Resistance Band Workouts

Are you trying to build a toned physique? With the average cost of a gym membership hovering around $500 per year, getting fit can seem like a costly investment that might not be in your budget. The good news is that there are inexpensive and effective ways to reach your fitness goals, and there's one piece of equipment that can fit in a space no larger than a shoebox: resistance bands.

Resistance bands are your best bet to get in shape. Ready to get started? Keep reading to learn how you can create the perfect body with a resistance band workout plan!

What Are Resistance Bands?

Resistance bands are elastic bands of varying thicknesses that provide outside resistance to give you a complete workout. You don't have to lug around a heavy set of weights or invest in expensive nautilus equipment. With resistance bands, you get a portable piece of workout equipment that can be stored under your bed.

Resistance bands come in many sizes and thicknesses, and you can purchase handles to attach to them for a more comfortable workout experience. The best part about resistance bands? You won't spend a fortune!

To get started with resistance band training, you need to commit to a handful of exercises to tone your upper and lower body. It's easy to get moving!

Work Your Lower Body

You use your legs every day, so give your leg muscles a boost. Do these exercises as part of your workout routine, and you'll start to feel stronger after the first week!

Try Some Squats

When it comes to sculpting your lower body, squats are the perfect exercise. They give your hamstrings and quads — as well as your bottom — a good workout. They also lend themselves to resistance band training.

To get started, stand with your legs apart and anchor the center of your resistance band beneath your feet. Hold onto the handles with your arms apart, and lift your arms until you can feel the resistance from the bands. Then squat — as if you're trying to sit in a chair — and stand back up to complete the exercise motion.

Doing squats on a regular basis will make climbing the stairs — or a mountain — a much easier experience!

Move To Some Kickbacks

With glute kickbacks, you wrap the band around your ankles while standing upright. Then try to kick one leg back while you place all of your weight on the lower leg. If you feel some tension in your hamstrings (the backside of your leg), that's because you're working them each time you extend that leg backward!

Round It Out With Some Leg Lifts

Lie down on your side and tie the bands around your ankles. Keep your upper body elevated (rest it on your elbow and arm). Then lift the leg on top as high as you can.

If it's hard to do this, you're doing it right! Leg lifts are a good way to get your hip-adductor muscles in shape. And remember that with any of these exercises, keep your movements slow and methodical.

Sculpt Your Upper Body

To complete your workout routine, be sure to strengthen your upper body, too. A few quick workouts will get the job done.

Try Some Fly Exercises

Fly exercises can help give you the toned chest that you want. And you can do an exercise that looks similar to a traditional bench press done with dumbbells.

Lie down on your back on a bench. Secure the resistance band behind your back and grip the handles. Then push your arms up and away from your chest, keeping them straight as you do so.

With this exercise, your pecs and delts get a good workout. You'll be on your way to a defined chest that's perfect for the beach!

Curl Those Biceps

Just like with lower-body squats, you'll want to stand with your legs apart and the band secured beneath your feet. Hold onto the handles with your hands at your side. Then lift the bands, flexing at the elbow.

You'll strengthen your biceps with each motion simply by using the resistance of the band!

Don't Forget Your Triceps

If you exercise your biceps, it's important to exercise the complementary muscles: triceps. To do this, assume the same stance that you did with the biceps to get started.

The difference with this exercise is that you'll lean forward slightly and hold the bands in front of you, elbow slightly bent. Then you'll swing your lower arm back while keeping your elbow and upper arm steady. By exercising your triceps, you can eliminate the wobble on the backside of your arm in no time!

Ways to Elevate Intensity in a Resistance Band Workout Plan

When you reach a point where an exercise seems too easy, it's important to be able to notch up the intensity without investing in a bunch of new equipment. With resistance bands, you can do that!

Color-coded bands assign different colors to different levels of resistance, so you can track your progress and move up a level without any hassle. Just grab another set of bands. The upper-level bands tend to be thicker, so your muscles will feel it as you progress.

You also can increase the number of repetitions that you do in a given exercise to enhance the level of difficulty and build more muscle. When you move from a set of 10 bicep curls to a set of 20, you're going to notice the resistance.

Get Toned!

A resistance band workout plan is one of the easiest ways to get toned with limited resources. You don't need to chew up a lot of space or dig into your bank account — you can build the perfect beach body with a simple routine of key exercises. All you have to do is commit to getting in shape.

When you're ready to take your fitness regiment to the next level, contact us and we can help you find what you need!