Sometimes it’s all too easy to ditch your workout when it’s cold out; hot out; the gym’s too far away; you’re tired; you forgot your sneakers; or Mercury is in retrograde. And then when you’re home, it can be even easier to come up with an excuse – I mean, what can you do without all the weights and machines? Well, you can actually do a lot. At-home workouts are the sneak attack of workouts. So long as you have a few key tools in your home workout arsenal and enough room to put down a yoga mat, you’re ready to go.
I’m working on a post for you on the best at-home workout tools to create your own home gym (even if you live in a tiny apartment!) and today I want to introduce you to the Perfect Bands Kit, a set of resistance bands I have been having lots of fun with over the last couple of months. And of course, I’ve put together a workout for you, as well as a giveaway of your own Perfect Bands Kit!
Disclaimer: I was provided with the Perfect Bands Kit at no charge for review. All opinions are my own! With any workout I post, remember that while I am a certified personal trainer, I’m not your trainer – please use your own discretion and experience before attempting any workout.
RESISTANCE BAND WORKOUT
Resistance bands are perfect for doing chest presses without weights. If you win the Perfect Bands Kit giveaway, included in the kit is a door anchor, so you can anchor the bands, stand with you back to the door and do a bilateral chest press. But resistance bands are so versatile – anything can be done unilaterally, just by standing on one end of the band. Here I’m doing the chest press in a split squat position – this is a great way to incorporate a lower body exercise.
The Ax Chop is such an awesome full body move. Start in a lateral lunge position, with your foot on one end of the band, then swing up and over your shoulder with the band, as you transfer your weight to the front foot. You can also do this move as a chop from high to low, if you have an anchor – use it in a doorway, or a high tree branch if you’re outside.
Hands down the biggest benefit of using resistance bands is that you can do rowing exercises without access to weights. To make it harder, just make the band shorter, increasing the resistance. Here, I’m adding a single leg extension to work on balance – you can also incorporate single leg deadlifts to this move.
I love my beams and I cannot lie. I am so happy I have exposed beams in our living room, because it makes doing a lat pulldown a possibility for an at-home workout. Don’t have beams? No problem – so long as you have a door anchor for your bands, you can put it in a doorway and do the same move in a kneeling position. Don’t forget, you can always take bands outdoors – monkey bars and trees are great spots to loop them over for a quick workout.
Work your abdominals with a standing crunch – it’s basically a good morning exercise, using resistance from above. If you don’t have a high anchor point, you can do this in a doorway, from a kneeling position.
I’ve always loved doing this triceps extension exercise – also called a skull crusher – with cables. By using your back foot in a lunge position to stand on your resistance band, it’s easy to do at home as well.
Usually lateral steps, or monster walks, are best done with a loop resistance band. But all you need to do is loop one end through the other handle and you have a loop for any kind of abduction work – whether it’s lying lateral leg lifts, or lateral step outs like this. These are particularly great for runners!
Loop the band around your foot, hold each handle, and you can make the most innocent-seeming lower body exercise like this donkey kick that much harder. You’re even forced into doing this move in a slow and controlled way, since you don’t want that band to budge. 😉 This is another great exercise for runners – we need all the glute activation we can get.
Pin this resistance band workout for later, then go and enter the giveaway for the Perfect Bands Kit via Rafflecopter below!
There will be one winner selected at random via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Winner must have a US mailing address to receive the prize. Perfect Fitness will be shipping the prize, of a Perfect Bands Kit, including a 10lb and a 15lb resistance band, door anchor, mesh storage bag and downloadable workout guide directly to the winner. Retail price of the Perfect Bands Kit is $19.95. Giveaway runs from 2/10/16 to 2/17/16. Winner will be notified by email. Enter below via the Rafflecopter widget – GOOD LUCK! 
PS: I’m linking up with Erica and Smitha for their weekly giveaway round up! Check out their sites for lots more giveaways!
Oh my gosh over the years I’ve had and lost – – thanks to Moving 🙂 – – so many resistance bands. Right now I have none. I need to get back to the laptop so I can do the rafflecopter!!
Carla recently posted…I dont believe in guilty pleasures.
I have gone through so many as well! Pretty sure there are a bunch at various clients homes and at studios all over NYC!
There are so many great moves you can do w a resistance band. There is a class at the gym I take that uses them and boy it is challenging.
lacey@fairytalesandfitness.com recently posted…How to extend the battery life in your Running Watch
I love resistance bands workouts; they save me when traveling. However, how come the rafflecopter giveaway hasn’t yet started?
Thanks so much for the heads up, Christine! I just fixed it, so you can enter now! 🙂
I love those exercises!!! Awesome!!! Thanks so much for posting and the give away. I could definitely use this kind of bands. When I bought mine i could only find the pilates ones without the grips at the end and this makes it impossible to do exercises like those 🙂 Have a great day Carly!!
ellen recently posted…#5 Saturday eats
Just PT ones, nothing as good as these:)
Resistance bands are so handy and portable. Love love
Love me some resistance band work! A great way to workout and strengthen, and they are so effective.
Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Sacral Stress Fracture Recovery Update
I’ve used bands before, but I’ve always used cheapies. I broken more cheapie bands than I care to admit… 😉
I use the bands at the gym but don’t have any at home. Love using them!
Yes, I like using resistance bands to mix things up! Thanks for the chance to win!
Kelsey @ The Wolfepack Write Ups recently posted…FlyJoy Bars
I have never used resistance bands before, but I would love to. I like that they are portable!
I’ve only worked out with them at the gym but would love to have a set for home.
I haven’t used resistance bands in a long time, but I loved them in college for stashing in my dorm or apartment for a quick strength session!
I’ve worked out with resistance bands a couple of times in workshops at PE conferences and once or twice at the gym (the instructors randomly brought them for circuit training), but I’d love to have these at home!
Yes, I have used them
i’d love this. haven’t used them
No i have never used them
Nope, I haven’t used resistance bands.
Yes I have used them before and you can make them surprisingly difficult
You know I’m eying your exposed beams! Okay maybe you didn’t know that but I definitely noticed them with all my house hunting and HGTV show watching…love!
Resistance bands are awesome and you really can’t get the same workout any other way. I’d love to win!
Amanda @ Diary of a Semi-Health Nut recently posted…Valentine’s Day mason jar Cookie mix Review
You crack me up, lady!
Can I just first tell you that I love your leggings? I used resistance bands a lot after my hip surgery last year. They’re really great! There’s also a resistance band class at my gym that I take from time to time. It’s awesome!
Thanks lady!! So good to ‘see’ you here again!
I’ve used resistance bands at the gym, but have never owned my own pair! I’d love to try them out at home!
I occasionally attend a CXWORKS class at my gun that uses resistance bands.
I’ve worked out with them before
I have used them before, but don’t have my own.
I love resistance bands, and sadly my last ones just broke – the handles popped off and I cant seem to fix them. This giveaway is perfect timing!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
I have used resistance bands before. They worked great in my dorm room!
Yes, I’ve done some workouts that use them–I love them! So easy.
I have, with a trainer at the gym
I have never used resistance bands before, but I would like to.
I have never worked out with resistance bands before!
No, I haven’t but I’ve been wanting to!
No. I have not used them before.
I have and I love using them.
Yes! I love bands!
I have used them at the gym before and loved them so I would be thrilled to win my own set!
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