I Live In a Van and My Entire Home Gym Fits In a Tiny 10-Liter Camp Box
In the age of hyper-consumerism, let’s do more with less.
I’m convinced I may own the world’s tiniest home gym — and I feel fitter and healthier than I have in a long time.
Backstory: I recently moved into a camper van full-time and, as badly as I wanted a set of adjustable dumbbells, I simply couldn’t make the necessary space for them. Space can be an issue when you live in a less-than-100-square-foot space with two humans, two cats, and a dog.
Not being able to bring “real” weights was an anxiety factor for me, because I love strength training and am well-educated on its importance, especially for women and even more especially for women as they age. I am a woman who isn’t getting younger, so strength training is a priority for me.
I had to figure out a way to bring resistance training tools with me on the road, because I wasn’t willing to give up one goal (traveling and escaping the city) for another (strength and mobility).
I had to get creative. I had to go super duper tiny.
So, I figured out how to stuff more than 20 distinct strength training tools into a tiny camping storage box with a 10-liter carrying capacity. (That’s about the size of a large lunchbox.)
(This post contains links that may earn me a small commission when you, the reader, purchases through them. These are products I actually use, but this post isn’t about the products: It’s about staying fit with less. My goal above all else is that this post brings value to you, whether or not you feel called to make a purchase.)
Resistance Bands: Royalty of Compact Home Gym Equipment
My small home gym (or van gym, if you will) consists of several items, but almost 100% of those items fall under one category of exercise equipment: resistance bands.
I used to hate on resistance bands, passing them up in the gym daily for barbells, weight plates, dumbbells, and kettlebells. I’d use them for warmups or mobility work and that’s it. Resistance bands were an accessory item to me, not the centerpiece of my fitness routine.
I’d programmed resistance band exercises for my personal training clients many times before, often using them as modifications for free weight exercises that my clients weren’t ready to perform yet.
But I never really used them for myself, thinking I was too advanced or too strong for them.
That changed when I moved out of the city and into my van, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that resistance bands can kick your butt if you program the movements right. I now spend most of my days in remote wilderness, getting smoked by rubber bands for an hour a day.
What’s In the World’s Tiniest Home Gym?
Back to my teeny-tiny-itty-bitty home gym. Here’s a look at what’s in the 10-liter camp box.
Straight Resistance Bands
Straight resistance bands are simple pieces of stretchy material. They’re often called physical therapy bands or Theraband(s), the latter of which is actually a brand name. They are commonly latex, but you can find non-latex ones if you have a latex allergy.
I use the Gaiam Restore Strength and Flexibility Kit, which comes with three straight bands labeled light, medium, and heavy. These are latex bands — here’s a non-latex alternative.
I actually picked up these Gaiam bands in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when gym equipment was extremely scarce. I’ve had them for more than three years now and have used them for warmups and stretching quite often, and they show no real signs of wear.
Three years is an impressive lifespan for an oft-used resistance band!
Use straight resistance bands for:
- Warmup exercises
- Shoulder isolation exercises, such as lateral raises and pull-aparts
- Stretching exercises
Long Loop Resistance Bands
I get the most use out of my long looped resistance bands. I use the Power Guidance pull-up assist bands, which I scooped up on Amazon a couple of years ago for that specific purpose: assistance with pull-ups.
Now, I use them for multiple upper-body and lower-body exercises.
With the right configuration, you can mimic almost any exercise you can think of with a long looped resistance band. The tricky part is figuring out how and where to anchor them in order to perform the desired movement pattern.
For several exercises, you can use your feet as the anchors. For instance, to do a squat, simply stand on the resistance band with both feet in your normal squat stance. Then, bend over, loop the other end of the band around your neck, and stand up to create tension. From there, you can perform your squats. And they will burn!
Use long loop resistance bands for:
- Mimicking most compound lifting exercises (squats, shoulder press, good mornings, etc)
- Single-joint exercises (biceps curls, triceps extensions)
- Unilateral exercises (lunges, single-arm shoulder press)
Hip or Glute Bands
Often called “booty bands,” these small, fabric resistance bands are great for functional hip movements and glute isolation exercises. These certainly serve a more distinct purpose, but I’m very glad to have them, as it’s hard to isolate the glutes and smaller hip muscles without specialized equipment.
With hip bands, I can do a variety of exercises I can’t do with the other types of bands. For example, hip bands are perfect for hip abduction exercises and glute kick-backs or donkey kicks.
I use the Bret Contreras Glute Loops, another COVID purchase of mine, and they have held up wonderfully over the years. Truthfully, they probably went a full year with zero use at all, but still. I can honestly say I’m glad to have them now, and they’re the best glute bands I’ve ever used. I recommend them over other options, but they are pricey, and there are many less expensive options you can get on Amazon.
Use hip bands for:
- Hip abduction exercises
- Glute isolation exercises
Tube Resistance Bands
Tube bands are a newer addition to my kit. I picked up the Centr Workout Kit from a Walmart in the Middle of Nowhere, USA, in between filling up my van’s water tank and grabbing groceries. I wasn’t expecting much, and I’m surprised at how much use I’ve gotten out of these bands already.
Between the bands and the various attachments, such as the small straight bar, ankle straps, and handles, I can perform virtually any exercise I’d do in a normal gym setting. With the tube bands and attachments, I do a lot of what I can do with the looped resistance bands, so I wouldn’t say that this kit is a must-have.
That said, I really like the additional versatility and ability to do more unilateral (single-arm or single-leg) movements with ease. If you don’t care for the attachments, you can pick up tube resistance bands with handles on Amazon or, likely, your local sporting goods store.
Use tube resistance bands for:
- Most compound (multi-joint) movements
- Most unilateral (single-arm or single-leg) movements
Resistance Band Accessories
You can do a lot with resistance bands on their own, but some accessories can open up your world of fitness possibilities even more.
A multi-position door anchor, for instance, allows resistance bands to function much like a functional trainer or cable machine. With this, depending on the types of bands you have, you’d easily be able to perform exercises like triceps pull-downs, biceps curls, glute kickbacks, chest flys, rear delt pulls, straight-arm lat pull-downs, and much more.
A small straight bar, like the one I have from the Centr Workout Kit, makes exercises like shoulder presses and chest presses simpler to do with resistance bands.
For even more versatility, consider a resistance band accessory kit with door anchors, ankle straps, and unilateral handles.
And, if you don’t live in a van and need to smash your gym equipment into a 10-liter camp box, I might suggest a resistance band organizer.
Smarter Sweat Takeaway: Resistance Bands for the Win
I feel stronger, happier, and healthier working out with 10 liters worth of gym equipment than I ever have with unlimited access to barbells, weight plates, machines, dumbbells, and kettlebells.
Are the resistance bands the reason for that? No — living life on my own terms and having consistent access to natural spaces are the reasons for that.
But the resistance bands are symbolic of that. The bands are symbolic of the fact that we can do more with less; that we don’t need 5,000-square-foot fitness facilities with every machine under the sun in order to stay fit and healthy.
If you’re training for sport, that’s different, of course. Specialized goals require specialized protocols and, often, specialized equipment. But my current goal (and I’d venture to say it’s most people’s goal) of keeping fit, staying strong, and prioritizing my health and wellbeing doesn’t require much more than resistance bands.
FAQs: Resistance Bands for Strength Training
Are Resistance Bands Effective?
The definition of “effective” in this case depends on your individual fitness goals. If your goals involve becoming a powerlifting athlete or improving at CrossFit, then no, resistance bands are unlikely to be effective for you. However, if your goals involve consistent, simple strength training and simply strength training for health and longevity, then yes, resistance bands are effective.
What Can You Do With Resistance Bands?
You can do all sorts of things with resistance bands. In fact, you can mimic nearly every single exercise you can do with a barbell or dumbbell with a resistance band. I use bands almost every day to add resistance to squats, shoulder presses, chest presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions, hip abductions, and more.
