Dec 19, 2017
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Band Workouts

Every morning, whether I’ve made an exercise plan or not, right when I get up I slip out of my PJs and into workout clothes. For some reason already having them on makes it SO much easier to prioritize fitness into my day.
Here are some quick (but hard!) moves you can do anytime, anywhere in your house. Waiting for cookies to bake? Do some kickbacks. Going up the stairs? Bring your knee up to your chest with each step. Sometimes I’ll just wear my resistance band around the house for an hour and slip in some moves wherever I can. Here are some of my top 5 favorites:

Standing Kickbacks

  • Stand in front of a wall, countertop, or chair for balance with feet shoulder-width apart.

  • Place mini band band right above your ankles.
  • Lift your right leg behind you, keeping the leg straight. Remember to squeeze your glutes as you lift.
  • Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion ten times. Switch sides and repeat.
  • Try to do 3-4 sets per day.

*Variation: you can also do these while lifting your legs to the side. This will hit your abductors.

Lateral Side Step

  • Place your mini band just above your ankles.

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees.
  • Step out to the right, then bring left foot to right, and side step so you’re feeling the resistance.
  • After 10 steps, switch directions and start with your left foot.
  • Stay as low as you can the entire time! Aim for 3-4 sets of 10 per side.

Because I’m always short on time, I love exercises that target more than one muscle group at once. These bottom three are brilliant for hitting abs and legs/glutes.

Plank Kickback

  • Place your mini band around your thighs (just above the knee), and get into a plank position.

  • Lift your right leg, keeping your leg straight, as high as you can.
  • Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion ten times. Switch sides and repeat!
  • Try to get 3-4 sets in.

Glute Bridge Hold

  • Place your mini band just above your knees, and lie on your back with your knees bent.

  • Lift your hips, squeeze glutes, and hold.
  • Lower your hips and repeat the motion.
  • Try to do 3-4 sets of 20 reps each. For extra credit have your legs raised onto something like a low coffee table. You’ll feel the burn even more!

Bicycle Ab Crunches

  • Place your mini band around your feet.

  • Lie on the floor and place your hands behind your head while simultaneously lifting your upper back and legs from the ground.
  • Bicycle your legs back and forth to mimic a pedaling motion while pulling in abs and turning your elbows to face the leg with the bent knee.
  • Do as many as you can till you burn out completely. Then repeat 2 more times!

Thanks to dynaprodirect.com where I grabbed these images and moves from! They have a bunch more on their site that are awesome. I’m currently loving this resistance band  (super challenging) But if you’re just starting out or want different levels, you might like a set of bands like THESE BANDS that come with a variety of resistance levels so you can work your way up.

Happy banding! 🙂

Xo, Jenna

PS: Here some YouTube videos that have great band moves as well:

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