Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
Baby J and I are spending three weeks with Hubby, and we’re living out of what is, essentially, an extended stay hotel. When you’re traveling, it’s nearly impossible to pack up your free weights and bring them with, especially if you’re flying! That can be problematic for someone like me, who’s trying to build muscle.
Even when I’m at home, I don’t always have gym access and many times I end up working out in our living room. There’s not a lot of space. Resistance bands are great because they’re lightweight and small, but still bring an extra oomph to your workout by providing resistance during strength training. They’re also inexpensive. The band I’m reviewing is currently on sale for $14.99.
Resistance bands are made of rubber with handles on the ends. The DynaPro ProGrade resistance bands are 100 percent latex dipped. The idea is this makes their bands more durable than standard bands. A durable band means the resistance during use is more consistent, and the band itself is less likely to snap.
The band I’m reviewing is the medium band, which provides a resistance of 20 lbs. DynaPro also sells 10 lbs. and 30 lbs. bands.
If you’re not sure how to use a resistance band, a quick Internet search will result in dozens of exercises to help you workout your whole body. Here are a few photos of me in action, in our hotel room. If I look like my form is wrong, it might be! I’m new to resistance bands.
Left: squat with overhead press (It’s not a very low squat, I know…I was in the process of squatting when Hubby took the photo!) -Top Right: Lunge with biceps curl -Bottom Right: Row
One thing I’ve really been trying to do lately with my workouts is mix things up. I have to, or my body will “plateau,” and I’ll stop seeing results. I like that the resistance bands open up a plethora of workout possibilities that I can rotate through. It also keeps me from getting bored. 🙂
The handles are very comfortable, and the band also features adjustable attachment (see photo below) that allows you to adjust the length of the band.
If you’d like to know more about these resistance bands, visit DynaProDirect.com. You can purchase the bands directly from (affiliate link>) Amazon.
Flash Giveaway:
Want to win a resistance band from DynaPro? Enter this flash giveaway below! US only. Ends March 18 at 9pm Central Time.
This giveaway has a very quick turnaround, so I’ve included a mandatory entry that asks for your name and shipping address. This information will ONLY be used if you’re the winner. It will be given immediately to the sponsor, so they can ship your prize. If you don’t feel comfortable submitting that info, that is fine, you can let me know, by typing that into the box. However, if you’re then selected as the winner, I will send you an email, and you will only have 12 hours to respond, or I will randomly select someone else. So if you prefer to not share your details with me unless you’re the winner, I understand…but stick by your email once this giveaway has closed!
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Note: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
This week has flown by, hasn’t it?! Or maybe it just seems like that because Baby J and I are visiting Hubby in Florida this week. 🙂 Hubby still doesn’t have orders to his next duty station, and he’s done here in 2 weeks. Craziness! Wherever we end up, I hope the base or naval station has a Family Fitness Center like the one I’ve been using this week, because it’s awesome!
Sweaty me in our hotel room after one of my gym workouts at the Family Fitness Center this week.
So one of the local naval station gyms back home in Hampton Roads has a tiny family fitness room. There are a few treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes, and then some dumbbells. That’s pretty much it. The room also has two gated areas to stick your kids in (divided by age). There are no toys, just some soft, stackable kids furniture that holds onto filth. But I’ve used it a few times during the cold weather. It’s much better than nothing.
Well, here in Pensacola, one of the naval stations has a family fitness center. It’s two large, well-equipped rooms with all sorts of machines and dumbbells. There’s plenty of room to work out. Alongside the main room are two raised platforms that are encircled with plexiglass to enclose your kids. And there are lots of toys! Baby J’s been doing really well in there. Most of the time, he’s alone, but occasionally there have been other kids.
One day Baby J was getting really fussy playing alone, so the lady in charge told me I could take him down in the weights area with me, since I was the only one working out down there. He was trying to do BOSU squats and donkey kicks like Mama! It’s been a really fun week.
Activity:
Well, as I mentioned above, we’ve been going to the Family Fitness Center while staying here in Pensacola. It’s open Monday-Thursday, so we went every day. I was able to get 15-20 minutes of cardio in every day on the elliptical, treadmill, Stair Master, or a combo of the three. In addition to the cardio, I also did strength training every time for about 45-60 minutes. Monday and Wednesday I focused on arms and abs. I concentrated on legs and butt Tuesday and Thursday. I know I need to do more exercises targeted specifically toward my back, but I have no idea what to do. Time to hit up more YouTube videos!
I’m pleased with what I did this week, but definitely feel that there’s room for improvement. My foot has held up okay. It occasionally hurts, but I can’t always figure out what’s causing it to flare up. Yesterday afternoon it didn’t hurt after working out, but today it started throbbing after I walked around my hotel room barefooted for a few minutes. It also started hurting after I drove for 30 minutes one day. The good news is that it hasn’t gotten worse, and I think it’s gotten better.
Today, I’m relaxing and letting my body have a break, since I was really tired at the gym yesterday after just a few minutes of exercise. Tomorrow morning I hope to run outside, while my husband watches Baby J for me. I’d love to put 4 miles in, but if my foot starts to hurt, I’ll have to stop. There are some trails around here that are lined with wood chips, dirt, and grass, so I’ll try one of those. Those surfaces should be much better for my foot than asphalt or concrete.
Diet:
Oh dear, I didn’t do so well at the beginning of this week. Saturday was a difficult day since we were flying out here, but I did well until we arrived and Hubby’s friends were grilling outside the hotel. And there were potato chips. I just can’t resist them. Then on Sunday, we went out to eat after church. Hubby’s friends wanted to go to Sonny’s BBQ. Maybe I should’ve stuck with the salad bar, but everything smelt so yummy, and I love barbecue and southern food. Bring me some biscuits and fried okra any day, mmmmmm. Monday I tried really hard all day to be good, and I was. But Hubby (against my pleading) bought Nutella. I had one little taste and it was over. Two or three Nutella sandwiches later, I was feeling horrible about myself.
But I determined I’d do better, and I have these last few days. I’ve been eating plenty of veggies and the right amount of carbs. I’m still probably eating too much saturated fat, and I’m having trouble getting enough protein. So I need to keep working on those too. I’m still researching protein shakes. I drank a ton of water this week, and sometimes I have trouble hydrating, so that’s good.
Stats:
I was planning on posting “after” photos of myself to compare to my “before” shots back on Fitness Friday January 10. I had Hubby snap a few photos of me in the same workout clothes last night, but I eventually decided to not share them. I look the same! Well, I might look a little smaller around the hips, and my backside might be a little perkier, but that could also be the angle of the camera. My arms do not look any more muscular in my new photos. *insert sad face here*
Although I did feel bummed for a few minutes, I reminded myself that my clothes are fitting looser now. So even if I look the same or almost the same in photos, I know that I’ve been toning (i.e. BUILDING MUSCLE). That’s what matters.
Weight:
I decided I’m not going to update this anymore. It’s no longer an accurate measurement of my fitness level.
Measurements: (Taken according to Weight Watchers guidelines.)
Previous Measurements (2/7/14):
Height: 5’10″
Weight: 149lbs.
Upper Arm: 11″
Abdomen: 33.5″
Waist: 30″
Hips: 36.5″
Thighs: 22″
Today’s Measurements (3/7/14):
Height: 5’10”
Weight: N/A
Upper Arm: 10 7/8″
Abdomen: 33.5″
Waist 29.5″
Hips: 36.5″
Thighs 23.5″
As you can see by my measurements, either I’m not making much progress at all, or I’m really terrible at taking measurements! I don’t know what else to do other than keeping plugging away, hoping that I’ll see some significant difference in those measurements eventually.
Goals:
I’d like to see my arm measurements go up a little- with muscle! I’d like to see another inch come off my waist, and I definitely would like to lose inches off my hips. I think my hips are going to be the last to lose fat, and that may not happen until after I’m done having kids.
As I’ve mentioned, in spite of the numbers on the measuring tape or the scale, my jeans are fitting looser, so I know I’m losing fat and gaining muscle. I’m happy that I’m making progress. I’m getting stronger; I can lift heavier and do more reps. But if I’m honest with myself, I’m not working as hard as I could. I’ve always lacked discipline when exercising, so my fitness journey really is a work in progress for me. I’m thankful for the women both online and in real life that inspire and motivate me to keep going.
Fitspiration/Fitness Stuff I’m Loving:
I’m still watching Brenda Leigh Turner’s videos for motivation and workout ideas. I also LOVE this blog post by Jen Sinkler, “Strong Isn’t Really the New Sexy/Skinny.”
Join in:
If you’re a blogger, link up your FF post at my two favorite Fitness Friday linkys- JillConyers.com and WeDontHaveItAll.com. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to let us know in the comments below how you’re doing with your health and fitness goals.
How was your week? Any fun plans for this weekend?
