LOWER BODY WORKOUT
Woohoo, IT’S LEG DAY! the greatest day of the week. 😉 I’m excited for you to try our newest leg workout, the 30-minute lower body band workout. This workout only requires resistance bands and mini bands which means that you can do it anywhere!
Before we get into the workout let me introduce you to our newest favorite website… iHerb.com! iHerb carries over 30,000 natural products (!!) and ships to over 150 countries. You’ll see some of our favorite fitness products in this post (including the Mini Loop Bands and Performance Resistance Bands) but they also carry ingredients that we use weekly in our food prep like Oat Flour and Quick Cooking Oats.
Best of all, new customers will get a discount off their first iHerb order with no minimum purchase by clicking here.
Now, let’s get back to the workout! It’s time to sweat.
This workout contains ten exercises which are to be performed for one minute each and completed a total of three times. You can do this as a circuit workout (meaning you go down the list of exercises before repeating) or you can complete three rounds of each exercise before moving on to the next listed exercise.
There are no breaks listed in this workout, but feel free to take them as needed but try to keep moving!
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Resistance bands and mini bands are great for travel and a perfect addition to your home workout space without taking up much room.
MINI LOOP BANDS
- Our favorite Mini Bands are the Sports Research Performance Mini Loop Bands (found on iHerb here). This set includes 5 different bands (with different levels of resistance) and a travel-size mesh bag.
PERFORMANCE RESISTANCE BANDS
- Our favorite Resistance Bands are also the Sports Research brand. We ordered ours on iHerb and couldn’t wait to test them out! This set comes with 5 resistance bands (for different levels of resistance), 2 foam handles, 2 ankle straps, door anchor, and a mesh bag for easy storage or travel.
30-MINUTE LOWER BODY BAND WORKOUT
KNEE RAISES
SET UP: Using the resistance bands, set the door anchor at the bottom of the door and attach the resistance band from the anchor to the ankle straps. PERFORM: With your back to the door, stand 3-4 feet away. Raise one leg at a time until parallel with the floor. Alternate legs for one minute. Be sure to engage your core and keep your back and head straight.
REVERSE LUNGES
SET UP: Using the resistance bands, set the door anchor to the top of the door. Attach the resistance band from the anchor to the handles. PERFORM: Face the door with a handle in each hand and step back 2-4 feet. Step back as if doing a regular reverse lunge (but while holding onto the handles keeping your back and head straight). Lower your body until your legs are bent around 90 degrees. Alternate legs and repeat for one minute.
BUTT KICKS
This is your cardio interval. Keep your back and chest up and literally try to kick your bottom with your feet. Move as quickly as possible.
HAMSTRING CURL
SET UP: Using the resistance bands, move the door anchor back to the bottom of the door and attach the ankle straps again. PERFORM: Lay on your stomach 3-4 feet away from the door (facing away from the door) and bend your knees so that your heels are above your bottom. Repeat for one minute.
GLUTE KICKBACKS
SET-UP: Keep the door anchor secured to the bottom of the door. PERFORM: Attach the ankle straps around your feet. Face the door on your hands and knees. Extend one leg back and up until parallel to the floor. Alternate legs for one minute.
JUMPING JACKS
Here’s your next cardio blast. Do one minute of jumping jacks.
LATERAL LEG WALK (MINI BAND)
Switch to the mini band and place it below your knees. Walk to the side in a slightly squatted position. Repeat for one minute while keeping tension on the mini loop band.
SQUATS (MINI BAND)
Place the mini band right above your knees. While keeping your chest and head up perform a regular squat. Repeat for one minute.
MARCHING GLUTE BRIDGE (MINI BAND)
First, say hi to Rambo who didn’t want to move for any of my pictures! I could have cropped him out but he’s pretty cute so he can stay. 😉
Place the mini band above your knees and lay down on your back. Lift your hips off the ground until they are in a straight line with your upper body. If you want to march, lift one leg up while keeping your hips off the ground. Switch legs like you are marching. Repeat for one minute.
PLANK
Hold a plank for one minute. Remember to engage your core tight and do not sag or bend (keep a straight line!). RELATED: How to do a Plank
WAYS TO INCREASE INTENSITY
- Use a heavier band/resistance
- Lower band to ankles instead of knees (mini bands)
- Use two bands, one above your knees and a lighter one on your ankles (mini bands)
Working out is only part of living a healthy lifestyle. What you put in your body as far as food and supplements is just as important, if not more! Below are some of our resources for clean eating recipes and supplements.
CLEAN EATING RESOURCES
SUPPLEMENTS
We are often asked which supplements we use. Below is a list of the supplements that we use daily.
- PREWORKOUT – Caffeine gets a bad rap but when used in moderation and when consuming the right kind of caffeine, it can be a great addition to living a healthy lifestyle. One of our favorite pre-workouts is the Vega Sport Sugar-Free Energizer. It’s hard to find a pre-workout with clean ingredients but this one fits the bill! Our favorite flavor, the Strawberry Lemonade, is made with real plant-based food ingredients, and no added sugar!
- PROTEIN POWDER – We’re also pretty picky about the ingredients in our protein powder. We’ve been using NOW Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder for a few years now and love it. It’s rBGH and antibiotic-free, soy-free, and concentrated from pure milk collected exclusively from grass-fed cows. We typically order the unflavored protein and then add in different ingredients to flavor it ourselves. Our favorite is to add ½ an avocado and frozen blueberries! Another great option is ½ frozen banana and 1 TBSP peanut butter.
- FISH OIL – Fish oil is another supplement that we’ve been taking for years. Omega-3s have been shown to support brain health and a healthy heart. We love the Nordic Naturals brand because they contain no artificial colors or flavors. They are also wild-caught with no fishy aftertaste!
Don’t forget to take advantage of your discount on your first iHerb order by clicking here.
8
Leave a Reply