How would you like to have a way to workout at home without expensive equipment?
I love mini bands. I really do. Mini band workouts are a great addition to your typical workout routine. More and more people are looking for ways to workout at home without getting a ton of expensive equipment.
You can rely on bodyweight workouts. There’s no problem with bodyweight workouts, but you might get tired of them after a while.
There’s a reason why I recommend mini bands for your home gym. They’re convenient and cheap. Seriously, it’s the best $10 you’ll spend. They’re small, you can take them anywhere, and you really can get a full body workout with just a little bit of resistance.
Ready for your full body mini band workout? Let’s get started!
Affiliate Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you if you were to click through and make a purchase, the company would receive a small commission. For more information, check out the privacy policy.
What Are Mini Bands?
Mini bands are resistance bands that are about 9” long and 2” wide. They come in packs of five separated by color. Each color has a certain amount of resistance. Lighter colored bands usually have less resistance, and darker colors have more resistance.
The amount of resistance of the bands will vary by brand. For example, I have a set of Limm Resistance Bands. This is the resistance for each of the bands.
Yellow: 4-10 lbs
Green: Light – 6-15lbs
Blue: Medium – 15-20lbs
Red: Heavy – 20-25lbs
Black: X-Heavy – 35-40lbs
Now, if I take a look at another brand, the resistance levels will be different. These mini bands by Fit Simply are a bit different.
Green: 2-4 lbs
Blue: 6-8 lbs
Yellow: 10-12 lbs
Red: 15 – 20 lbs
Black: 25 – 30 lbs
There’s a lot to love about mini bands, but the versatility and convenience are what get me to rave about them constantly. It doesn’t matter what fitness level you’re at, you can use mini bands in your workout. You can work your way up if you’re just starting your fitness routine. You can combine mini bands to give yourself more of a challenging workout.
Mini Band Full Body
Workout for Beginners
This is a killer workout to try to build strength in both
large and small muscle groups. This is a great workout that’s an introduction to mini band exercises. You’ll notice that there’s a bit of glute work thrown into the mix, too.
Workout Disclaimer: Always remember that before undertaking any exercise program, you do need to check with your physician.
Here’s the deal. You’re going to do each exercise for 30 seconds. You’ll then rest for 30 seconds and move on to the next exercise. At the end of the set, rest for a minute. Complete 3-5 rounds.
For a more advanced workout, increase the workout time slightly and decrease the rest time. For example, workout for 40 seconds, then rest for 20. Shorten the rest between sets to 45 seconds instead of a full minute.
Here’s a short video that takes you through the workout with an explanation of each exercise below.
Lateral Bear Crawls
You can place mini bands around your wrists and ankles for
this exercise. Bear crawls are great because they work just about everything – core, shoulders, legs. If you’re brand new to mini bands and this feels super awkward, then just place the band around your ankles to start with.
You’ll move your body 5 reps to the right, then 5 reps to the left for time. Keep your body low to the ground. The higher your hips are, the easier it is.
Forward Bear Crawls
Same as lateral bear crawls, except you’re moving forward for 5 reps and backward for 5 reps for time.
Pushups
You can do these on your knees, using a wall, or full pushups. It’s about what works for you and whatever gives you a better range of motion.
If you’re new to pushups, you may want to do pushups against
a wall or a bench to lessen the resistance.
Keep the resistance band looped at your wrists. To lower the
amount of resistance, move the band up towards your elbows.
Tricep Push Backs
Left/Right Sides
We’ll go from ground to a standing position now. You’ll hold a mini band in both hands. Lean forward (hip hinge), so you’re at a 45-degree angle. Put your left hand in the middle of your chest to serve as an anchor point. Push your right hand back, extending your arm back while keeping the shoulder still. You’ll do one full set on the right side, then switch to the left side.
Monster Walks
Remain standing and put a mini band around your ankles. Get
into a slight squat and step to the right for 5-10 reps (keeping available
space in mind). Then take as many steps back to the left.
Glute Bridge
A glute bridge is another great miniband exercise for the
hips and glutes. You’re going to lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. The mini band should be slightly above your knees. Raise your hips off of the ground, tightening your glutes in the process.
Jumping Jack Squats
This will get your heart rate up, for sure. All you do is
place a mini band around your ankles and do a jumping jack. When your legs are apart, dip down into a squat. You want to be sure that there’s a bit of tension in the band. Come out of the squat and bring your feet together. Rinse and repeat.
Rest 1 minute
Mini Band Workout to
Get You Going
Sometimes, we just need to take a break from the same old
routine. After a while, we need to shake things up in our fitness.
Doing a mini band workout is a great way to shake things up
in your fitness routine. They’re amazingly convenient and fun to have around if you have to get a short workout in.
Looking for more workout ideas? Check out this TRX workout that’s perfect for beginners.
