clients to keep their chest up which will help them from putting more pressure on their lower back.  Start with the KB hanging down and push your hips back with a slight bend in your knees.  Keep your neck in line with your spine.  As you swing the KB forward (swinging it only until it is parallel with the ground) throw your hips forward and squeeze your glutes together.  As the KB swings back down keep your chest high and push your hips back to get ready for the next swing.  Repeat this exercise.

Reverse Lunge with a Lateral Raise

Target muscle groups: quads, hamstrings, glutes, deltoids.

I have taught both of these exercises in previous posts but I will review them for you.  Start with dumbbells at your sides and take an oversized step backwards.  Keeping good posture, drop your back knee towards the ground without allowing your knee of the front leg to pass the plane of your toe.  Step your feet back to their starting positions and raise the dumbbells out to the sides until their are parallel with the ground.  If you want an added challenge, instead of waiting to raise them when you are back to standing you can raise them when you are down in the lunge position.  Repeat this exercise.

Sit Up with a Front Raise

Target muscle groups: core, shoulders.

Using just one dumbbell, lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  As you begin to roll your body up to a seat position the dumbbell will be out in front of you.  Once you are in your seated position raise the dumbbell overhead and then slowly and in a controlled manner, roll yourself back down until you're laying on your back.  Repeat this exercise.





Dumbbell Bicep Curl and Shoulder Press

Target muscle groups: biceps, shoulders

Start with the dumbbells at your sides and then curl them up to your shoulders.  Your palms can face each other throughout the entire exercise.  Press the dumbbells over head and bring them back down to your shoulders.  Reverse curl them back to your starting position.  Repeat this exercise.

When performing this exercises, try to get at least 12-15 repetitions in and two to three sets depending on how much time you have.  Use a weight that gets progressively more challenging the last three to five reps.   Like I said before, remember to keep proper form, always breath while lifting weights and last but not least have some fun burning those calories and getting stronger. 

Nothing Like A Good Snack..

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.  I'm so lucky to have such wonderful women in my life especially my mom.  I wouldn't be the healthy and active person I am today without her in my life.  What better gift than a yoga mat for her on this beautiful day :)

After a wonderful day celebrating,  I spent quite a while in the kitchen preparing meals for the week.  There's nothing better than having that all done and just having to worry about grabbing and going.  If I don't take the time to do this, I tend to spend a lot of extra money buying food on the fly when I already spent plenty on groceries that would last me the whole week. 

Good wholesome snacks are what get me through days where I don't have much time for anything but work.  I try to pack 'real food' snacks for myself to ensure I'm making healthy choices throughout the day.  When I say real foods, I mean foods in which I know every ingredient in them...I can spell them, pronounce them etc.  The more processed the food, the more likely you're going to see more ingredients that are hard if not impossible to pronounce.  How do you know what is actually in something and how it effects you if you don't even know what it is.  So many aisles in the grocery store are stocked up with food that is processed with additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners that are not good for your body.

So I've compiled a list of good snacks ideas to help you stay full and keep you fueled throughout your busy days.

• banana or apple with 2 tbsp. natural peanut butter (peanut butter should have two ingredients, peanuts and salt.)
• 1 serving of carrots and cucumbers with 2 tbsp. hummus. 
• 1/4 c. mixed nuts and 1/4 c. raisins (make sure the only ingredients are salt and the different kinds of nuts in the package)
• Larabar (only if you're in a hurry.  I like the cashew cookie or peanut butter cookie...the only ingredients being dates and the nuts)
• hard boiled eggs
• 2 rice cakes with 2 tbsp. peanut butter...if you have a sweet tooth, you can add some honey
• 1 serving cooked edamame.

Now get in the kitchen and get those meals prepared for the week.  I promise you a smoother, less stressful week if you decide to do so.  Besides my lovely snacks, I have baked cod, salsa chicken made in the crockpot, tabouli and portabella mushrooms mixed in spaghetti sauce with quinoa or bulgur instead of pasta on my menu.  Be creative, mix it up and be a food label reader this week :)