Bodyweight and Resistance Band Circuit
This bodyweight and resistance band circuit was inspired by an MMA workout posted by Funk Roberts. I took the Funk Roberts timing for the circuit and altered his weighted exercises with bodyweight / resistance band exercises. For the last exercise of the routine, I totally swapped it out being that I couldn’t find a good alternative for a kettlebell swing. This routine is going to be done using the following timer – 3 rounds, 5 exercises per round, 60 seconds of work for each exercise with 15 seconds of rest inbetween each exercise. Take a 2 minute break inbetween rounds. You can up the rest period from 15 seconds to 20 seconds to get the resistance bands set up correctly, I had to make an alteration to account for exercise number three (you’ll see why when you get to it.)
I will be alternating this routine with the Spartan Style Mud Run routine in preparation for the Rugged Maniac Mud Run at the end of June. One of my regulars of Morning Wellness is doing the Rugged Maniac with me, and another regular is running another mud run in May, so these routines will be put through the ringer to see how truly effective they are.
Do some stretching and / or foam rolling before you get started.
The warm up for this routine was 45 seconds of work, no rest inbetween for 4 exercises. Skip, jog, side shuffle, and karaokes.
Bodyweight and Resistance Band Routine
Resistance Band Chest Press
We didn’t have door anchors while attempting this, but its highly suggested you have a door anchor. Our attempt had them wrapped around our backs, which prevented the elbows from being able to come back to their proper position. Stepping on the back of the band may work as well. If you have an anchor, anchor the band and hold your arms at a 90 degree angle out to the sides with elbows bent. Push foward until your arms are straight. Come back to the same 90 degree angle.
Alternating Leg Rear Lunges
This isn’t 11 minute glutes, we’re alternating legs here. Let’s stick with the weaker leg being the one we want to start with. Bend the weaker leg while going backwards with the stronger leg. The knee and toes of the stronger leg should touch the ground behind you while your weaker knee is bent. Drive through the heel of your weaker bent leg and bring your back leg forward so you’re standing again. Now do that with the other leg. You can make this more cardio intense by swapping out the alternating of legs with switch step rear lunges. If we weren’t switching legs each time you could throw in a jumping knee lunge, but we’re switching and only do 3 rounds so that won’t work here.
Standard Alternating Leg Rear lunge
Switch Step Rear lunge
Double Arm Resistance Band Shoulder Press
I’m using 2 resistance bands for this one, standing on each band with my feet due to the types of bands I have to work with. The video below shows 1 band. You’re essentially getting into the same position you did for the chest press, with elbows at 90 degrees going to straight then back to 90, only this time your arms are moving over / near your head as opposed to away from the body.
Plank Shuffles / Plank Side Shuffles / Sideways Plank Walks
I found about 5 different ways to name this thing with half the videos available being plank builders labeled differently. Get yourself into a plank (we did this on the elbows, which did create a rolled forward shoulder posture which isn’t good) and shuffle to the side. If you’re going left, left leg and left hand go left. Get back into the plank then go left again. Keep going until you run out of room then go the other direction.
Burpees
In Funk’s original version these were kettlebell swings. You can technically do resistance band swings (check out the video below the burpees) so that might be a cool idea to try / replace with the burpees to keep this routine fresh. For those of you have been following the blog for awhile you know I like burpee challenges, so I threw in burpees. For the burpee go from standing, to frog-ish squatting, to feet behind you, to froggish squatting, to jumping up in the air.
