The Centers for Disease Control recommends at least two days a week of muscle-building exercise to help maintain a healthy weight, improve bone density, tone arms and legs, manage chronic pain and reduce the symptoms of depression. Regardless of whether you choose the gym or home to exercise, strength comes from lifting something such as a dumbbell, your body weight or resistance tubing to build muscle.
Types
You find resistance tubing in various forms and levels of resistance. Some come longer and thicker with handles on the end. Others come flat in various lengths, usually without handles. Many physical therapists use this type of tubing. More sophisticated tubing comes with attachments such as handles or ankle cuffs. Figure-eight tubes and round tubes with ankle cuffs are used in lower-body exercises. For added variety, purchase a door attachment.
Benefits
Resistance tubing provides an inexpensive, effective alternative to other forms of strength training. Since tubing comes in compact form, it travels well. Tubing requires more coordination and stabilization due to the constant resistance throughout each exercise. By adding intensity to basic movements, beginners and advanced exercisers benefit from using resistance tubing. Changing your positioning and movement pattern creates a different challenge for your muscles. With dumbbells, your body must be working against gravity, which limits the variety in your exercises.
Sample Upper Body Exercises
Resistance tubing provides numerous exercise options, including upper-body exercises. Wrap the tube around your feet or a solid anchor near the floor. Pull the tube back, squeezing your shoulder blades. For the chest press, stand up and find a solid object or door anchor to secure the tube about chest height. Turn your back facing the anchor point and grab the handles so your hands are just below the shoulders, under the armpits. Press out till your arms a straight.
Misconceptions
Many people shy away from using resistance tubing for strength training because it is typically associated with rehabilitation. But it actually is an effective muscle-building tool because it comes in many levels of difficulty. You can make adjustments by grabbing the tube to make it shorter or by simply getting a more challenging tube. Tubing provides a progressive resistance so the workout can challenge your muscles more than standard dumbbells.
Precautions
Use slow and controlled movements just as you would with other forms of strength training. Learn correct form for all exercises. If you do an exercise requiring standing on the tube, put the tube under the arch of your foot so it stays in place. Also, attach it securely to the door. The tube can snap out of place if it is not secured. The tubes can break if they are stretched too far, used too long or kept in extreme temperatures, so inspect each one before using it. Keep tubing away from heat, cold and sunlight to prevent breakdown.
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