This month of content has been sponsored by HART Sport.
And by sponsored I mean they sent me some free equipment to try out and share with you. I haven’t been paid to give a positive review or anything along those lines. Instead I took the opportunity to let my creativity run wild and come up with some great ideas for you using the equipment they sent. All equipment has been thoroughly tested by me over the past month and I’ll only be sharing what I think is quality gear.
Exercise bands (also called resistance bands) are quite possibly my favourite piece of bootcamp equipment.
They are small and light so they are great for transporting to the park. It makes it easy for your clients to carry around a band and travel to different areas of the park. Or just for taking up less space in your car than a bunch of heavy kettlebells.
Over the years I’ve come up with dozens of exercises to use with them. You might use them for the odd bicep curl or row, but there is so much more you can do with them which is what I want to show you in today’s post.
In the videos you might notice I’m not using the standard rubber tubing exercise bands. That’s because I’m using HART Sport’s Versa Band which uses a kind of elastic for the band instead of rubber tubing. It makes it much more comfortable and a lot stretchier. I’m using the Medium strength band.
Note: We’ve had crazy wind down here without a break so apologies for the windy videos!
Strength
Goblet Squat
Step inside band and then step feet out so you can still do a squat.
Hold band handles together in front of chest (just like doing a DB or KB Goblet Squat).
Overhead Squat
Grab the band arm width apart. Pull band apart overhead.
As you squat keep your chest up and try not to let the band over the top, in front of your head.
Squat and Y
Combo up squats and Ys (see below for how to do Ys).
Squat and Row
These are a great exercise for campers who struggle to get low on their squats. The bands resistance will help counterbalance them.
Push Press
Bend knees slightly before pressing. Straighten legs quickly as if you were going to jump and use that power to press the band handles overhead.
Half Kneeling Shoulder Press
Get into a half kneeling position and place band under back knee.
Hold bands at shoulder height and press straight up. Make sure arms are fully extended.
Return to shoulder height.
If bands are rubbing on the back of the arm, hold bands in front of the arm (handles hooked on thumbs).
Standing Row
A slight bend in the knees and hips will help your campers stop the band from pulling them forward.
Kneeling Row
Get into a high kneeling position. Glutes and core switched on first, then it’s just a normal rowing movement.
Seated Row
This exercise can be done with the band around the feet or by using an anchor point (as seen in video).
Face Pulls
Much more challenging than a normal row, these are a great alternative if all you have are light resistance bands.
Standing 1 arm Row
Place right foot forward, left foot back for right arm row. Opposite for left arm row.
Other hand can go on your hip or complete opposite movement as shown in the video.
Half Kneeling 1 arm Row
Coaching tip: Make sure rear glute is activated and torso is vertical.
Standing 1 arm Press
Place left foot forward, right foot back for right arm press. Opposite for left arm press.
Other hand can go on your hip or complete opposite movement as shown in the video.
Half Kneeling 1 arm Press
More challenging than the standing version because you don’t have the full leg to generate power and stabilisation.
Coaching tip: Like with the Half Kneeling 1 Arm Row, make sure rear glute is activated and torso is vertical.
1 arm Row to Press
Make sure campers have mastered the 1 arm row and 1 arm press before getting them to attempt this.
Start slow to get movement right and increase speed. Keep arm close to your side as your rotate. Use feet to begin rotation – not shoulders. Repeat on the other side.
Banded Push Ups
These are an easy way to add more resistance to your camper’s push ups.
Band Overhead Tricep Extensions
Keep core engaged. Keep elbows high, don’t let this turn into a shoulder press.
Core
Pallof Press
An awesome exercise for your spine and core.
Side Plank Rows
Have your campers keep everything except their arm as still as possible throughout the movement.
Side Plank Band Raise
Main tip: Keep arm straight. Let the movement come from the shoulder and scapula.
This exercise can also be done with 2 people facing each other. One on either end of the band.
Wood Chop
A good tip is to keep belly button and hands in alignment.
Half Kneeling Low Chop
You’ll want a high anchor point for the band. Focus on drawing the ribs down as you ‘chop’ the band handle across and down to your side.
Half Kneeling High Chop
Use a low anchor for the band. Breath out as you rotate up, keeping the bottom ribs down.
Wide Stance Chop
This is a great starting point for the chopping movement. The wide stance keeps the hips locked forwards and out of the movement. Movement should come from arms and upper back (thoracic).
Mobility and Movement
Band Pullaparts
Grab the band shoulder width apart.
Keep elbows locked as you pull the band apart. Make sure shoulder and scapula are working together, not just one or the other.
Bent Over Pullaparts
Get set up like your going to do a bent over row or deadlift. Grab the band shoulder width apart.
Keep elbows locked as you pull the band apart. Make sure shoulder and scapula are working together, not just one or the other.
Y’s
Keep arms straight. Stand tall. Keep shoulders away from ears.
Instigate movement from the scapula.
No Money
This is a great exercise for warming up and strengthening the rhomboids and rotator cuffs.
Coaching cues: Keep elbows at 90 degrees and upper back and butt against the wall. Move through your range of movement, you might not be able to pull band apart much.
Thanks to Eric Cressey for introducing me to this one.
How’d I go? Did you get some new ideas? Did I miss any of your favourite resistance band exercises?
Let me know in the comments below.
Remember that Bootcamp Ideas readers can get 15% off on all HART Sport equipment for the month of August.
Just use the special Bootcamp Ideas coupon code BOOTCAMP15 when you checkout on the HART Sport website.
Kyle Wood created Bootcamp Ideas in 2010 when he was hunting around on the internet for workout ideas. He ran a successful bootcamp in Victoria, Australia and spends his spare time managing this site, adventuring (or lazying) with his wife and find new ways to make bootcamps even better.
seated row can be done with band around both feet over head rows inter change legs er do on left side then right tricep pulldowns the same way bands round feet walk keep band tight see if you can do a super circuit just with bands
This is a good post. I use bands all the time and there was a couple of new ones in there for me. Thanks Kyle.
Love it!