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Five exercises a personal trainer and former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader recommends to build full-body strength
Resistance band training can be a great way to bridge the gap between home workouts and the gym. Bands take up little space and are easy to work with, but add an extra level of difficulty, so you can get more out of your home workouts.
Rather than investing in an expensive and bulky set of weights, bands are relatively inexpensive and can be packed into a bag or suitcase so you can work out on the go: great if you travel around a lot.
Lisa Morton is a Stott Pilates certified instructor at Merrithew, a qualified personal trainer and an ex-Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Although her cheerleading days are behind her, Morton knows all about working out on the go.
Morton shared her five go-to exercises for working with a long looped resistance band (we rate Living.Fit’s bands). These five exercises are strength-focused and easy to follow.
1. Banded squat
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Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 30-60sec
- Stand on two sides of the resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the ends of the band with your hands by your sides, and your back and pelvis neutral.
- Inhale, and bend at your hips and knees to lower. You will feel the tension on the loop decrease.
- Exhale and extend your knees and hips to return to a neutral standing position. You will feel the tension on loop increase.
2. Banded squat to overhead press
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Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 30-60sec
- Stand on one side of the band with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the band in both hands at your shoulders, with your elbows bent next to your torso. Your spine and pelvis should be neutral.
- Inhale and bend at your hips and knees to lower.
- Exhale and return to standing, then extend your elbows and press the band overhead.
- Inhale, bend your elbows to lower the band to your shoulders and continue straight into the next rep.
3. Banded single-leg deadlift
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Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 30-60sec
- Place your right foot on two sides of the resistance band, holding the ends of the band with your hands by your sides, and your back and pelvis neutral.
- Inhale, hinge forward at your hips, lifting your left leg behind you and maintaining a straight line from your head to your lifted foot. Tension on the loop will decrease.
- Exhale and press your hips forward to return to standing, increasing the tension on the loop.
- Do all your reps on one side then switch legs.
4. Alternating bent-over row with rotation
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Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 30-60sec
- Stand in a staggered stance, with your left foot in front of you and your right behind, knees slightly bent, and two sides of the resistance band under your left foot, holding both ends of the band.
- Inhale to prepare, then as you exhale raise your right hand by bending your right elbow rotate your torso toward the right.
- Inhale and return to the start position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.
5. Single-arm overhead triceps press
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Sets: 1-3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 30-60sec
- Stand in a split stance, with your left foot in front of you with your knee bent and your right foot behind you with your leg straight. Resting your left forearm on your left thigh.
- Place one end of the band under your left foot and hold the other end in your right hand.
- Rotate your torso so you’re facing right and raise your elbow until there’s tension in the band.
- Inhale to prepare, then exhale and extend your right arm, raising your hand to the ceiling.
- Inhale and bend your elbow to lower your hand.
- Complete all your reps on one side then switch sides.
Lisa Morton is a Stott Pilates certified Instructor at Merrithew. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a BS in Exercise Kinesiology and was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader from 2002–2007. Morton is a personal trainer, Pilates instructor and the director of the FITStudio training program and Women’s Only Weight Loss (WOW) programs at Club Apple in Idaho Falls.
