As TechRadar’s fitness editor and someone who’s been writing about health and health tech for almost a decade, I’m no stranger to the inside of a gym. However, I’ve just moved cities, and the nearest gym has gone from a short walk to a short drive away. It’s an extra barrier to get there, and it’s not always convenient to get up and drive to the gym, then drive back, before starting work.
Fortunately, fitness kit is on offer in the Amazon Prime Day sales that is helping me adjust to my new reality: resistance bands. Lifetime lifters are going to scoff at this, but hear me out: a full set is under $30 / £30, it requires no storage space, and all you need is a little bit of creativity to eke a lot of resistance out from them.
For example, I currently have a set of tube resistance bands (this TheFitLife set to be exact, which costs $24.98 – down from $36.68 – in the US and £29.99 in the UK, down from £38.99) with a set of foot straps. By attaching the two thickest tubes to the foot straps and wrapping the bands around my hands, I can do seated or bent-over rows with as much resistance as I was getting by using a barbell in the gym. Using the foot straps and the door hook, I can do rear flys, bicep curls, lateral raises… all the stuff I’d normally do in my usual pull-day gym session.
To exercise my triceps and chest, I combine press-ups with overhead presses, tricep extensions, and floor presses. I’m not using the included handles much, as the tubes are long enough as is, and you want a good stretch while using them. Squats or split-squats are done by looping the band over my shoulders or arms while they’re attached to my feet, and pressing upwards into the resistance. This is a bit trickier, but as a temporary solution, before I find my new gym, it allows me to train in a new way with a new type of resistance, while not losing my gains.
Check out the resistance bands deals below, in the US and the UK. If you’re new to exercising at home, this is the perfect solution. If you’re a seasoned lifter, get a set anyway and get a quick workout in at home, on vacation, or whenever you just can’t get to the gym because life is getting in the way.