Fitness Friday

This Friday, I want to share a resistance workout that can be done right in your very own home with one lightweight piece of equipment. 

• Resistance bands cost between $10-$20 dollars and are one of the most versatile training tools you can invest in to tone your entire body
• They're portable, so you can take them with you when you travel to get a quick work out in the comfort of your own hotel room
• Resistance bands are easy to use and provide a great workout for all levels of fitness

Here is a simple beginner level workout that tones upper and lower body.  You can adjust the level of difficulty by purchasing a tighter band or by following the modifications listed below.


Upper Body
Do (2) sets of 12 repetitions of each of the follow exercises:

• Bicep curls (see model in orange for demo)
• Keeping elbows tight to your sides, drive the wrists upward toward the shoulder in a slow, resisted motion
• Level I- one foot
• Level II- two feet
• Level III- two feet, hip width apart

• Overhead Tricep extension (see model in red  for demo)

• Grabbing band with both hands, wrap band around wrists to create a shorter band with appropriate resistance
• Bring both hands behind your back. Bending at the elbows, keep one arm low and close to your back while bringing the other up overhead and bent at the elbow
• Keeping your shoulder steady and your arm tight close in toward your ear, slowly extend your wrist upward until the arm is straight overhead

• Lat Pull Down (See model in white)
• Begin with band overhead, arms slightly further than shoulder width apart
• You may want to wrap the band around your wrists once or twice to create more reistance
• Keeping the shoulders steady and the wrists strong, slowly increase the distance between your hand while bringing the band down towards the chest, finishing with the band stretched with your arms fully extended

• Chest Press (see purple for demo)
• Loop band around a sturdy object or around your back
• Adjust your resistance by wrapping the band around your wrists, decreasing the lenght of the band and creating more tension
• Keeping your wrists strong, slowly press forward and entend the arms while bringing the hands closer together. Maintain a slight bend at the elbow

Lower Body
Do (2) sets of 12 repetition of each of the follow exercises:

• Outer Thigh hip abduction (see model in green)
• Stand with both feet on top of band, lift on leg up while balancing on the opposite leg
• Concentrate on extending the outside of the foot up towards the ceiling in a slow, controlled motion

• Hamstring curls (see model in pink)

• Loop handle of resistance band around one foot and step on the other end of the band with opposite foot
• Adjust resistance by dreasing the length of the band
• Focus on driving the heel of the foot backwards and pushing through the back of the legs and glutes

• Resisted Squats (See light blue)

• Begin with both feet inside the band
• Level I- feet close together
• Level II- feet shoulder width apart
• Bending at the knees, slowly squat down focusing on driving the glutes back like you are sitting in a chair

• Glute Kick-backs (See model in red below)
• Come down onto all fours, keeping the hands in line with you shoulders
• Loop band around one foot and grab handles
• Balancing on all fours, concentrate on extending the one leg out straight, pushing through the glutes