If the gym’s just a couple of feet outside your bed, what’s your excuse?
For all of you lacking dumbbells to swing around, I’ve laid out an all-action upper body session armed with just a few bands but plenty of spirit. That’s one thing we’ll always have in our favour.
Rest was kept to the absolute minimum between sets, and it’s just as well we haven’t reached summer yet. It took about 45 minutes, which could easily be dropped to 40 without the horsing around.
Plenty of these exercises were just made up on the fly, but don’t hold that against them. Bands don’t provide the constant tension that weights and cables do, but they overload the muscles with a ton of stress at one end of the motion.
The real challenge was in finding something to hook the band onto that wouldn’t proceed to rip off after a few sessions. Even the bed started shifting around once we started up the heavy rows.
On a crucial note, make sure you warm up. Trying some of these workouts after spending hours lifting nothing more than your fingers, is a recipe for disaster.
Upper Body Band Workout
Light Band Pull-Apart Warmup – 3 Sets of 15 Reps
3 Supersets – Do these back to back with no rest
Reverse Flyes – 10 Reps
Side Raises – 10 Reps
Band Pull-Aparts – 3 Sets of 12 Reps followed by a 10 second hold
3 Supersets
Single Arm Row – 15 Reps
Pullovers – 15 Reps
Pushdowns – 15 Reps
Rows – Use the heaviest band you can and pause for two seconds at the top of each rep
3 Sets of 10 Reps
3 Supersets
Incline Flyes – 15 Reps
Decline Flyes – 15 Reps
Slow Negative Push-ups – If you struggle doing in on the floor, try it with you hands raised on the bed instead
3 Sets of 15 Reps
Upright Rows – 3 Sets of 15 Reps
There’s a small to chance you’re not destroyed by the end of this workout.
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