If you've ever been shot in the arm with a rubber band from across a room, you know how much that little piece of flexible stretchy string can sting!
Likewise, if you've ever really used a resistance band to its full potential, you know that it can whip your Badass. I used resistance bands with three clients in the past week, and midway through each session they all had the same reaction: Wow. These are really hard.
Yes, they can be! They're also cheap, easy-to-store, and portable - proof, yet again, that you don't need big fancy machines to sculpt and strengthen your physique.
The bands are color-coded, each color an indication of how much resistance they provide. In other words, some stretch easier than others, and some stretch very little - making them more challenging (or "heavier," in free weight dumbbell terms). All you need are a few bands in different resistances, and you've got the tools for a mighty little workout.
So, Badass Army, find the resistance bands at your gym or buy your own, and add these moves to your arsenal! You can do the following as a circuit, and then repeat once or twice depending on how much time and mojo you're feelin'.
Badass Bands Bonanza
Shoulder Press: Stand on the middle of the band with both feet, positioning them hip width apart. Grab the handles, palms facing out. Raise arms to 90 degrees. From there, press up. 20 reps.
Squat and Press: With feet positioned the same as the shoulder press, and still holding the handles with palms facing out, drop into a squat. Press up as you come up out of the squat. 20 reps.
One-Armed Triceps Extension: With your right foot on the center of the band, and the right handle in your right hand, position your upper arm and elbow near your right ear and your forearm reaching down toward the center of your back. Squeezing the tricep, raise your forearm up, then slowly lower it back down. Keep your elbow and upper arm as close to your right ear as possible. Do 15 reps. Switch sides, stepping on the band with the left foot as you work the left tricep. Do 15 reps.
Deadlift with Row: Stand on the middle of the band with both feet, positioning them hip width apart. Cross the handles of the band so that the left handle is in your right hand, and right handle in left hand. You want your back in a straight, flat line, with knees 'soft,' or bent slightly.
From standing position, deadlift and row: Put the chest out and slide the shoulder blades down to keep the shoulders from hunching or rounding forward. As you lower the chest toward the floor, keep your gaze ahead. As soon as the handles come just below your knees, come back up and squeeze the glutes. At the same time as you come up, pull the handles back into a row, squeezing the shoulder blades and lats together. Do 20 reps.
Wide pull-ups: With your foot still stepping on the center of the band, turn the handles of the band so that your palms are facing your legs. With your arms wide, pull up, leading with your elbows and squeezing your upper back together as you come up. 20 reps.
Side biceps side curls: Step on the center of the band with right foot, and grab one end of the band in each hand. Rotate your hands out to the sides and, starting with arms at about 90 degrees, curl up. 20 reps.
Hammer curls: Rotate your arms to the front, still holding the ends of the band in each hand. With palms facing each other, curl up. 20 reps.
Coming tomorrow: The Incredible, Edible Egg. The perfect food for a lean Badass, in an affordable-and-less-than-100-calories package!