Banded Squat
Placing the band around your legs just above your knees start by reaching your hips backwards like you are reaching your butt back towards an imaginary chair behind you. Keep your weight evenly distributed throughout your feet. Aim to get your thighs parallel with the floor or a 90 degree bend at the knee (not everyone will be able to get this initially and that’s okay, if you don’t have it yet just ensure you are focusing on range of motion when you practice your squatting movements). Ensure that you keep your chest high as you drop down into position. At the bottom of the movement, drive through your feet evenly and stand back up to your start position.
Dumbbell Floor Press
Lying on the floor, take a dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the elbow keeping your elbows closer to the body and avoid flaring them to the side (they don’t need to be glued to your side, just avoid having chicken wings straight out to the side). Ensure that you lower the dumbbells at the same pace keeping your hands together. At the bottom of the movement push the dumbbells away from your chest to the start position with full extension of the elbows (you don’t need to lock your elbows out at the top).
Dumbbell Lateral Lunge
Begin by taking a single dumbbell to your chest with your feet together. Step out to the side with one foot driving your hips backwards as you bend your knee. The opposite leg should stay straight. Keep your core active and your chest proud. Drive through the outside foot (the foot you stepped with) and return your feet together. Repeat on the opposite side.
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
Begin taking one dumbbell in each hand with a shoulder to hip width stance. Hinge at the hips leaning forward and sticking your butt out. Your spine should remain tall when you do these and there should be no rounding other than the natural curves of your spine. Begin with your arms hanging straight down from this hinged position. Start the movement by rowing your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together (imagine there is a pencil between your shoulder blades and you are trying to hold it in place. Ensure your core is engaged and your spine stays tall as you row the elbows back. In a controlled manner lower the dumbbells back down to your start position.
Banded Hamstring Curl
Start the exercise by anchoring your band securely around a sturdy object close to the floor (this should be something that is heavy enough that you aren’t going to have to worry about pulling it over). Laying down on the floor on your stomach loop the band around your ankles (you can either loop it over your leggings/pants, or use a small towel to prevent the band from rubbing on the skin if that bothers you). Ensure that when your legs are fully outstretched there is a small amount of tension in the band. Begin the movement by curling your heels towards your butt while keeping your hip bones in contact with the floor (if your hips are lifting off the floor try decreasing the resistance). Curl your heels as far as you can towards your butt while squeezing in the back of your legs (hamstrings). At the end range of motion return to full extension in a controlled manner.
Clam Shells
Place a band around your thighs above your knees and lay down on your side. Bend slightly at your knees so they are in front of your body with your hips, knees and ankles stacked on top of each other. Activating through your core lift your top knee up maintaining your hip stacked position. This movement should be small enough that your hips aren’t rolling backwards. When you reach your top range of motion lower your knee back on top of the other one.
Dumbbell Pressout
Begin by standing tall and hold a single dumbbell at your chest while activating through the core. Press the dumbbell straight out away from your chest keeping your arms at shoulder level fully extending at the elbow. At the end range of motion, return the dumbbell to your chest in a controlled manner.
Dumbbell March
Begin standing tall and taking a single dumbbell to your chest maintaining activation in the core. Slowly lift foot off the floor by bringing your knee up and forming a 90 degree angle at the hip. Slowly return your foot to the floor and repeat on the opposite leg. Maintain core activation throughout the movement to limit the amount of side to side movement as you lift alternating feet off the floor.
Remember that these workouts are also shared on my Instagram page if you were looking for video demonstrations. You can check it out here.
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