30 Minute Resistance Band Burn

A full body workout which only requires a resistance band! Quick and effective, in 30 minutes you’ll have your ass, abs and arms on fire.

What you need:
1 medium to heavy resistance band for lower body and abs
1 medium to light resistance band for arms
OR do it all with just a medium resistance band
Yoga mat or soft surface recommended

1) Bridging with Abduction
Start by lying on your back with a medium to heavy resistance band above your knees. With your feet planted on the ground and your legs about hips width apart, start to warm up by lifting your hips high in the air into a bridge position, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings at the top. Make sure your head stays down and that your arms are long by your side. Start to then roll down vertebrae by vertebrae until your butt hits the floor. Re-tuck the pelvis and lift back up to bridge. Repeat this 2 more times. On the 4th bridge up, hold your hips high and start to abduct the band, moving the knees out to the sides, squeezing the outer thighs, keeping tension on the band the whole time. Do this for a count of 10, then roll all the way back down. Reset and come back up to bridge and repeat, descending the abductions now starting at 9 pulses into the band. Each time you get to zero, lower the hips down to reset and then come back up again, now for 8 pulses into the band then back down and up again for 7, then 6, 5, and so on, until you reach just 1 abduction. On the last abduction, hold the knees out to the side and start to pulse the hips one inch up and one inch down for a count of 10. Once you reach 10, hold your hips at the highest point and start to pulse quickly into the band for 10 more seconds, and then ending with a 10 second hold. Roll all the way down bone by bone and deeply hug your knees into your chest rocking side to side.

2) Sideline Abduction Series (right, then left)
Start by lying on your left side with your hips stacked. You can prop yourself up on your forearm with your elbow under your shoulder, or you can support your head in your hand. From here, glue your heels together and start to lift the right leg up, like a clam shell, up and then back down. Do this for a count of 10, each time squeezing your outer thigh at the top. At 10, hold up and pulse for 10, then rest. Next, while keeping the legs parallel in space, you will disconnect the heels and fully lift the right leg off the left leg, aiming the right knee up to the ceiling, and then placing back down. Do this ‘open and shut’ move for a count of 10, and then at 10, hold the right leg above the left one, parallel in space, (not touching), and start to circle the right knee. Do 10 counts in one direction, then reverse. Without dropping the right leg, now start to kick out in front of you and kick back behind you, like you are kicking yourself in the butt. The leg stays in line with your hip and you are just extending the leg forward and then kicking back so your heel meets your butt. Do this for a count of 10, and then without dropping the leg, extend it out in front or your hip with a flexed foot and start to pulse it up for a count of 10. Now, finally, rest. Repeat series on the left leg.

3) Abdominal Burn
Take the resistance band and put it around the arches of your feet and lay down on your back. Bring your legs to a tabletop position with your hands behind your head, supporting your head and neck. (You can alternatively place your hands underneath your tailbone if you need support for your lower back). From here, extend the right leg out straight so the left leg is still in tabletop, but the right one is straight. Keep your right leg extended into the band. Working your left side body, you are going to crunch up so your left elbow and left knee come together and then as you rest your head back down, the left leg extends out to meet the right leg which is not moving. Keep crunching left elbow and left knee, together and apart. Once you reach 10, hold the left knee and left elbow together and start to pulse knee and elbow together, tapping. Once you reach 10, hold the left knee in and freeze the lower body. Start to twist the upper body so the right elbow taps the left knee, and then open the chest back to center each time. Twisting for a count of 10 (the entire time that right leg is straight, it has not yet moved). Once at 10, come back to center with both legs extended and your arms long by your side, holding the crunch. Start to pulse the band now with flexed feet, working the core and outer thighs and keeping the head up. Once you reach 10, rest. Repeat the series with the left leg extended the whole time and the right side body, crunching together and apart (knee to elbow). End again with both legs extended, pulsing into the band for a count of 10 with arms long by your sides and head lifted. Take a quick rest. For the final move, keep the band on the arches of the feet and go into slow bicycle crunches, bringing the opposite elbow to the opposite knee and holding for a count of 2 seconds and then switch sides. Continue to alternate, making sure there’s tension in the band the whole time. After a count of 10, pick up the bicycle speed faster for another count of 10 and then rest.

4) Arm Series (4 1/2 minutes continuous)
For the arm series, I recommend using a lighter resistance band (light to medium), so you have a larger range of motion and can move into the band better. Believe me, even with a light resistance band you will feel the burn! You will do each exercise for 30 seconds and then move to the next. Try not to take a break as you want to fatigue those arms fast and effectively!

1. Pushups
Take the resistance band and place it above the elbows by the bicep. Get into a pushup position with your arms separated shoulder width apart or as close to this as possible. Start to do 30 seconds of pushups with the elbows pointing out to the side, adding resistance into the band. For a modification you can always come down to your knees for the pushups.

2. Kneeling Arm Lift
Come to a high kneel position and place the band above your wrists. Extend your arms out straight in front of you with your palms facing in. Separate your arms to be in line with your shoulders, holding this tension the whole time. From here, start to lift the straight arms overhead to meet your ears, and then bring them straight back down to chest height. Continue to push outward into the band feeling the tension. You can also do this standing if you have any knee issues (same with the rest of the kneeling moves).

3. Kneeling Shoulder Press
Staying in the same kneeling position as the last exercise with the band over your wrists, you will bring your arms up to the ceiling, framing your head and the palms facing in. From here push out into the band and bend the elbows down, and then back up. The more you push out into the band, the harder it will be while you move the arms up and down.

4. Kneeling Lat Pulldown (right, then left)
Staying on your knees, bring your arms straight up to the ceiling holding the band tightly in both hands. The left arm is going to stay straight up to the ceiling, while the right arm pulls down the other side of the band by bending the elbow out to the side, keeping the chest open and squeezing the shoulder blade back. Keep moving the right arm up and down for 30 seconds, and then switch to the other side for another 30.

5. Kneeling Bicep Curl (right, then left)
Start in a proposal position with the left knee down and the right leg bent in front of you. You are going to put your right foot in the band and step on it flat to the floor, so your right foot is holding the band in place, creating tension. Your right hand will grab the other side of the band with your palm facing up. Your right arm is next to your right leg, pressed up against the inside of your thigh. Start to curl the band in for bicep curls. Do this for 30 seconds, then switch sides so the left foot is holding the band down and the left arm is doing the bicep curl.

6. Tricep Kickback (right, then left)
Come to standing and place the band around your hands with the thumbs on the outside. From here, bring the left palm of your hand to rest flat on the right shoulder area, right where your armpit is. The left arm will stay here and not move. Now turn your right palm of your hand to face the ground. With a slight bend in your knees start your tricep kickbacks with the palm facing back. Your arm should be tight to your side with the shoulders down. Do this for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

5) Cardio Push (Jumping Jacks, Straddle Squat Jumps, Plank Jacks)
The finale! We put it all together. For the last minute and 1/2 you have 3 fast-paced moves in order to get your heart rate up and to tie it all together (Ass, Abs, Arms). Each move is 30 seconds long and the band will be a few inches above your ankle bones. First, jumping jacks. Work the band as quick and wide as your can targeting your outer thighs. Once 30 seconds is up, you go right into straddle jumps. Legs start together and then you jump out into a straddle and tap one hand to the ground, then jump back up closing the legs, then back out to the straddle, alternating which hand taps the ground between the legs. You stay LOW here, with your butt back and the weight in your heels, feeling the burn in your booty. The last 30 seconds you get into a high plank position with the legs separated. Holding the plank you will start to hop the legs together and then apart, like a jumping jack. This targets your core, outer thighs and arms all in one.