As more and more of the population opt to 'self-isolate' and practise 'social distancing' from friends, family and the gym, home workouts are becoming an increasingly common option for those looking to stay fit (and sane). I am going to recommend five exercises you can do from home with JUST A BAND.
Everyone is in a unique situation. Therefore, it is important to find out exactly what are your goals, motivations and driving forces. This sets the foundations of any programme because adherence and consistency produce results, not a single workout.
These are just 5 exercises, that will help people :
- Sitting down for long periods of time
- Less active than usual
- Losing motivation
'Discipline is doing what you hate to do, but nonetheless doing it like you love it.'
Now, some of us are fortunate to have a gym set up at home which is great! But for those that are with just an exercise mat and band - there is still lots of exercises, variations and techniques on to develop strength. Have you ever felt the burning sensation of using resistance bands? Thats all the muscles being recruited to stimulate strength adaptations. The best part - you control the tension. This has also been backed up by research, suggesting training with resistance bands over a 7 week block of training, show meaningful contributions to developing both lower and upper body strength.
Below are 5 resistance band exercises to help you move , feel and perform better:
Banded Deadlift
The banded deadlift has a posterior chain focus. Sitting for a long time can lead to underactive glute muscles and this exercise can be used to strengthen the hamstring, glute and back muscles.
Banded High Row
Sat on your desk working for long periods of time? It happens to all of us, the shoulders fall fowards and we loose strength in our postures and can affect our lower backs. This exercise helps to increase your scapular strength while maintaining a neutral spine.
Banded Glute Bridge
As well as our shoulders, long period seated positions can also be detrimental to our glute activation which can affect performance in many ways through loading other joints (hip, knee & ankle) over time and increasing injury risk. This exercise creates more tension with the band to recruit our largest muscle in our body (gluteus maximus).
Banded Push Up
Finding traditional push ups too easy? Or struggling to find something in-between full and kneeling? The band is your answer! Time under tension and technique maintaining a neutral spine and retracting the elbows backwards at around 45 degress is key for improving this exercise.
Banded Pull Through
The Banded Pull Through is a great full body exercise, hinge focused to generate power from the glutes whilst also recruiting CORE muscles through hip extension.
These are 5 fundamental resistance band exercises to add into your routine. However, your lifestyle, nutrition, sleep and stress habits all play apart in optimising your health during this period. Now, it is more important than ever to be getting the fundamentals right to boost your immunity, strength and mind.
How my personalised remote coaching can help you on your journey today:
• Take the uncertainty out of your programming by knowing exactly where you’re headed and what to do next
• Be held accountable by your coach, who will also motivate you
• Get nutritional guidance as well as support for sleep, stress, and overall health and well-being
• Feel seen and understood as your coach reviews your results and checks in with you regularly
• Enjoy an engaging, challenging programme created just for you!
Phil McCoy
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