Gyms are all about one-upping each other with fancy equipment and big machines. And what's not to love about trying new stuff and using the best of the best to build a better Badass!?
But sometimes we don't have as much time as we'd like to get to the gym. For others, the monthly membership fee isn't feasible. Or maybe working out solo in the comforts of home is what you prefer.
Well, fear not, Badass Army! Because as great as a well-stocked gym is for working out, you can build a lot of strength and sculpt that body with minimal equipment.
I got an e-mail this week from Matt here in Florida: "I don't have much space in my house, so I don't have a lot of workout equipment - but I do have a pull-up bar and a set of resistance bands. Do you have any suggestions for a good circuit workout with resistance bands?"
Answer: Hell, yeah, Matt!
The pullup bar and bands are just about the most space-efficient workout "tools" around, and among the most versatile.
With the pullup bar, you can do wide-grip pull ups with palms forward for your back, especially your lats. (shown at right in my gym, but the movement and form are the same with a home pullup bar). You can flip your hands and pull up to get more biceps work, along with a SexyBack.
Narrow the grip to target your biceps even more. And do hanging knee raises and leg raises to sculpt your six-pack.
The resistance bands are even better. Biceps, triceps, inner and outer thighs, glutes, hamstrings -- the smaller round bands and the longer bands with handles at either end can make all those muscles burn.
So here's a routine that packs a big punch with small, simple equipment. I'm incorporating the bands and bar with exercises like pushups and squats that use your body weight -- also the simplest, but among the best, pieces of "equipment" for strength-building! Warm up for about 5 minutes with a jog, a light cycle, jumping jacks or whatever cardio you prefer.
Do this one from start to finish, and then repeat once or twice more depending on how much time you have and how your Badass feels after round 2.
Shannon's Simply Badass Routine
1. Wide-grip pullups (as shown above right): Pull up slowly and with control, your gaze level or slightly lifted. Feel your shoulder blades and lats squeeze as you come up. Slowly lower back down, for 8 to 15 reps depending on your strength and how long you've been working at pullups. The last two to three reps should feel very challenging.
2. Pushups on the ground: Bust out 20 to 25 pushups. Hands are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. (Girls and boys, try to do as many of these as you can boy-style, as shown at left. When you fatigure, drop to your knees but keep going until you finish the set.)
3. Hanging abs: Get up on the pullup bar, palms facing inward and grip shoulder width apart. Let your legs hang and steady yourself. Now slowly raise the knees, curling them toward your navel. Slowly lower back down for a total of 15 to 20. For an extra challenge, do this gripping a 5- to 8-pound dumbbell between your feet.
4. 50 jumping jacks.
5. Narrow-grip pushups: Position hands so that your elbows are at your sides, and hands are slightly narrower than shoulder width. Do 20 to 25 reps. You should feel this in your triceps.
6. Another set of hanging abs, 15 to 20 reps.
7. Side squats with resistance: Wrap a short round resistance band around your ankles. Position your feet into a squat position, hip width apart. Your feet should stay at this width the entire time. Now step your left foot out wider, to the left, and squat. Step your right foot to the left so that your feet are in the original squat position. Keep stepping to the left and letting your right leg follow. The goal is to keep stepping and squatting with tension in the band. Go 10 steps to the left, and then do the same sequence back toward the right. (The leg movement and squat position is what you see pictured below right, but instead of the plate your resistance comes with the band)
8. Outer thigh/glutes sculptor: Wrap the short round resistance band around your ankles. Stand next to a chair or anything you can grip for balance. Slowly and with control, raise your right leg out to the side about 45 degrees, until you feel the tension on the band increase. Lower your leg and repeat 20 times. Now repeat with the left leg 20 times.
9. 20 hanging abs, followed immediately by 10 pullups - your choice of narrow or wide grip.
10. Biceps curl: Using a long resistance band with handlebars at either end (the blue one pictire above), place right foot on the middle of the band to keep it in place. Now slowly curl up, doing a standard bicep curl, for 20 reps. Immediately switch to 20 reps of outer bicep curls (your elbows are at your sides and your forearms are out to the side. Curl up and down, moving only the forearms and locking those elbows to your side.
11. 50 jumping jacks.
Now do your second (and maybe third) round, and stretch when you're done!
Well, I think that's a strong way to end a week. And what a week it's been! Enjoy your weekends, and I'd love to hear about any races and competitions you're doing and training for!
Coming next week: An SOS for cravings, a Badass Foodie delivery, and the three exercises I'd take with me on a desert island!