Buzzapp Master 
While it may sound like a worn-out New Year’s resolution, I decided to ramp up my fitness game this year. My usual routine consists of home workouts that conveniently fit into my daily schedule, but sometimes they lack the oomph of a gym session.
As much as I’d love a fully-stocked home gym, space constraints make it impossible to hoard dumbbells or bulky equipment. That’s where the Les Mills SHAPES Bundle 2.0 comes in, featuring two compact pieces of equipment that have significantly amped up my workout intensity and can be easily tucked away in a drawer.
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Currently discounted from £64 to £55, the Les Mills SHAPES Bundle 2.0 includes three varying resistance bands and a set of bamboo sliders that can be seamlessly integrated into your existing exercise regimen for an added challenge. The bundle also throws in a three-month Les Mills Premium membership, offering a whole host of engaging workouts to follow.
I tried out the Les Mills Shapes bundle 2.0 with my home workouts
(Image: Faith Richardson)
The resistance bands were a fantastic addition to my workout arsenal. They come in three different “strengths” – light, medium, and heavy, suitable for a wide range of exercises, reports the Mirror. Whether you’re looking to intensify your glute bridges and squats by wearing them around your thighs, or mimic a gym fly machine by placing them around your forearms, these bands are a game-changer. These were so easy to incorporate into my routine as they can be rolled up super small and stashed in a gym bag or tucked away with your mat and trainers.
They’re also fab for tracking progress, as you can step up the band strength once you start feeling stronger. They’re super handy for dynamic warm-ups pre-workout, boosting strength and flexibility, and the rubber grips on the inside are a godsend, preventing the bands from slipping around on your body or dropping down while you move.
The Les Mills resistance bands were brilliant at levelling up my workout intenstiy
(Image: Les Mills)
The kit also includes bamboo sliders, which can ramp up the intensity of your workout and aid with things like core strengthening, increasing your range of motion and making simple exercises more challenging. You can use them to slide your leg out into a lunge instead of stepping, or with planks and push-ups to move your hands or legs outwards to build core stability.
The concept behind them is that they push you to use all your muscles during the movement, rather than just one or two isolated muscles. Although they’re marketed as being usable on all surfaces, I must confess they didn’t slide too well on my medium-pile carpet. However, when I tried them on a hardwood floor they were fantastic, so that’s something worth bearing in mind when you’re setting up your workout zone.
Both items fit neatly inside mesh bags and take up minimal space
(Image: Faith Richardson)
If you’re after sliders that glide effortlessly on carpet, the Peachy Bay Core Sliders for Carpet and Hardwood Floor, priced at £6.79 on Amazon, have received glowing reviews from users who’ve found they work on all types of carpet. If you’d rather just incorporate the bands into your workout, you can slso purchase them separately from Les Mills, with the set of three Sculpt Bands costing £45.
Both items also come in a convenient mesh bag, making it easy to keep them together and toss into a bag, cupboard or drawer. I’ve certainly enjoyed incorporating both items into my recent exercise routines, and they’ve helped me feel like even my home workouts are more intense without requiring additional workout time.
Shop the Les Mills SHAPES Bundle 2.0 on sale now.
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