Never Miss a Monday: No Excuses Office Workout (Resistance Band Leg Day)

Resistance Band Leg Workout 

It's time to stop what you're doing and take a couple minutes to get moving. This is an amazing workout that can be done just about anywhere and all you need is a resistance band. If you're looking for good resistance bands check here, here, or here. Now lets go ahead and get moving!

For this workout, everyone should be completing 4 sets of 12-15 reps (each leg) for each exercise. If you want to add in an extra challenge you can superset these with 15-45 seconds of a cardio movement such as, high knees, jumping jack's, jump squats, etc.

*Supersetting is any time you do one exercise and then without taking ANY rest, go directly into the next exercise. For example, if you were supersetting squats with jump squats, you would do your 12 squats and then immediately begin to do 15-45 seconds of squat jumps without taking a rest. After the squat jumps were completed, you would then be able to take a brief rest before starting your second round of the superset. 

Standing Hamstring Curl: Place your resistance band around both of your ankles. Stabilize the foot that will be using to balance and bring the heel of your opposite leg up all the way up as if you are going to kick your butt. Make sure that you are keeping your knees in line with each other as you perform the movement (when you kick back, make sure it is only your lower leg that is moving). Lower your heel back down and repeat the movement for 12 repetitions on each leg. 

Standing Hip Abductors: For these, do 10 with your toe on the ground and 10 with your heel on the ground for each leg. Start with your toe on the ground next to your opposite heel and your knee bent at almost a 90 degree angle. Squeeze your glutes and use your butt muscles to bring your knee out away from your body. Hold here for 5 seconds and slowly release back to center. This one is amazing for a booty burn and is a good replacement for the abductor machines at the gym! Repeat for 10 reps with your toe on the ground and then switch so that your heel is on the ground and your toe is elevated and do another 10 reps. Repeat until you have 4 rounds of 20 for each side. 

Wall Sits: These are one of my favorite "do anywhere" leg exercises. Simply sit against the wall with your legs about 90 degrees to the floor (any more than 90 degrees and the exercises will be too easy so don't go too low on these. You want all the weight in your legs). Hold the wall sits for at least 1 minute each. If you feel these mostly in your quads, make sure that you are actively tightening your glutes to achieve that booty burn! For an added challenge, place your resistance band around your knees and squeeze your knees apart to activate the glutes a bit more. 

Last one not pictured: Side steps with band: Keep the resistance band around both ankles, and bend your knees at about a 45 degree angle keeping your hips tucked and your glutes tight. Making sure to keep the tension in the band the whole time, step side to side for 30 seconds. Keep your heels down and point your toes out. This one really burns the outer glutes.  

I hope you found this helpful. Keep being active!

XO, Kelsey