Just because you’re stuck at home and the gym’s closed due to quarantine orders, voluntary isolation, or social distancing doesn’t mean you have to let your muscle go flabby. With a reasonably priced set of resistance bands and an over the door pull up bar, you can hang on to a good bit of muscle mass that you’d lose just sitting on your ass for weeks through this nonsense (I’m not saying COVID-19 is nonsense, but some of the overreactions are).
Now, you’re not gonna “get gains” or put pounds on your big 3 (squat, bench, deadlift) but you’ll stave off some of the degradation you’d otherwise see. The other upside is that exercise is always a great constructive stress management tool. I normally train weights 3 days a week and do a split that focuses on each of the big 3 movements: Day 1 Squat, Day 2 Press (Bench & Overhead), Day 3 Deadlift. This workout though is a full body resistance routine and I’m doing the same thing 3 days a week. If you’re unfamiliar with an exercise below, google that shit and learn how to do it. I think that’s enough chit chat, so here’s my routine.
Safety Disclaimer: Make sure your door is closed tightly and locked before using the bands
Warming up
Warming up is always vital, is usually misunderstood, and not done well for strength training. The goal of a good warmup is to lubricate the joints and begin to engorge the muscles that will be worked with blood before a working level of resistance is applied. Stretching accomplishes neither of these goals, so I don't stretch before I lift. This is how I’m warming up for this workout.
Rotate joints:
3 times each direction)
Arms
Hips
Knees
Engorge major muscles:
I once read that Bruce Lee planned out his training such that he started working muscles closest to the heart and proceeded outward, I have no science to back that method up but Bruce Lee was fucking awesome so I’m sure it doesn’t hurt anything to warm up that way.
V-ups – 1 set x 15-20 reps
Bodyweight hyperextensions – 1 set 15-20 reps
Flyes with bands – 1 set (low weight) x 15-20 reps
Reverse flyes with bands – 1 set (low weight) x 15-20 reps
Bodyweight leg extensions – 1 set x 15-20 reps
Bodyweight leg curls – 1 set x 15-20 reps
Working Sets
Band squats – 3-4 sets x 10-20 reps
Reverse band squats – 3-4 sets x 10-20 reps
Push-up – 3-4 sets x 10-20 reps (for more of a challenge, elevate your feet)
Band press (overhead) – 3-4 sets x 10-20 reps
Seated band rows – 3-4 sets x 10-20 reps
Pull-up – 3-4 sets x AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
Finisher
Engorges the muscles one more time to stimulate recovery. This is also where I put the arm work.
Band Press Down – 3 sets of 10, then a set of 5-3 holds (https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-build-your-biceps-with-5-3-countdowns)
Band Curls – 3 sets of 10, then a set of 5-3 holds
Bodyweight leg Curls – 1-2 sets of AMRAP
Bodyweight leg Extensions – 1-2 sets of AMRAP
Flyes with bands – 1 set (low weight) x AMRAP
Reverse flyes with bands – 1 set (low weight) x AMRAP
V-up – 1-2 sets AMRAP
Bodyweight hypers – 1-2 sets AMRAP
This should take 30-60 minutes depending on whether or not you superset exercises and how much you rest between sets. I typically only rest about a minute with this workout. Stay safe and fend off flabbiness through this coronapocalypse.