Welcome to your private training manual to go with your new exercise band! The great thing about an exercise band is that it’s so easy to pop into your bag when you’re travelling and it’s super easy to use as a tool for a great all round workout for those times that you just can’t get to the studio!
*Please note – if you feel any pain or discomfort, stop and move onto the next exercise. Listen to your body, only do what feels good for you.
Warm Up
Roll Downs
- Standing with feet hip width apart and soft knees
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you roll down through the spine relaxing the neck and shoulders
- Inhale and hold
- Exhale as you roll back up
- Repeat 4 times
5 Shoulder Rolls backwards and 5 forwards
- Allow shoulders to release while you’re circling them around
Side Stretches
- Reach both arms up to the ceiling clasping the fingers
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you reach your upper body over to the right
- Inhale and hold the position
- Exhale as you come back up straight
- Repeat to the left
- Repeat 3 times to each side
Cat Stretch
- On your hands and knees
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you round your spine up to the ceiling
- Inhale and hold the position
- Exhale as you straighten the back
- Repeat 5 times
Imprint and Neutral Spine Tilts
- Lying on your back in neutral spine with bent knees, feet on the floor hip width apart
- Inhale as you imprint the spine
- Exhale as you come back to neutral spine
- Repeat 5 times
Hip Rolls
- Lying on you back with bent knees, feet on the floor, knees and feet together
- Inhale as you open the right knee out to the side
- Exhale as you slide the right foot down straightening the leg and then bend the knee back up to the beginning position
- Repeat with the left leg
- Reverse by sliding the leg down first on the inhale and exhale as you bend the knee out to the side and then bring it back up
- Focus on maintaining stability in your pelvis
Workout
Leg Circles
Straight Leg Version
Bent Leg Version (modification for back pain)
- Lying on your back, place your right foot in the band and straighten the leg up to the ceiling holding on with both hands
- Rest your elbows on the floor next to your body
- Straighten the bottom leg down along the mat. (if you feel any strain in your lower back, bend the bottom knee and place the foot flat on the floor – both versions are shown above)
- Inhale as you open the right leg out, keeping your pelvis stable
- Exhale as you circle the leg around to come back to the beginning position
- Make the circle as big as your stability will allow
- Repeat 5 times
- Reverse the direction of the circle repeating 5 times
- Repeat everything with the left leg
Side legs
- Tie the band around your ankles and make a bow so that it doesnt come loose
- Lie on your side, rest your head on your bottom arm, top hand lightly resting on the floor, legs straight out and feet flexed
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale and lift the top leg up to hip height and inhale to lower. Repeat 10 times
- Keep the leg up and circle the leg in one direction keeping your top hip stable Repeat 10 times. Remember to breathe
- Reverse the direction of the circles. Repeat 10 times
- 10 small pulses up with the leg
- Hold for 10 counts and then lower
- Repeat on the other side
Offerings
- Sitting on the floor with legs crossed or on a chair with feet hip width apart
- Place a resistance band over your back (about where your bra strap sits)
- Hold onto the band on either side of your body, palms facing up with your elbows tucked behind you and your shoulders sliding back and down
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you reach your arms forward in a scooping motion to shoulder height, keeping them shoulder width apart and maintaining soft elbows. Watch that your shoulders stay down and your chest stays open
- Inhale as you return to the beginning position. Think of leading with the elbows as you come back to the beginning position, shoulders down, elbows back
- Repeat this 10 times
- After you have done this 10 times, add on an opening of the arms to the side in line with the shoulders and not too far back. Keep them in your peripheral view
- Repeat this 10 times starting with the beginning position moving into the scoop of the arms, then open the arms out sideways
- Bring them back in front to the offering position and then lead back with your elbows to the beginning position
Rotator Cuff
- Remain seated on the floor or chair
- Hold the band in your hands, palms facing up to the ceiling
- Bend your elbows and place them next to your sides
- Hands are parallel to the floor
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you open the hands out as far as they’ll go keeping the elbows connected to your waist. Inhale return to the beginning position.
- Repeat 10 times
- Stay out on the 10th one for 10 small pulses out (keep breathing)
- Hold for 10 counts then release
Seated Rows
Straight Leg Version
Bent Leg Version (modification for back pain, tight hamstrings and hip flexors)
- Sit tall with your legs straight out in front of you (if this is challenging, bend your knees – both versions are shown above)
- Wrap the band around your feet. Hold the band in both hands with your palms facing each other
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you pull your elbows straight back squeezing your shoulder blades together sliding your shoulders down
- Inhale as you release back to the beginning position
- Repeat 15-20 times
One Arm Row with a twist
Straight Leg Version
Bent Leg Version (modification for back pain, tight hamstrings and hip flexors)
- Sit tall with your legs straight out in front of you (if this is challenging, bend your knees – both versions shown above)
- Wrap the band around your feet. Hold both ends of the band in your right hand with the palm facing inward
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you pull the band back sliding your elbow alongside your waist and twist your upper body to the right as the elbow passes the waist
- Inhale as you return to the beginning position
- Repeat 10 times
- Repeat with the left arm
Biceps Curls
- Standing on the band with your feet hip width apart, knees soft
- Holding the ends of the band in the hands with the palms facing forward
- Inhale to prepare
- Exhale as you execute a full biceps curl bringing the hands to the shoulders keeping the elbows tucked in, shoulders down and back
- Repeat 10 times
- Biceps curls only taking the hands halfway up and then lowering back down
- Repeat 10 times
- Biceps curl taking the hands all the way to the shoulders but stopping halfway down
- Repeat 10 times
- Finish off with full Biceps curls again
- Repeat 10 times
Push ups
Finish your program off with 10 Push ups choosing between 3 versions:
4 point kneeling, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips
- Inhale as you bend your elbows, lowering your forehead to the floor between your hands
- Try to keep your elbows as close to your sides as possible to target the triceps
- Exhale as you straighten your elbows
Ladies Push ups, knees on the floor, hands under your shoulders with your weight forward and hips down
- Inhale as you bend your elbows, lowering down to the floor, keeping your body as straight as a plank
- Try to keep your elbows as close to your sides as possible to target the triceps
- Exhale as you straighten your elbows
Full Push ups, toes tucked under, legs straight, hands under your shoulders
- Inhale as you bend your elbows, lowering down to the floor, keeping your body as straight as a plank
- Try to keep your elbows as close to your sides as possible to target the triceps
- Exhale as you straighten your elbows
Stretch
Arm stretch
- Standing with feet hip width apart
- Take your right arm across your chest
- Hook the left arm over the right and pull the right arm closer to your body
- Make sure to keep your shoulders down
Hamstring stretch
- Lying on your back, place your right foot in the band and straighten the leg up to the ceiling, holding on with both hands, elbows resting on the floor next to your body. Straighten the bottom leg down along the mat. (if you feel any strain in your lower back, bend the bottom knee and place the foot flat on the floor)
- Try and straighten the right leg as much as possible
- Hold for about 30 seconds (don’t forget to breathe)
- Repeat with the left leg
Glute stretch
- Lying on your back, cross the outside of the right foot over the left knee
- Hold onto your left thigh with both hands
- Lift the foot off the floor bringing the left thigh close to the body
- Work to squeeze the right knee away from the body
- Repeat to the other side
Praying crouch/Shell stretch
- Feet together, knees apart
- Place your glutes down on your heels and your forehead down on the mat
- Walk the fingers away from you as far as they can go and release
- Repeat 5 times
