Getting a great fat loss, muscle-sculpting workout in minimal time is as simple as combining two proven methods: HIIT cardio and resistance band training. No gym membership required, and it will only take 25 minutes, start to finish.Undersun Fitness duo James Grage and Annik Nayler take you through the workout, demonstrating every exercise, set, and technique… and providing a little entertainment in the process. Don’t go anywhere. Just grab your Undersun bands, pick your training locale, and follow their lead.
RESISTANCE BAND HIIT WORKOUT OVERVIEW
As the name implies, the following workout hits the entire body – every muscle group, from quads and glutes to shoulders, arms and abs – using resistance bands and the proven technique known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT).And of course, you can do the workout anywhere you want due to the portability of Undersun Resistance Bands. Train in your living room, in your backyard, in the garage, at your office, at the park, at the beach… wherever you want.This routine will not only effectively work your muscles and cardiovascular system; it will also keep your mind engaged. This isn’t some boring workout that drags on.The time will fly by – partly because the workout is only 25 minutes long, but also because you’ll be mixing it up with a variety of resistance band movements, including (but not limited to) lunges, shoulder presses, curls, and rows, in addition to classic bodyweight exercises jumping jacks and high knees.
The full workout is described and written out below,but it’s also demonstrated on video by Undersun Fitness founder James Grage and his wife Annik Nayler. In fact, the routinue was designed by Annik for her own personal workouts as well as for her group fitness and one-on-one clients.That said, it’s worth mentioning that this workout will challenge even those in great shape – namely, any muscular guy who thinks a resistance band HIIT workout isn’t “tough” enough. As you’ll see in the video, even the lean, muscular Grage was struggling to finish the workout.
“Tell you what, this workout is no joke. I didn’t think much of it going into it, but Annik’s routine kicked my butt. And it’s not just some lightweight cardio workout – it completely taxes all your muscles, thanks to the challenging resistance of the bands. Personally, I like to get a good pump in my workouts, because I like how it feels and I want to carry some muscle while also being athletic. Combining band training with HIIT accomplishes that. It’s an amazing workout for both the muscles and lungs.”
2 Types of HIIT for Fat-Burning and Muscle-Sculpting
The workout is broken down into two main components, both incorporating HIIT (which is simply alternating work and rest intervals):Intervals of 60 seconds of work alternated with 30 seconds of rest (“60 on, 30 off”) on resistance band exercises. You’ll do three separate rounds of this, doing one 60-second interval each for 3-4 exercises.Tabata intervals of 20 seconds of work alternated with 10-second rest periods on bodyweight calisthenic-type exercises. You’ll do two rounds of Tabatas, with three different exercises in each.
The Best Band Resistance to Use for HIIT
With the 60/30 intervals, you’ll want to be mindful of what band resistance to use for each exercise. If you have an Undersun 5-band set, your resistance levels to choose from are: X-Light, Light, Medium, Heavy, and X-Heavy. Sixty seconds is a significant amount of time to be doing one exercise, so don’t go too heavy.
When in doubt, go with the lighter band, particularly when doing exercises for smaller muscle groups (ie, band curls for biceps); if it ends up being too light, you can always go to a thicker band on the next set. However, if you pick too heavy of a band, you can easily switch to a lighter band mid-set if you start failing on reps and/or your form breaks down before 60 seconds is up. In other words, if you picked the wrong band initially, no problem. Bands are so convenient that you can swap out to a lighter or heavier one in seconds if needed without throwing off your workout or losing intensity.
Altering Resistance “On the Fly” Without Changing Bands
If in the middle of a set you start to fatigue, you may not need to switch to a lighter band. Often times, you can quickly decrease resistance by changing the length of the band you’re using.For example, if you’re doing biceps curls with the band anchored beneath your feet with your feet spread apart, narrowing your feet will length the band and decrease resistance.Or, if you’re doing a row with the band anchored in front of you, stepping closer to the anchor point will decrease resistance in an instant.
Staying Strict on Time with HIIT
Because this entire workout consists of timed intervals (as opposed to doing a certain number of reps per set), you’ll want to make sure you use a timer so you know when to start and stop each set. You should be able to find a timer on your phone or computer.
Being strict with the timed intervals is important – if you rest too long and/or shorten the work intervals, intensity will be diminished, which will take away from the fat-burning and muscle-sculpting benefits. That said, if you need extra rest, take it at any time. Your sets should be challenging and get you out of your comfort zone, but not at the risk of your health.Rule of thumb when doing a HIIT workout like this: It’s better to use a lighter band and go the entire 60 seconds than to use a heavy band that forces you to stop early, even if the latter gives your muscles a good workout on that particular round.Going the distance on the work intervals will maximize HIIT’s fat loss and cardiovascular benefits; save the heavier, shorter sets for pure strength workouts.
Total Body Resistance Band HIIT Workout
Here’s the full workout written out. A video demonstration of the entire routine by James and Annik, where you can see how to perform each exercise, is embedded below.Band HIIT Round 1Band Biceps Curl – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Triceps Extension – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Shoulder Press – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Primal Squat Hold w/ Pull-Apart – 60 secondsRest 30 seconds (or as long as it takes to set up for the next round)Bodyweight Tabata Round 1Jumping Jacks – 20 secondsRest 10 secondsBurpees – 20 secondsRest 10 secondsHigh Knees – 20 secondsRest 10 seconds (or as long as it takes to set up for the next round)Band HIIT Round 2Push-Ups (Band-Resisted, Bodyweight or Modified) – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Glute Kickback (left leg) – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Glute Kickback (right leg) – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Front Squat – 60 secondsRest 30 seconds (or as long as it takes to set up for the next round)Bodyweight Tabata Round 2Mountain Climbers – 20 secondsRest 10 secondsForearm to Full Plank – 20 secondsRest 10 secondsLeg Flutters – 20 secondsRest 10 seconds (or as long as it takes to set up for the next round)Band HIIT Round 3Band Squat w/ Overhead Press – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Lunge w/ Curl (left leg) – 60 secondsRest 30 secondsBand Lunge w/ Curl (right leg) – 60 secondsWorkout complete!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nT3G-5f74k
