Getting outside for exercise can trump being stuck indoors if you have the right set up.

In this video I show you  a short, vibrant sequence you can do with your pair of bands.

We have our set up outside in the yard at a tree, but you can attach your bands to a deck or fence.

I’ll even show you the set up to get yourself out and attached to the tree.

Oh, you don’t have bands yet?

Go here and get yourself set up with a pair.  It’s easy.

=> SHOP

Here’s the video.

Resistance bands In the Yard from Lisa Byrne on Vimeo.

This is a story I want to share because it contains all the simple stuff you’re wanting to know using bands for your workout. It’s a story of a guy who contacted me looking to cancel his gym membership in January, when everyone else was signing up for theirs.

Ted found himself not going to the gym on any kind of a regular basis AGAIN. He was tired of trying to talk himself into ‘getting back to the gym’.  He hadn’t gone in 4 months, so why continue to pretend? And that money that he was wasting every month was eating away at him.

He told me he wanted to dump the gym soon.  Surprisingly, he did, the day after our initial conversation. Wow, that was fast.  But he was so ready to get started on something new so why waste more time?

He was growing tired of his busy work schedule that often kept him at work later than desired. Since  Ted is married with 2 teen girls, time matters hugely. He also travels out of town about 4 days a month.  So, having a workout that he could do at home, and when he traveled was important.

For Ted’s at-home program he told me we needed to consider 2 things that stood out for him.

One was space. His small town home doesn’t allow for many choices for where to workout.

The other was commitment. If this was going to work he knew he needed to fully buy in and see it through.

Since Ted was totally open to a new idea of working out, we set his guidelines for the at home workout to consist of 3 modalities:

1. Resistance Bands
2. Free Weights
3. Body Weight Moves

The biggest consideration for space would be for the bands. You need to have about 8 feet of clearance lengthwise from where they attach and about 4 feet wide. And if you have that space for the bands, you’re golden for everything else.

The best thing about these 3 modalities is that they can be combined in 100′s of ways for a complete workout every time.

Here’s what Ted told me that he wanted me to be aware of in his new workout scheme.

• working out first thing in the morning, before work, or else he wouldn’t do it
• committing to 3-5 days a week
• not getting bored and doing the same exercises
• hopefully feel more energetic during the day

Ted’s first workout with his new program began on January 21, 2012.

This month marks 6 months of consistency with his at home workout.

In our latest Skype coaching session, Ted told me “ I have never been committed this long to a fitness program. I never thought I’d look forward to getting up and working out. Doing it before work has made such a difference!”

Turns out that his commitment has bled into his family. Since he does it right in the living room while his wife and kids are just about waking up it seems to have rubbed off seeing Dad working out and liking it!

One of Ted’s recent business trips took him to Atlanta. He sent me a picture of his hotel band set up.

Here’s the most conventional usage for bands in a hotel, attached to the top of the door.

Notice plenty of space coming out from the door to expand.

 

For those movements that require an upward pull, Ted got creative when the bands wouldn’t fit under the door.

 

So how can YOU get started today?

Go here…. we’ll be waiting!

 

You really hate the gym.

It’s crowded, annoying, and you’re unsure you can actually keep those resolutions.

Old thinking in a new year will sink you by Leap Day.

Sounds like this: you join a gym, commit to a M,W,F meet up at 6am with girlfriend MaryBeth, or buddy Joe. Get in your cardio, pump some weights, sneak in some abs, and pretend to stretch. Shower and you’re out the door.

This ends around second week of February. Leap Day if you’re lucky.

That’s old thinking.

But what if there was a fun to do, easy to learn workout that beats the boring gym any day?

For just under $30- less that 1 month of your new gym membership- you can have in your hands (literally) a lightweight, portable, easy-to-use exercise system that will give you access to 100’s of 100’s of moves.

You’ll get a fantastic workout because of these top 3 reasons:

• Teach your body core stability in every move. That means a stronger core and a safer you from now on.
• Train smaller, deeper muscles for whole body fitness.
• Greatly improve your combo of strength, flexibility, and balance for real life activity.

What are they?

Resistance Bands.

This is the year of the bands and right now you can hop on this easy fitness train. Anyone, including Boomer you, can use bands. They range in light to very heavy resistance with about 5 grades in between.

Save time and work out in the comforts and conveniences of your own home, office, hotel room, yard or deck.

Besides part of your total fitness routine bands can also be used to:

revitalize your tired body
renew your body that’s been sitting too long
be the support for some really great unimaginable stretching

and… you can even use the bands as your ‘partner’ to improvisational dancing! More about that later.

Bands are versatile. Very versatile. And I’m not just talking about the 100‘s of exercise possibilities. Bands will inherently train your body to become stronger, more stable, better balanced and more aware for everyday activities.

You’ve heard the pop word these days, ‘functional fitness’. That means to be able to move the way you want, when you want. A good functional fitness pie includes adaptability to the situation that meets you every day. Your life activities. Make sense?

Pushing a weight above your head, or bending at your elbow while sitting locked in has no transference into your daily activity.

Enter the brilliance of bands, shining vibrantly. You’re dynamic when you use a band. You’re reaching, twisting, bending, pulling, pushing. Sometimes 2 of those at the same time! Life is dynamic. It’s not static. Unlock yourself from static fitness. It doesn’t serve you and it will waste your good intentions. Train and teach your body to see those daily moves that matter by moving every which way but tight and boring.

Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself here.

Let’s go back to the beginning so we can talk about how you even begin working with bands.

Here are 3 simple steps:

1. Get yourself a pair of bands. Starters can begin with a medium resistance pair. Once you get the idea, you can migrate between the tensions.
2. Figure out a place in/around your house to hook the bands preferably at eye level or above.
3. Watch the video below for a Basic Boomer Band Workout.

This movement sampler is for you to get moving.

Keep it simple. Without even knowing it, you’ll get a great quick workout.

Explore the possibilities in this teaser video of the benefits of bands. Dump the gym!

Next week, we’ll layer in one other fitness piece that can optimize your workout.

For now watch the video and open up your mind to a better body!