Boss Bands: Total Body

Boss Bands: Total Body is the newest DVD/download offering from Cathe Friedrich. The other workout in the Boss Bands series is Glutes & Core. As the series title indicates, these are strength workouts that use resistance bands. You can buy the workouts with or without the bands. I pre-ordered the whole package: 2 DVDs plus the large loops and the small loops (or booty bands). Unlike other resistance bands, these are all elastic cloth bands. Total Body uses the large loops which come in 3 strengths: Light is orange, medium is green and heavy is blue.

I found this to be a solid intermediate level total body strength workout. You need to go through the workout once to determine the resistance that is appropriate for you. For some of the exercises the band Cathe chose was also appropriate for me and for some exercises I needed something heavier. You can pair two bands together to increase resistance even more and Cathe illustrates this in the bicep circuit. I also own two rubber resistance loops. My heaviest one is heavier than the blue band that came with this workout so I will have that handy, too, when I return to this in the future. As for how often I would use this workout–it is a travel workout for me. As I mentioned above, this is a solid workout but I am accustomed to working out at a more intense/advanced level so I would not use this in my normal rotations. But for travel purposes it is perfect. I wish these workouts had arrived sooner. I was in England the first 2 weeks of August and these would have been perfect to use while I was there. But of course, they did not arrive until I had been back home for a week (even though I pre-ordered them in April). At least I have them for my next trip.

The success of any resistance band workout is contingent on two things: the strength of your bands and hand/body placement. Choking up on the band will increase the resistance. You can do that by gripping it lower and/or wrapping the ends around your hands. The bands you use should be appropriate not only to your fitness level but to the exercise you are performing. So if the band Cathe is using is not heavy enough for you–use a heavier band or pair two of the bands together. The same theory applies if the band Cathe uses makes the exercise too difficult–use a lighter band and/or do not choke up as much on the band. It’s your workout so make it challenging for you.

Total Body is 56:44 minutes; 9:45 minute warm up and 5 minute stretch. Equipment: large loop boss bands and a fitness mat. You use the orange band for the warm up and the stretch.

Legs & Shoulders: (green band) 10 minutes

1. With band together (not open), step on the center of the band and hold one end in each hand, lower to the bottom of a lunge and do low end lunges, only raising halfway before lowering back to bottom of lunge; changes to pulses
2. Band is in same position as #1 but leg is straight and you are pulling up on band, do single leg deadlifts
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other leg
4. Alternating front lunges, band is still together holding one end in each hand, arms are extended straight in front of you and wide enough so there is tension on the band, chop band to side over front leg when in lunge
5. Continue #4 but between lunges when standing pull band down behind shoulders while opening arms wide and pulling band open
6. (swap green band for blue band) Open band and stand on inside of band with legs wide then hold band together in both hands so it is looped around feet, do shoulder shrugs pulling up on band
7. Still in same position as #6, release bottom part of band so that band is open, do upright rows
8. Repeat #6 & 7
9. Same position as #7, lower into wide sumo squat, clasp hands together with top part of band laying across wrists, in this position (holding sumo squat isometrically) circle arms
10. Same position as #9, stop circling arms but hold them in front of you while doing sumo squats

Back: (blue band) 4:30 minutes

1. Sit on mat with one leg extended straight in front of you and other leg is bent with sole against inner thigh, with band together, loop it around foot of straight leg holding one end of band in each hand, in this position do back rows; add triple pulses
2. Your legs are in the same position as #1 but open band and loop it around foot of straight leg, hold band together in opposite hand, arm is raised to shoulder level with arm bent, pull elbow/band back to wall behind you; add triple pulses
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other side of body

Glutes Floorwork: (blue band) 5 minutes

1. Lay on back, one leg is bent with foot on floor near glutes, other leg is extended to ceiling, band is together and looped over foot with one end of band in each hand, raise and lower hips (single leg glute bridges); add triple pulses
2. Repeat #1 on other leg
3. Loop one end of band around each foot and hold band together in the middle, lay on back with knees bent, pull band over thighs and hold band at hips, raise and lower hips onto glute bridge; pulse 15 times at top of bridge
4. Band is still looped around feet, raise legs to ceiling and open legs into a V, open band so you are only holding one end in both hands at chest, pulse legs out wide against the band; changes to singles rather than pulses; press legs out wider against band and hold isometrically

Legs & Core: (orange band) 4:30 minutes

1. Loop one end of the band around foot (this is your stationary leg), hold other end of the band together in same side hand, do a side lunge while sweeping arm holding band in front of you and down to knee when in lunge
2. Band is in same position as #1, hold top end of band together in both hands, stationary lunge side to side, arms are extended in front of you, “stir the pot” with band while lunging side to side
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other side of body
4. (swap orange band for blue band) Loop one end of band around one foot and loop the other end of the band around the same side shoulder, raise and lower heels to various tempos
5. Repeat #4 on other side of body

Biceps: (green + blue band) 5 minutes

1. Stand on both the green and the blue band, and hold the other end of both bands in hand with about a foot of band between hands, do double arm bicep curls with palms facing upward to various tempos
2. Release the green band and hold blue band with palms facing floor, do double arm bicep curls; add triple pulses at top of curl
3. Grab the green band again (you are holding both bands again) and do double arm hammer curls (palms face each other) to various tempos
4. Repeat #2

Triceps: (green band) 4 minutes

1. Loop green band around one foot and hold the other end of the loop in same side hand, raise arm overhead with elbow bent so hand/band is behind head, do single arm tricep extensions, straightening arm and pulling band to ceiling; changes to one partial rep (lowering only halfway) + one full rep
2. With band together, hold one end of the band in one hand, press that hand to opposite shoulder, grasp band in the middle with other hand, keeping that arm close to side, pull down on band straightening arm; add pulses
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other arm

Chest: (orange band) 3 minutes

1. Wrap band around back then loop one end of each band around palms, do push ups; add tempo changes
2. Band is in same position as #1, do cross-over push ups (start in straight arm plank, step one hand out to side and do one push up, step hand back in then step other hand out to side and do one push up, continue alternating sides)

Core: (orange band) 4 minutes

1. Butterfly sit ups (sit on mat with soles of feet together, knees are opened out to sides, band is looped around the feet, hold other end of band in both hands, arms are raised to ceiling with hands in prayer, do a full sit up in this position, pulling straight arms behind head at bottom of sit up and raising straight arms to ceiling at top of sit up)
2. In modified side plank (on elbow/forearm and bottom bent leg, top leg extended straight), band is looped around foot of top leg, other end is held in top hand, push top arm overhead while extending top leg straight then pull knee into chest while bringing top elbow to knee)
3. Repeat #2 on other side of body
4. Superman (band is together and held in both hands with hands shoulder width apart, arms/band are extended in front of you, raise arms/chest/legs and hold, pull band into chest, push band out in front of you then lower arms/chest/legs)

Premixes:

Timesaver #1: Legs, Glutes & Core 28:32 minutes

Timesaver #2: Upper Body 46:38 minutes

Timesaver #3: Back, Biceps & Core 28:38 minutes

Timesaver #4: Shoulders, Triceps & Chest 32:35 minutes

Timesaver #5: Core Focus 23:23 minutes

Mishmosh #1: No Legs & Core 41:47 minutes

Mishmosh #2: Scrambled 56:22 minutes

Mishmosh #3: Double Legs & Shoulders and Legs & Core 48 minutes