Resistance bands have become a popular fitness tool for those who do not have the ability to go to the gym or as a way to lesson the risk of injury. While bands are primarily used for upper body movements, they can be a great way to strengthen the lower body without putting a barbell on your back or struggling with bulky leg press machines.
Progressive Resistance
The magic of resistance bands is in the progressive resistance they offer. At the beginning of the lift, when momentum is not a factor, and only a minority of the muscle has been engaged, the band is only slightly stretched, therefore resistance is not high. As more muscle fibers are engaged, the band tightens and resistance is greatly increased. Progressive resistance allows the muscle to be properly stressed throughout all points of the range of motion.
Resisted Squats
Squats are widely known to be great exercises for the lower body. The potential risk of placing a loaded barbell on your back, though, can be too great for many to perform the exercise. Resisted squats are done by standing on the middle of the band and holding the handles at shoulder height. For added resistance you can straighten your arms. The technique of a resisted squat is identical to that of a barbell squat, yet the load on the knees, especially at the bottom of the lift, is greatly reduced.
Calf Extensions
Using resistance bands to perform the traditional calf extension creates long muscles in the lower leg that look strong, but not bulky. You can lie on the middle of the bank and hook your feet in the handles of the band, or, for more control, you can hold one end of the band and perform unilateral movements. This gives you direct control over the resistance applied to the calf.
Hip Abduction
A great exercise for the outer hip muscles is the abduction. Most often this movement is performed on a machine, but the muscle is markedly less stable at the beginning of the movement; using a band allows the greatest stress to the muscle throughout the movement. This exercise can be done sitting with the legs in front and the feet in the handles of the band. Holding the slack of the band in your hands with arms extended, move both legs out wide to stress the abductor muscles in the hip. As a change up, you can perform the movement unilaterally by lying on your side and raising one leg at a time.
Leg Curl
Leg curls target the hamstrings. Instead of machines that can cause stress on the knees, resistance bands can be used in less awkward positions. When standing, hook a foot in a handle of the band and stand on the band with the other foot. The closer to the handle you stand, the greater the resistance. Bend your knee and bring your heel to your glutes to stress the hamstrings.
Member Comments