Full Body Resistance Bands Workout
If you are looking to shape and tone your whole body without gaining too much muscle, resistance bands might be just what you are looking for. For a great full body workout, resistance bands are quite effective. They are rather inexpensive when compared to dumbbells and gym memberships and don’t take up all of the room that a bulky exercise machine can.
Set of Resistance Bands
The majority of exercises that involve dumbbells or free weights can be replicated using resistance bands. For the majority, it is simply a matter of placing the center of the band beneath your feet. Now you’ve got a starting positions for dozens of upper and lower body exercises.
Bicep curls can easily be done by engaging your muscles as you pull the resistance band taut. There are several shoulder exercises one could do such as shoulder presses and front/side raises. To save time and to work different muscles simultaneously, try alternating Bicep curls with shoulder presses. It will give one muscle a chance to rest while you work the next one. For lower body exercises, hold the resistance band taut while doing lunges or squats for additional muscle engagement.
Most resistance bands will also come with an attachment for your door to add even more exercises and to work additional muscle groups. You can attach it to your closet and work additional muscle groups like your abdominal, obliques, lats, etc.
I take mine on the road as well. If I am visiting friends and family or on a business trip, I am always prepared to get my daily workout in as long as I have my resistance band with me. It’s so compact and light that I can keep it in my carry on luggage.
For an excellent introduction to incorporating resistance bands into your workout, Wii’s EA Active is incredible. It actually comes with a resistance band and features dozens of exercises working nearly every muscle group as well as tons of other exercises to burn calories and get you in shape. The game also features a 30 day challenge designed to show you all the different features as well as introduce you to all the different workouts at your disposal.
While resistance bands aren’t perfect if you are looking for huge muscle gain, they are extremely effective for shaping and toning your body. If used consistently and correctly, you’ll see muscles all over your body tightening and your clothes will fell slightly looser. I am a huge fan of , because the different elasticities are better for different workouts. With something simple like this, you’re on you way to a toner you!
Wii Fitness Home Gym
The trend in home exercise lately has been heading towards a more electronic direction. Integrating the electronics that are in their lives into their workouts comes naturally to most people including myself. Some of the best electronic helpers come from the same device: the Wii.
When the Wii Fit and its Balance Board were first introduced, it caused a sensation. Some predicted that it would become the best selling electronic device ever, while some thought it would fade into obscurity. Well, its safe to say that the former was right and the latter was way off.
The Wii Fit’s Balance Board became the electronic item that you had to get your hands on but couldn’t. And that lasted for well over a year. The Balance Board is great for improving your balance, posture and strengthening your core. But for a great gym workout, I’d recommend another product from the Wii’s arsenal.
EA Active, released in 2009, is exactly what I needed. It is an ideal home gym exercise. Wii Fit felt too much like a game. EA Active definitely has some fun moments, but for the most part it is an electronic trainer that pushes you to workout harder than you would on your own volition. Using the included resistance bands, you get a real workout. The leg strap allows the Wii to accurately track your movements so that it can tell you if you need to run faster for the running section of squat or lunge lower for the most effective workout.
The game features a bunch of already designed workouts as well as an easy interface to set up your own workout. Its main selling point is its 30 Day Challenge designed to introduce you to all of the workout options get you on the path to a healthier life.
My original gripe with the Wii Fit was that you couldn’t queue up a workout. You had to go back to the menu and pick your next workout, which got to be quite tedious. This has been fixed with Wii Fit Plus which can be purchased with or without the Balance Board. There are several options for different gym exercises as well as a new way of setting a calorie goal for your entire workout.
There several other fitness games out there as well, and they are starting to get smart by synching up all the different accessories and coming up with some new ones making it a multi gym of sorts. One that looks awesome is a dumbbell set that connects with your Wii Remote to increase your workout. With so many pieces of equipment, a variety of games and the technology improving exponentially, it is clear that the Wii is soon becoming a vital component of any home exercise gyms.
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