"It's too expensive to join a health club."

"I don't have time."

"There's not enough space in my apartment."

"I work long hours, and I'm always at the office until late at night."

"I don't know where to start."

OK, folks. Listen up. We're about to take away those excuses. Here's a simple "no excuses" program. It costs less than $25 for the equipment, and there are no monthly dues. It takes half an hour, tops. It can be done anywhere, anytime, even in a tiny office, apartment or hotel room.

Luke Kanehiro ends his rowing exercise and begins the back lunge in the same position. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Two martial-arts experts who are in Chong's conditioning class at a local dojang, Bryce Goo of Palolo and Luke Kanehiro of Makiki, joined in to demonstrate the exercises. Goo and Kanehiro are both second-degree black belts in tae kwon do, and Kanehiro also has a first-degree black belt in hapkido, a martial art that originated in Korea.

Goo and Kanehiro are are musicians in a heavy-metal band called Stigmata. While rock musicians are more commonly thought of in terms of unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking, doing drugs and overdoing life in general, these two have made health and fitness priorities.

How-to

All you need is a tube or band that comes in several widths, shapes and styles. They're called Xertubes, Theraband, Dynaband and Fitness Tubes by their various manufacturers.

Kanehiro demonstrates the end position of the backward lunge. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Be sure to test before you buy. Chong warned that the resistance at the beginning of a movement with tubing is always less than at the end, so go slowly and test the entire range of motion for a given exercise. When choosing your bands, look for a strength that enables you to complete the whole movement without straining any muscles. Also, be sure to check your bands before each session to make sure there aren't any tears or weak spots that might break when the tubing is stretched.

Chong also advocates "training opposing motions." Here's how he explains it: "If you're pulling in one direction, then you have to push in another equally. You don't necessarily have to go in the same order, but over the course of your training, be sure to balance how much you are doing on each side. Balance is key."

While we had the benefit of poles in the Immortal Spirit Martial Arts Academy, a furniture leg also works just fine. For overhead pulls, you can use a closet pole or sturdy clothes hanger over the door; just draw the band through the hanger.

Of course, there are dozens of exercises and stretches that can be done with these bands. These are just a few, but they cover the "must do" muscles.

Bryce Goo begins the chest press. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Muscles worked: Shoulders.

Method: Stand with both feet on the band, shoulder width apart. Start with arms at your sides and raise your arms out laterally, and slightly to the front, to create a "T" shape with your body.

Watch out for: To increase the resistance, stand with feet further apart. Test the width with one repetition before continuing.

2) Rowing:

Muscles worked: Middle to upper back and back of shoulder.

Method: Standing up straight, or seated with legs either crossed or extended in front of you on the floor, start your arms in full extension, the same position as when you finished the chest press. Pull back as if you're rowing a boat, with forearms parallel to the floor and back straight through the entire motion.

Watch out for: Stop when your elbows reach your sides.

At the Immortal Spirit Martial Arts Academy, Bryce Goo demonstrates the ending position of the side or shoulder raise. Luke Kanehiro uses Xertubes to demonstrate working the upper back and biceps. You may also perform this sequence sitting on a chair and increase resistance by taking both handles in one hand. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Muscles worked: Everything from the waist down, including hips, thighs, hamstrings and calves. This is a little easier on the body than the front lunge.

Method: Start standing with feet together and lunge back with one foot. When you get to the bottom, the front knee should be over the front ankle, the front thigh should be relatively parallel to the floor and the back foot should be on the ball of the foot.

Watch out for: If your front knee goes beyond your front toes, or if your front knee is bent more than about 90 degrees, the pressure on the knee is increased and can cause injury.

4) Chest press:

Muscles worked: Pectorals, triceps.

Method: With elbows just below shoulder height, wrists parallel to elbows, and forearms perpendicular to the trunk, push arms straight forward until arms are completely extended.

Watch out for: The distance from the pole determines resistance. Test before you go through the entire motion. As you tire, it's easy to drop the elbows or wrists, or to start leaning backward. If this happens, you can be putting an excess strain on the shoulders or low back.

Optional additional exercise, the close-grip chest press: Start with your elbows close to your body for more tricep work and end up in the same position as with the chest press.

5) Lat pull down:

Muscles worked: Upper back and biceps.

Method: Loop the band over a closet rail. You can also perform this exercise seated on a chair or on the floor. Start with your arms outstretched and overhead, then lower your arms down to just below your chin, as if doing a pull-up, so that you end up with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width.

Note: You can increase the resistance by putting both handles in one hand.