Some thoughts and discussions from me.

I live approximately 90 seconds walking-distance away from my gym. There should be no excuse as to why I can’t make it there.

But just because there’s no excuse to why I can’t make it there, there’s sometimes excuses for when I don’t want to work out there. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a great gym. Awesome people, new equipment, lots of room, and super clean. But sometimes I just want to workout alone, wearing what I want to wear, without all of the equipment, and without saying a word to anyone.

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^needs that shirt

I work out at the same gym that I train clients at, so a 45 minute workout always turns into 15-30 extra minutes of chatting it up. I like chatting it up, but sometimes I just want to lift some ish, knowwhatimean?

I’ve mentioned that I’m a big fan of body weight workouts, but I’m also a big fan of workouts that require just one itsy bitsy piece of equipment – the resistance band.

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This past Sunday morning I wanted to get in a good workout, but I was feeling pretty lazy at the same time, and didn’t feel like heading to the gym. Instead, I headed outside of my house with my band, and hooked it up to a tree, and got my workout on.

And since a handful of my clients could likely find the workout useful, too, I went ahead and filmed itSmile

And a picture version:

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Da Moves:

1. Squat + Press: stand on a resistance band and bring the other ends in each hand up by the shoulders. Sink the hips back and down in a squatting movement, and as you stand up, press the band overhead.

2. Band squat jump: Loop a band around the low back, make an X in front of the hips, and then stand on the other end. Sink back into your squat, and power up into a jump, making sure to keep the feet pressed out.

3. Band-resisted push up: Loop a band around your upper back and assume a push up position. Place the ends of the band under each hand, and lower down into your push up, feeling the resistance on the upper part of the push up.

4. Forward jump: attach the band around a low anchor point and the other end around the hips. Push the hips back, and power into a forward jumping motion.

5. Lat pulldown: attach the band around a high anchor point, and grab the other end with your hand. Assume a half-kneeling position, pulling the band down to the rib cage, using the lats.

6. Good morning: loop the band around a low anchor point and the other end around your upper back. Grab each end by your shoulders, and push the hips back to lower the chest, keeping a flat back. Squeeze the glutes to push the hips forward into a standing position.

7. Single-arm row: attach the band around a low anchor point and assume a stagger stance. Grab the other end with your hand and pull the elbow back past the ribcage, keeping a flat back.

8. Lunge + chop: with the band attached at a low anchor point, grab the other end with both hands, and assume a wide squat position. Keeping arms straight pull the band down, and then jump into a lunge position, pulling the band down to the side. Alternate sides.

9. Single-arm chest press: with the band attached at chest height, face away from the anchor point with a split stance, hips and shoulders facing forward. With the band in one hand, bring the elbow back to 90 degrees, and then push forward with the chest.

10. Pallof press: attach the band at chest height, and grab the other end with your hands, facing sideways. Extend arms forward, using the abs for anti-rotation and stability. Bring the hands back in to the chest and repeat.

11. Side plank leg lift: In a side plank position, loop the band around both feet and grab the other end with the top hand. Lift the top leg up as much as you can, keeping the toes pointing forward. Lower and repeat.

Other at-home/travel-friendly workouts:

Do you ever work out at home?