I've been working on Tim Ferris' 4 Hour Body... if you're following that like me- use today's workout before breakfast!
Probably one of the best fitness pick ups I've had in the past year or so are Pilates bands and for a few reasons.
1. They're CHEAP. They're on sale right now for $9.96 (originally $10.49.) They come with three strengths so you can ease your way into a powerset (more to come later) or start of slow. I'm not a heavy-duty lifter (and if you are, this isn't the blog for you!) so I won't outgrow them any time soon.
2. They're portable. I'm going to Ball-eee-more in a bit so they're going right in the LandsEnd Diaper bag.
3. They're customizable for anything you want to do with them. Is it and arm day? Done. Leg day? They can adapt! You want to use them to tie up your husband (wink, wink) they can do it!
We'll use the bands today for our arms. In the next few gifs (I'm LOVING makeagif.com, btw) to demo bicep curls, tricep overhead dips, bent over rows and standing chest flyes.
Want to make any of these easier or more difficult? Choke up on the band and hold on tight (it's a GIANT rubber band...we don't want these to snap and kill the kitties...)
For those completely new to lifting, here are a few tips:
1. do the work on the inhale, release on the exhale- ie- bicep curl (inhale) release (exhale) and KEEP breathing! (don't hold your breath.)
2. know the difference between pain and sore- sore, we push through, pain, we STOP.
To the pics and GIFS!
First, I like to start by stepping in the center so I know I'm even and I like to use the band in barefeet so I can feel the tension of it:
Then get a good grip- wrap it around your hand for support
Then make a fist...
Here's a simple bicep curl. Since we can all change up the strength of the band, let's all do 3 sets of 15 for EACH exercise- to conserve time go from one to the next and start over again (first timers, 15 curls, rest for a minute, repeat twice more.)
Voila!
and another angle looking down at your left hand
Tricep dip (you can really see which ones I was hamming it up with the camera...I'm NOTHING if not hilarious.)
Please note- elbow should be stack DIRECTLY over the shoulder- usually I do this by guiding my elbow with my opposite hand so it's aligned- what you're not seeing here is that I'm sanding on the band with the same foot/hand- the band is behind my back.
Now onto chest flyes- last pic shoulders are being squeeeeeeze to try and touch you elbows behind you:
And finally, bent over row- note the flat, slightly arched back. There's also a soft bend in my knees:
So there you have it- easy arm day in under 15 mintues.
I hope you all have as much fun doing these as I (obviously) did.
Cheers!
Probably one of the best fitness pick ups I've had in the past year or so are Pilates bands and for a few reasons.
1. They're CHEAP. They're on sale right now for $9.96 (originally $10.49.) They come with three strengths so you can ease your way into a powerset (more to come later) or start of slow. I'm not a heavy-duty lifter (and if you are, this isn't the blog for you!) so I won't outgrow them any time soon.
2. They're portable. I'm going to Ball-eee-more in a bit so they're going right in the LandsEnd Diaper bag.
3. They're customizable for anything you want to do with them. Is it and arm day? Done. Leg day? They can adapt! You want to use them to tie up your husband (wink, wink) they can do it!
We'll use the bands today for our arms. In the next few gifs (I'm LOVING makeagif.com, btw) to demo bicep curls, tricep overhead dips, bent over rows and standing chest flyes.
Want to make any of these easier or more difficult? Choke up on the band and hold on tight (it's a GIANT rubber band...we don't want these to snap and kill the kitties...)
For those completely new to lifting, here are a few tips:
1. do the work on the inhale, release on the exhale- ie- bicep curl (inhale) release (exhale) and KEEP breathing! (don't hold your breath.)
2. know the difference between pain and sore- sore, we push through, pain, we STOP.
To the pics and GIFS!
First, I like to start by stepping in the center so I know I'm even and I like to use the band in barefeet so I can feel the tension of it:
Then get a good grip- wrap it around your hand for support
Then make a fist...
Here's a simple bicep curl. Since we can all change up the strength of the band, let's all do 3 sets of 15 for EACH exercise- to conserve time go from one to the next and start over again (first timers, 15 curls, rest for a minute, repeat twice more.)
Voila!
and another angle looking down at your left hand
Tricep dip (you can really see which ones I was hamming it up with the camera...I'm NOTHING if not hilarious.)
Please note- elbow should be stack DIRECTLY over the shoulder- usually I do this by guiding my elbow with my opposite hand so it's aligned- what you're not seeing here is that I'm sanding on the band with the same foot/hand- the band is behind my back.
Now onto chest flyes- last pic shoulders are being squeeeeeeze to try and touch you elbows behind you:
And finally, bent over row- note the flat, slightly arched back. There's also a soft bend in my knees:
So there you have it- easy arm day in under 15 mintues.
I hope you all have as much fun doing these as I (obviously) did.
Cheers!
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