Connect exercise tubing or bands to push and pull against a buddy’s resistance, work muscles in two directions and help each other stretch. Tip: Maintain consistent tension without over or under-powering each other and match your partner’s speed. Use equal strength bands or mix and match stronger or weaker bands as needed. Do some repetitions moving in the same direction and some moving the opposite way for a unique and fun training effect.
Chest Flys with Pec Stretches
1. Stand or sit back-to-back far enough apart to feel tension on tubing, arms opened to sides at shoulder level. Keeping elbows bent as though hugging a tree, move arms forward and back against each other’s tension. Repeat 10 times.
2. Opposite movement: one partner presses forward while
the other is pulled into a chest stretch. Repeat 10 times.
Ab Roll Down with Bicep Curls
1. Begin seated on floor, facing each other, arms extended with slight tension on the bands. Bend your elbows and roll down away from one another. Once lying down, extend and bend your arms again before rolling back up. Extend and bend your arms at the top and bottom of each rep. Repeat 10 times.
2. Alternate one person rolling back while the other rolls upright. Continue to do a biceps curl before rolling back and rolling up. Repeat 10 times.
Low Rows with Upper Back Rows
1. Facing each other, arms extended with tension on the tubing, pull tubing back, elbows bending to your sides. Alternate with upper back rows by pulling elbows horizontally at shoulder level. 1 low row + 1 high row = 1 rep.
2. Next, one person rows low with elbows in while the other rows high with elbows out. Repeat 10 times.
Lat Pullovers with Hip Lifts and Triceps Extensions
1. Lie down head-to-head. Extend arms straight up and reposition to be sure there is tension on tubing. Pull arms down in front of body until they are by your sides while lifting hips into a bridge. Repeat 10 times.
2. Do 10 more reps alternating on one leg during each bridge.
3. For triceps, keep arms straight at sides, bend and straighten only at the elbows. Do 10 reps away from one another, then alternate so one person bends while the other straightens. Repeat 10 times.
Leg Presses with Crunches
1. Lie down with tubing handles secured on feet. Do not lift shins higher than parallel to ground to prevent slipping. Move knees in toward chest and adjust distance so tension is felt on tubes. With hands behind head, lift heads and shoulders off the mat. Return head back as legs extend out. Repeat 10 times.
2. Next, lift head and shoulders up when legs are pressed out and down when
legs are in. Repeat 10 times.
3. Finish with 10 reps each of exercises 1 and 2 above with one person pressing legs out while the other brings legs in, getting and giving a lower back stretch.
