Resistance bands are a convenient, portable and effective way to strength train almost every muscle in the body, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic. Originally utilized by physical therapists for use with people recovering from injury, they are now regularly used for group exercise classes, personal training sessions and home workouts. Purchase resistance bands at sporting goods stores or online.
Features
Usually made of latex, resistance bands stretch like a rubber band but offer more tension and durability. Most resistance bands feature handles to assist grip during strength training routines. Resistance bands come in different tension levels to accommodate multiple fitness levels that are color-coded depending on the manufacturer. They are inexpensive and take up very little space. Resistance tubing workouts may be enhanced with the use of accessories like a shoulder bar and a door attachment.
Benefits
Strength training offers multiple benefits, including improved daily function, protection against osteoporosis and better body composition. Resistance tubing is portable and easily stored. It can be stashed in a suitcase for travel workouts or in a desk drawer in your office for a quick mid-day strength session. Resistance tubing offers tension during both phases of an exercise, so you are constantly working against resistance. This offers benefit over dumbbell or barbell training in which momentum kicks in during the lifting or lowering phase of an exercise.
Exercise Examples
Almost all exercises done with free weights or weight machines may be done with an exercise tube. The American Council on Exercise recommends a total body workout that includes the seated row, bench press, military press, triceps extension, biceps curl, squats and kneeling crunches. Resistance tubing is a good tool for compound strength moves in which you work two or more different muscle groups at the same time. Examples of these exercises would be a plie squat while stretching the tube in front of your body to work the back of the shoulders or a stationary lunge while anchoring the tube with one foot to perform front arm raises. Beginners will see results from one set of 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. As you progress, include two or three sets and move up in tubing tension to always feel challenge in the last two or three repetitions of each set.
Form Tips
Carol Murphy, a master trainer featured on the Idea Fit website, recommends executing resistance tubing exercises in a controlled, slow manner in order to reap the most benefits. When using a resistance tube, good strength training form rules apply. Try to stand upright and lightly contract the abdominals. Always avoid hyperextending or locking of the the elbows, wrists, knees and hips. Beginners may benefit from anchoring the tube under just one foot, while intermediate and advanced exercise may stand on the tube with both feet. To make an exercise more challenging, choke up on your hold to shorten the length of the band, or move to one with higher tension.
Safety
Before any strength training routine, be sure to warm up with a march or brisk walk for five or ten minutes. Regularly inspect your tubing for potential weak spots where the tubing might split or snap. Always anchor your tubing on smooth surfaces and floors, as concrete or other rough surfaces wear away at the latex.
Member Comments