Light weight, easily stored and capable of strengthening all major muscles groups--resistance bands benefit exercisers and athletes of all ability levels. The American College of Sports Medicine says that resistance bands first gained popularity as a way for elderly individuals to strength train but now are much more widely used. If you are just beginning strength training, need strength equipment that travels easily or are rehabbing an injury, resistance bands can help you.
Chest Press
Chest presses work the chest muscles and shoulders. The American Council on Exercise says a resistance band chest press strengthens these muscles too. From a standing position, grasp your resistance band in each hand and wrap it around your back. Move the resistance band until it stretches across your back at chest level. Flex your elbows to a 90-degree angle and lift them to chest height. Hold the band with your palms facing the floor. Straighten your arms until they fully extend perpendicular to your chest. Keep a slight flex in your elbows to keep from hyper-extending them and then slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Exercise Band Squats
Squats develop strength in major muscle groups like your quads and glutes. Exercise band squats offer more resistance than body weight squats while not requiring the barbell, weight plates and weight rack that barbell squats require. The American Council on Exercise says to perform exercise band squats stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the band under both your foot arches. Grasp one end of the resistance band in each hand and contract your abs--hold this contraction throughout the exercise to help keep a straight back. Lower your body until your legs bend at a 90-degree angle. Keep your weight back on your heels so that your shins stay as perpendicular to the ground as possible. If your knees move in front of your toes you do not have your weight back far enough. From the down position extend your legs back up--you should be pressing up from your heels--until back to the starting position.
Curl Up
While squats work mainly your quads and qlutes, the hamstring curl targets the back of your thigh. Secure one end of your resistance band--at foot height--to something stable such as a bedpost. Attach the other end to your ankle. Take a prone--on your stomach--position on the floor with your feet extended and hip-width apart. Tighten your abs and hold the contraction throughout the exercise. Bend your knee to curl your foot with the cable attached. You should feel tension in your hamstring as you move your heel closer to your butt. Be sure to not allow your thigh to lift off of the ground as you bend your knee. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. After you finish working one leg move the resistance band to the other foot and repeat the exercise on that leg.
Member Comments