Think you don’t have time to workout? I’ve got a simple routine that you don’t need to think much about or invest much money into. I’m sure you’ve seen the resistance tubes with handles, but wondered, “What can I do with these tubes?” Well, the easy answer is tons! It’s a portable piece of equipment that you can hide in a basket by the TV, or in your office drawer for a quick lunch time workout or travel with.

Resistance tubes with handles do come in different resistance levels, so having a couple different strengths is usually necessary. Colors are not universal, so me recommending a blue, green or red tube doesn’t work. You can either get a set that labels the different resistance levels or buy them individually taking note of the listed resistance levels. If it doesn’t say, don’t buy it, it’s probably a whimpy cheap one. The way to tell resistance of a tube is the thickness of the tube itself. A thick tube is a hard resistance, a thin tube will be an easy resistance.

Amazon has a nice variety, TJMaxx often sells sets or individual tubes, a your local sporting goods store more also offer quality brands. Look for big padded handles to avoid carpal tunnel issues from a tight grip on a small plastic tube. Avoid getting a plastic handle, they get slippery when you sweat and cause an increased grip which can lead to carpel tunnel issues. Also look for non-latex tubes/bands, exposure to latex products increases your risk of developing a latex allergy. You never know who could be entering your home and what their allergies are as well.

Not only are tubes inexpensive and easy to travel with, they are also a two-fer piece of equipment. I love two-fers! You not only strengthen the muscles that you are working directly (like a bicep), but you have to engage your core to stabilize your spine with most exercises to maintain a standing posture without arching your back. Some tube exercise also incorporate balance, so that’s a three-fer! You can do the same bicep curl on one arm and have one leg out to the side to offset the balance/challenge your balance.

So, now that you know what to look for an purchase, I can give you a few great ideas for a resistance workout with tubes.

1. Double or single overhead press. Standing on the tube in a tandem lunge position to start. Grab onto both handles with palms facing forward and bring your arms up towards your ears. Your elbow to shoulder should be parallel with your shoulders. Press your arms overhead to do a Double overhead press. If the band is too heavy, adjust your feet and go into a lower tandem lunge. Or you can do a single overhead press moving more tube to that side so that you can press the arm overhead without arching the back. Another option is sitting for the overhead press on a weight bench or hard kitchen/folding chair without arms.

2. Side raises or lateral raises. Standing on the tube, holding the tube with both arms. Palms face the sides of your thighs. Lift your arms as if doing a jumping jack with straight elbows out to the side to about 87 degrees or a cross. Hold at the top point, and slowly release the tube back to your sides. This can be done one arm at a time with the resistance is too strong with your tube, just move a bit of tube to that side to give yourself more slack, or sit with the activity.

3. Front raises. Standing on the tube, holding the tube with both arms. Palms face the front of your thighs. Lift your arms as if you’re turning into a Zombie, with straight elbows to about 87 degrees if front of your body. Hold at the top point, and slowly release the tube back to the front of your thighs. This can be done one arm at a time with the resistance is too strong with your tube, just move a bit of tube to that side to give yourself more slack, or sit with the activity. You can also place one leg out the the side to increase the use of the core and engage your balance.

4. Upright row. Standing on the tube, holding the tube with both arms bring it up under your chin with the palms down. Your elbows should be out to the sides at the end point, hold under the chin, then slowly release the tube back to the front of your body.

5. Bicep curls. Standing on the tube, holding the tube with both arms and palms up. Engage the core and pull the palms towards the chest bending at the elbows to perform a bicep curl. Slowly lower to the start position.

6. Triceps Extension. Standing on the tube in a tandem foot lunge position. Bend the elbows and have them pointed to the sky, with the arms behind the back. Extend the arms and straighten them to perform a triceps extension. If you feel like you are arching your back, extend the lunge of use a less resistant tube. Triceps can also be done in a lunge position with one arm at a time if the double position is too difficult to maintain.

7. Seated rows. Sit in long sitting as pictured below, with the resistance tube under your feet. Grab the tube at a place to have enough resistance for the row. The band I used was easy, so I needed to reach closer to my feet to get enough resistance. Do one set with the palms at waist level palms facing the body. The second set can be palms down and elbows out pulling towards the armpit.

8. Standing one arm rows. Stand on the band in a tandem lunge position, supporting the back with one arm bent at the elbow resting on your thigh. The other arm will hold the tube. Bring the elbow to your side holding the resistance tube. Your elbow will remain bent. Reach towards the floor and pull the elbow back with the tube as if starting a lawn mower or chain saw in slow motion. This should be a slow and controlled movement.

I hope these ideas help you with a TV time workout, or one that can travel well. There are soooo many exercises that can be done using resistance tubes!

Plan on doing sets of 10-15 for toning and endurance work, sets of 8-12 for more power and bulk. Start with one set and work to fatigue within the recommended repetition ranges. If you cannot make the low end, the band it too heavy, try a lighter resistance. If you can do 30 reps, the band is too easy, go heavier. Work to 3 sets of each exercise. A day of rest doing the same exercise (or muscle group) is recommended to allow the body to heal and rebuild. That is how you progress with a program. On the “off” days, do other exercises such as yoga, cardio or a lower body program.

For a complete workout plan, feel free to contact me! I am a certified personal trainer and can customize a workout especially for you! Fees are required, as well as a complete health history form. Please use the form at the end of the home page for any questions or to respond to my monthly survey question. You can directly email me at Janelleb.Baldwin@SoulistcWell-Being.com or text 920-933-0856 with your name , question and best time to reach you.