It can be all too easy for us to build up a bank of excuses for why we can’t exercise, like not having the right equipment or having the right time to get in a full workout. However, sometimes all you need is a resistance band and just 30 minutes to add a good body pump to your day.
Don’t forget, even little things like good music can totally change your motivation and desire to exercise. Many people rely on wearing a pair of the best workout headphones summary to keep them inspired while they work out.
Once you’ve changed into your workout clothes and you’ve heard some good beats in your ears, you just need to get your hands on a long resistance band to work on. Fortunately, you’ll find our guide to some of the best resistance bands you have longer options available, and even better, these workout bands are some of the most affordable workout gear you can get.
fitness Instructor, Julia Reppel (opens in a new tab), will walk you through each exercise and show you how to target your upper body, core, and lower body muscles using just one resistance band. There are three levels to choose from per exercise. If you find a movement significantly more difficult, simply choose the level with the fewest repetitions and continue to focus on maintaining good form.
This is an EMOM (every minute on the minute) style of training, so if you’re not sure which level to choose, Reppel advises: “Make sure you choose a rep level (top right on screen) that allows around of 10 s of rest per minute.
Watch Julia Reppel’s 30-Minute Resistance Band Workout
The great thing about many of these exercises is that they mimic many popular weightlifting movements. For example, exercises like shrugs, one-arm rows, deadlifts, and good mornings are great for promoting muscle growth and building strength. Anyone who has sustained an injury or anyone new to resistance training can benefit from doing these moves with a training band, rather than weights, to build core strength.
Graduating weightlifting into your training isn’t the ultimate goal for everyone. Studies, such as this article published in the SAGE open medicine (opens in a new tab) journal, have even concluded that “resistance training with elastic devices provides similar strength gains compared to resistance training performed with conventional devices.”
If you hit a plateau in your resistance band training, you should try to increase the resistance level or the number of repetitions. Is named progressive overload and it’s an effective way to keep challenging your muscles and increasing your strength.
This same method can be applied to resistance workouts that only use your body weight to work, like these bodyweight exercises for shoulders.