DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE RESISTANCE BAND.
Resistance bands are amazing.
IMO, they are the most undervalued equipment and best kept secret in the fitness market. You can get a complete pack for 15 dollars, and it’s like purchasing an entire at-home gym that can be easily stored in a basket or drawer. If I can fit resistance bands in my postage stamp apartment, then anyone can.
Resistance bands are also a great way to practice form and strengthen your muscles without compromising your joints. They hit a huge range of muscles to get that #definition, and BEST PART, you can do all your resistance band workouts ~~~*AT HOME*~~~
If this post were a musical, NOW is the time where I would break into a ballad about resistance bands that would finish with a #killer key change, but alas, it’s a blog and I do not have a chorus.
……. #athlete
Look man, when I first wanted to get strong, I was confused. Dazed. Wandering. LOST. But one day, I had a stroke of luck and discovered resistance bands.
Prior to getting down with heavy weights at a gym, I spent a solid FOUR MONTHS doing exclusively resistance band workouts. I didn’t start using them with the intent of committing to a consistent resistance band routine, but the workouts were quick enough to do over my lunch break, I felt strong when I used the bands, and it was the first time I had ever observed my body looking physically stronger which kept me motivated and coming back. Plus, because I wasn’t doing HIIT and cardio all the time, the inflammation in my body was going down, making me feel so much better inside and out. I distinctly remember C insisting on taking a picture of my arms at brunch one morning, about two months into my resistance band workouts, to show me my new muscles.
It didn’t take long before my manly man C was doing resistance band workouts with me 😊
I still use resistance bands all the time. And I mean, ALL THE TIME. The very nature of the band allows progression as your muscles get stronger (extending the band further, increasing resistance), and they’re great for increasing flexibility. Oh and bonus, they’re great for traveling! Another benefit of starting with resistance band workouts was that by the time I was ready to go back to a gym, I felt stronger and more confident which made it more fun to be at the gym.
NOT EVEN SPONSORED (lol) I JUST LOVE EM SO MUCH OKAY? Okay.
So let’s get you going, shall we? 😊
First, order these bands from Amazon. They’re FIFTEEN DOLLARS. Friends, I have spent more money than that on a beer. Don’t mess around with the pretty sets or the influencer branded beauties. Trust me, I KNOW they’re tempting, but stay strong.
15 to 20 MINUTES
If you’re completely new to working out, or you’ve been without a routine for some time, start by committing to your new band babies 15 minutes a day three days a week (we’ll get into scaling below as you advance/if you’re already advanced). Please, PLEASE, take out a pen right now and write in the days and times you will be doing your fifteen minutes workouts. If you’re not a morning person, don’t schedule them for 6am. If you come home from work exhausted, don’t write them in for 6pm. Find a time when you’ll actually show up, write it on a post-it or your notes app. Hang that post-it somewhere easy to reference. Or send it to me and I’ll hunt you down to find out if you’re sticking to it 😊
Okay so you’ve got your bands and you’ve got your minutes. Now let’s get you a workout!
There will be three progressions to the first phase of this series: beginner, intermediate, and advanced (Round 1 and Round 2). At the end of this post, you’ll be able to click on an option to get your PDF download to create/track your workouts (either on your phone or you can print out a physical copy).
The resistance bands will be used in an EMOM workout format. If you don’t know what an EMOM workout is (I didn’t) click here for an explanation.
Now unless you’re TOTALLY new to working out (S/O to you and this exciting step if you are!!) I would like to challenge you to set up your own workouts using the PDF downloads as templates. The reasoning behind this is as follows: 1.) You know your body best, 2.) You know your goals best, and 3.) Remember that I’m trying to set you up for LIFE here and creating your own workouts is a v important skill!! If you have weak triceps, maybe you should incorporate two triceps-focused moves into arm day instead of one. If your triceps are jacked out of their minds, maybe you should (stop showing off, you muscley beast) leave out triceps-focused moves altogether.
Don’t worry, I have provided some pre-populated templates for those of you who want to start with a little more guidance.
Almost all resistance bands that you buy will come with a guide of different moves that you can perform with the bands. In addition, I’ve provided a list of some of my favorite resistance band/body weight moves for each progression. To get started, click on your progression below! If you’re not sure which one to start with, feel free to shoot me a DM, and I can help you figure it out.
