EXERCISE BANK

Now, let’s take a look at the exercise bank we have for each category. For each workout, you’ll pick any three exercises from each bank. Complete 3 sets (of 12-15 reps) of each exercise you choose. Mix it up each time and give different exercises a try!

LOWER BODY EXERCISE BANK

Band Positioning: Around the ankles

How to put the band on: Step your feet into the center of the band, and use your hands to roll the band up over the ankles. Make sure it’s open as thick as possible without any curling so that it doesn’t feel uncomfortable on your skin if you’re wearing capris or shorts.

Standing Side Taps

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With the band around your ankles, pull your naval in towards your spine and bend your knees so that your booty is reaching back. Place your feet open just as wide as your shoulders. This is a modified squat position and you’ll stay here for the exercise! Tap your right foot out to the right, feeling the tension on the band, and then bring it back to center so that the feet are just as wide as the shoulders. Then tap the left foot to the left and feel the tension on the band, and then bring it back to center. Repeat this for 10 taps to each side. This works the gluteus medius (the muscle on the outside of the hip) and also the thighs. It’s also a bit of a cardio move since you’re tapping from one side to the other without a break.

Standing Reverse Taps

From the same position as the standing side steps, this time instead of stepping to the side, you’ll step back with each foot and tap. You’ll feel the tension on the stationary leg as well, making this a total leg and glute workout move.

Standing Adductor Lift

Standing straight up with your abs drawn in, lift the right leg out to the side, and then bring it back in. The tension that the band adds can be felt on the eccentric and concentric movement — as you push the leg out and as you pull the leg back to center. This is primarily working the gluteus medius, and also the stabilizing muscles of the legs and the standing leg that’s balancing you. Repeat this 10 times and then switch to the left side.

Band Positioning: Around lower knee

How to: Step inside the band with both feet, and wiggle the band with your fingers up around your shin bones directly underneath your knee. You can leave about 2-3 fingers’ width space from your knee down to the top of the band for reference.

Standing Banded Squat

Step the feet out as wide as the hips, pull the naval in, and bend at the knees to sit back with your glutes. Act like you’re sitting back into a chair, and then drill down through the heels to stand back up. The band helps activate the glutes with the tension around the legs, and also helps stabilize your body for a more properly formed squat. Repeat this 10 times.

Standing Lateral Band Walk

Step into the band with both feet, and pull the feet as wide as the hips to create tension on the band. Lower down into a half squat position while pulling your naval in towards your spine, and pressing down through the heels of your feet. Then shift your weight over to your left side, and step sideways to the right. Bring your left foot slightly in, keeping tension on the band, and continuing to side step to the right like this for 10 steps. Then repeat to the left.

The next two lower body exercises are performed on your hands and knees.

Band Positioning: Around stationary foot, and on top of moving leg

How to: This is tricky, so if you find it challenging to get the band on properly (let alone do the exercise!) you’re not alone. The best way to do this is to squat down and step your right foot a little more forward than your left. Wrap the band around the front of your right shoe, and then while holding the band, lower onto your right knee and wrap the band around the left shoe as well.

Donkey Kicks

From your hands and knees, pull your naval in towards your spine. Make sure your hands are underneath your shoulders with your fingers spread wide and pressing down through your fingers and your hands. Open your knees just as wide as the hips, and make sure the knees are under the hips. Then, press the right leg up so that it’s in a 90 degree angle, and then press up through the foot to work the glute and hamstring of the right leg. You’ll also be stabilizing with the left leg and working the left glute.

Band Positioning: above knees

Fire Hydrant

From your hands and knees, pull your naval in towards your spine. Get into the same positioning as above, and instead of reaching your leg back behind you, reach the right leg out to the side. This is a motion similar to a dog peeing on a fire hydrant! Open the right leg out to the right side, and then bring it back towards center. Repeat this 10 times, and then switch to the left leg.

The next exercises are performed lying down on your side.

Band Positioning: Around upper thighs

Banded Clam Shell

Lying down on your right side, prop yourself up with your right forearm on the ground on a 90 degree angle. Bring the legs slightly forward of your hips, and pull your naval in towards your spine. Then, bend the knees so that your legs are at a 90 degree angle also. Keep your feet pressing together as you open your top knee up away from your bottom knee as if you’re opening up a clam shell. Repeat this 10 times, and then switch sides or move onto the next exercise.

Band Positioning: Around your ankles

Side Lying Banded Leg Lifts

Lying down on your right side with the band around your ankles, press your right forearm into the ground at a 90 degree angle. Bring the legs slightly forward of your hips and pull your naval in towards your spine. Then pull the left leg straight up away from the right leg, and lower it back down. Maintain tension on the band throughout the whole exercise. Repeat for 10 repetitions and then switch sides or continue on to the next exercise.

Band Positioning: Lying on your right side, step onto the band with your left foot and wrap the band around the right shoe.

Side Lying Inner Thigh Banded Leg Lifts

Lying down on your right side with your left leg behind you and your feet in the strap, pulse the right leg up 10 times. This is working the inner thigh!

UPPER BODY EXERCISE BANK

Band Positioning: Around the forearms

Rear Delt Pull

Bend the elbows at a 90 degree angle so that your arms are paralelle to the ground. Reach the arms forward and then bend the elbows and bring the arms towards your chest as you squeeze your upper back. This works the medial deltoid, rear deltoid, scapula, and biceps. Repeat 10 times.

Banded Open & Close

Bend at the elbows and bring your arms up into a goal post position at chest level. Open and close the arms (reference photo) to work the upper arms and upper back. Repeat 10 times.

Band Positioning: Hold the band with your left hand on your chest, and your right hand holding onto the band below.

Tricep Extension with Band

Using your left hand, press the band to your chest. Use the right hand to press down against the band into a tricep extension, and then come back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.

Band Positioning: Standing on your knees, step the right foot forward into a modified lunge position, and then wrap the band underneath the right knee.

Bicep Curl 1 with Band

Put the right hand through the band in an open-face position to start. Then, pull the right hand with the band up towards the shoulder into a bicep curl, and release down. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.

Band Positioning: Around forearms

Bicep Curl 2 with Band

Hold the bands on outside of your forearms with the palms face up and your elbows hugging in towards your side body. Then, curl the hands up towards your shoulders into a bicep curl, and lower back down. Repeat 10 times.

Shoulder Press with Band

From the same positioning as above, curl the arms up into a bicep curl and use this as your starting position. Then press arms up over head with abduction against the bands, and then lower down to the start position. Repeat 10 times.

Shoulder Side Raise with Band

Band Positioning:Around forearms

Start with your arms parallel to your body, elbows bent at a 90-degree angle (to create two goal posts in front of your abdomen) with palms facing each other. This is your starting position. Then pull the arms out to the side and up like wings as high as your shoulders with elbows still bent (you should have created a straight line from your shoulder to your elbow). Lower back down.

Bentover Row with Band

Band Positioning: Step on the band with the right foot and lower down onto your left knee. Then, lean forward, hold onto band with the right hand.

For this exercise, pull the band up by hugging your elbow into your side and squeezing the right shoulder blade in towards the center of your spine, and then release the arm down. Continue pulling up and then releasing down for 10 repetitions, and then switch sides.

ABDOMINALS EXERCISE BANK

Band Positioning: Placing the band below the knees is easier, and placing the band above the knees outside of the thighs is more challenging.

Banded Bridge

Lying down on your back, bend your knees with your feet on the ground as wide as your hips. Bring the band around your upper thighs. Take a deep breath in, and then exhale as you pull your naval in towards your spine, and tilt your pelvis so that your hips are coming close to your ribs. Slowly roll up into a bridge position, pressing against the band and opening the legs wide. As you come up into the bridge position with your back off of the ground, hold it at the top. Then, pulse the legs and the band out to the sides for 10 counts. Slowly lower the back down onto the ground vertebra by vertebrea and then repeat for 10 times.

Banded Lower & Lift

Lying down on your back, wrap the band around your upper thighs. Pull your naval in towards your spine and reach the legs straight up towards the ceiling. Open the feet wide enough to put tension on the band, and then lower the legs down as far as you can without lifting your back off the ground. Then bring the legs back up to center. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Banded Toe Taps

Lying down on your back, bend your knees with your feet on the ground as wide as your hips. Bring the band around your upper thighs. Take a deep breath in, and then exhale as you pull your naval in towards your spine, and tilt your pelvis so that your hips are coming close to your ribs. Bring the knees up into a tabletop position at a 90 degree angle. Open the legs to put tension on the band, and lower the feet towards the ground. Keep the knees bent. Then bring the knees back up to the starting position, and repeat for 10 times.

Band Positioning: On top of the left shoe and on the bottom of the right shoe

Banded Criss-Cross with band around top of shoes

With the band wrapped around your shoes, lie down on your back and bend the knees up into a tabletop position. Place your hands behind your head. Exhale and curl up into a crunch position. Extend the left leg and curl up towards the right knee, and then switch. Bicycle the legs and criss cross your chest to work the internal and external obliques. Repeat 10 times to each side.

ADVANCED PLANK SEQUENCE

Pick one of these at a time to try, or do them all at once when you feel physically ready. These are pretty challenging moves.

Band Positioning: Around the outer wrists

How to: On your hands and knees, put your hands through the band and place it on the outsides of your wrists.

Plank Push-Ups with Banded Arms

Come up onto your toes into a plank position. Press down firmly with your hands and make sure your shoulders are over your wrists. Pull your naval in towards your spine, and keep your back flat. From here, step your right hand out to the right, pulling on the band, then lower down into a push-up. For a modification, this can be done on your knees. Then, walk the hand back to center, and walk the left hand out to the left, lower down into a push up, and come back to center. Repeat this for 5 push-ups on each side. This works your core, chest, back, and upper arms.

Band Positioning: Around the ankles

How to: Sitting down on the floor, wrap the band around your ankles and then press back onto your hands and knees.

Plank Jumps with Banded Ankles

Press up into a plank position from your hands and knees. Pull your abs in tight, and then jump both of your feet out and then back in to center. Keep tension on the band even as you come back to center so that the band stays taught around your ankles. This works your core, shoulders, arms, gluteus medius, thighs, and hamstrings.

Modification: Plank Modified Jumps with Banded Ankles

Instead of jumping the feet away from each other and then back in, simply tap with right foot out to the right and back to center, and then tap with the left foot out to the left and back to center.

Plank Banded Booty Lifts

Come into plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and your feet as wide as your hips. Keep your right leg straight as you lift it up a few inches off the ground, and then place it back down. Repeat on the left side. This will really burn the hamstrings and the glutes! Repeat each side 10 times.

TRY THESE FITNESS ROUTINES

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