Zone-by-Zone Resistance Band Workout
Stand with your feet under the shoulders and slide the resistance band under the arches of your feet. Curl arms up towards your chest. Lower them back down to the floor, at the same time slightly hinge forward at your hips as you extend both arms behind you. Keep elbows close to body.
Cross Band Pullback
Stand with your feet under the shoulders and slide the resistance band under the arches of your feet. Make sure the slack on either side is even, then cross them, grabbing the handles. Bend the knees and hinge forward with a straight back. Pull the band so the handles come up near the chest and shoulders. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and point the elbows backward. Continue looking at the floor in front of you to maintain a straight back.
Come to all fours, holding the handle or end of the resistance band in one hand and anchoring it with the other hand. When you set up, make sure you have no slack or tension in the band when it's in your starting position. Pull the band out to the side until your hand is at shoulder-height. Do not twist or rotate the torso or hips to accommodate the fly. Adjust the slack/tension as needed.
Resistance Band Clamshells
Begin by lying on your side on the ground. Have the band wrapped around your thighs. Support your head on your bottom arm. Flex the hips to 45 degrees and the knees to approximately 90 degrees, with your right leg directly on top of your left. This will be your starting position. Initiate the exercise by abducting your top leg, pushing your knee away from the midline of your body. Maintain contact between your feet throughout the movement. Pause at the top of the motion, and then return to the starting position.
Stand with your feet under the hips and slide the band under the arches of the feet. Grab a handle on either side, making sure it's even on both sides. Step one leg out into a squat, dropping the hips behind you and down to knee level. As you squat, pull the band upward like you're performing a double bicep curl. Push out of the squat, releasing the arms and bringing the feet back under the hips. Repeat on the other side.
Reverse Lunge with Twist
Begin in a standing position with feet under the hips. Hold the band out in front of you so the arms extend from the shoulders and there is no slack or tension in the band. Send one leg back into a lunge. Create a 90-degree bend in both knees, keeping the front knee behind the toe and trying to get the back thigh parallel with the front calf. Keep the arms extended from the shoulders. Once you're in the deepest positioning of the lunge, take the opposite arm and stretch it behind you. This will cause the upper body to twist toward the front knee. Keep soft elbows. Reverse the twist, then the lunge and repeat on the other side.
Come to a seated position and place your feet into the handles of the resistance band. Grab the center of the band and roll yourself down to the floor. Point your feet. Lift both feet off the floor. Pull the belly button into the spine. You'll have a small, natural curve in the lower back, but you don't want to arch it so much that your hips pop up. Move one up and the other down, simultaneously. They should be about 6 inches to 1 foot apart from each other, moving at a controlled pace.
Crunch and Punch
Come a seated position with your legs out in front of you, flexing the feet and bending the knees. Push the navel into the spine as you lean back. Have the band wrapped around upper back and around the shoulders, grabbing the ends with either hand. Maintain the position as you punch the arms out across the body. Return the arm to the starting position and punch the other arm. Try not to lift the hips or arch the back.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your resistance band under your left foot. Hold the resistance band so that it is tight with both of your hands. Slowly pull the resistance band above your head keeping your arms straight to your opposite side. Hold, return to the starting position, repeat and switch sides.
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