Full Body Mini Resistance Band Workout is a great little total body strength workout using only a mini band (resistance loop). It is perfect for travel. A mini band takes up no space in your luggage and Heather works your entire body using the mini band and nothing else. There is some jumping in this workout (jumping jacks in the first circuit) but if you are in a hotel room just do low impact jacks. Though you only need one mini band, since I was at home I used a variety of bands. 2 mini bands–one medium strength and one strong strength–and a medium glute band (larger cloth loop). I note below which band I used for each exercise but that is for my own future reference. I will definitely be using this workout in the future when traveling.
This workout is made up of 3 circuits: one lower body, one upper body and one core circuit, all using a resistance loop/mini band. Each circuit is done twice. The exercises are done interval style: each exercise is done for 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the lower right-hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise.
Full Body Mini Resistance Band Workout is 25:41 minutes; no warm up and 1:20 minute stretch. Equipment: resistance loop/booty band and a fitness mat. The workout starts with the band around thighs just above knees.
Lower Body:
- In + out squat (step out squats, alternate sides) (medium glute band)
- Butterfly bridge (lay on your back on the mat, knees are bent and feet are on the mat, raise hips and hold, open and close knees then lower hips) (medium glute band)
- Abductor pulses (still lying on back, raise straight legs to ceiling, open legs until there is tension on the loop then pulse legs out wider) (medium mini band)
- Squat and leg lift (stand with legs wide enough that there is tension on the loop, squat and when you stand do one side leg lift, alternate legs with a squat between each side) (medium mini band)
- Jumping jacks (lower band so it is around ankles) (medium mini band)
- Repeat #1-5
20 second rest
Upper Body:
- Robot Row (with band around wrists and arms open so there is tension on the band, do bent over rows bringing band to ribs then extending arms straight) (strong mini band)
- Lat pull downs (hold band in both hands, arms are extended overhead, keep one arm raised straight while pulling band down to shoulder with other arm) (medium mini band)
- Straight arm pulses (band is around wrists, arms are extended straight and open so there is tension on band, pulse arms open wider while slowly raising straight arms overhead then lowering them) (medium mini band)
- Back squeeze (hold band in both hands, arms are open wide enough that there is tension on the band, raise arms to chest level then pull hands back to shoulders, opening band wider and pushing elbows behind you, straighten arms again and lower) (strong mini band)
- Mountain climber (band is around wrists) (medium mini band)
- Repeat #1-5
20 second rest
Core: (I used the medium mini band for all the core exercises)
- Slow mo sit up (lay on back on mat, knees bent and feet on mat, arms are extended straight overhead, band is around wrists and arms are open so there is constant tension on the loop, first raise straight arms to ceiling then slowly do a full sit up, reaching band past knees, when torso is upright, raise straight arms back to ceiling, lower arms straight in front of you as you slowly lower torso back to mat then raise arms overhead again)
- Reverse crunch (loop is around ankles, lay on back with hands under glutes, legs are straight and raised a few inches off the floor, raise straight legs to ceiling then raise hips in a reverse crunch)
- Bicycle crunch (loop is around feet, do a traditional bicycle maneuver, bringing elbows to knees)
- Plank toe taps (loop is around ankles, in forearm plank alternate tapping feet out to side)
- Repeat #1-4
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
