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Personal trainer: Resistance bands

By amNewYork staff

July 2, 2008

Lauren (L Boogie) Goldberg, a trainer at Peak Performance on West 21st St., demonstrates Side Step, part of Upper Body Circuit Training with Resistance Bands. Photo taken on May 2, 2008 for AMNew York. Lower Body Band Work: The band is fabulous for legwork. It can help to create that longer lean and toned muscular look in your legs. (Jefferson Siegel / July 1, 2008)

Resistance bands might be the best workout tool ever invented. Not only it is a purchase that's gentle on the wallet, it's a tiny tool that's meant to travel. You are able to do a true full body workout anywhere. Bands aren't super expensive (they run anywhere from $12-$25 at sporting good stores), so why not get a few? Lauren "L Boogie" Goldberg, a trainer at Peak Performance, presents a few of her favorite band exercises for total body conditioning.

No. 1: Upper Body Circuit Training: Find an area where the band can be wrapped around a pole (or a sturdy kitchen table leg if at your apartment). From there, get ready for a full circuit workout with no rest in between. Try to do each move for 30-60 seconds. The goal is to repeat this circuit 2-3 times.

Start with bicep curls with the band.

From there, do bent over tricep extensions.

Directly after that, work into standing row pulls.

Next do chest flys.

Finish up with shoulder presses.

#2 Lower Body Band Work: The band is fabulous for legwork. It can help to create that longer lean and toned muscular look in your legs. With a shorter band in hand, I suggest individuals step on top of it, place a handle in each hand and start stepping from side to side. Do large and small steps (try 10 on each side, left to right then switch and do 10, stepping right to left), with several repetitions. Once you start to feel the burn on the outside of your hips, keep going! Try to get in a few extra reps before you rest.

Next, wrap the band around a pole and do a combination of squats and lunges. If this is too easy, you can multi-task and add in upper bodywork. Simply do a row while in squat position before returning to standing position, or add a bicep curl when lunging. You can also add in some variety by just changing the stance in your squat, from feet closer together to a few steps further apart but always keeping the knees directly aligned with the toes. Try and knock out 20 at a time (and repeat 2-3 times).

#3 Ab Work: Whether it is a twisting movement for your obliques or a basic crunch, the band can add the perfect amount of resistance and spice for a new and improved ab workout. By wrapping the band around a sturdy base and holding the handles you can do a creative ab routine with a little or a lot of resistance. Move away from the pole so you have the right amount of resistance, put the handles in your hand and twist away on one side, then switch to the other, to target the obliques. Once again, keep your reps high and your rest minimal. An ideal number is 15 to 25 reps at once completing 2-4 sets.