What Kind Of Exercise Can You Do With Resistance Bands?

Resistance bands offer a portable and inexpensive way to incorporate strength training and toning moves into your weekly workouts. Rubber resistance bands can stretch in almost any way imaginable, making them an ideal choice if you want to vary your workouts and use one piece of equipment to work all the different muscles in your body. The bands come in many different resistance levels, making them well-suited to beginners and regular fitness buffs alike.

Upper Body

You can use resistance bands for upper body exercises with movements similar to those you would perform with dumbbells or weight-training machines. To work your biceps, stand on the band and grip both ends with your hands at your sides before bending your elbows to pull your hands toward your chest. To work your triceps, hold one end of the band at the small of your back and the other end behind your neck before straightening your top arm above your head. To work your chest muscles, wrap the band around the middle of your back while holding both ends near your chest with your elbows bent out away from your body; then push your arms forward to straighten them in front of your body.

Core

To work your abdominal and oblique muscles, wrap the band around your calves while standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your right leg slightly in front of your left. Twist to your left side with your hands clasped, elbows straight and arms angled toward the floor. To work your glutes, bring your torso up to straighten your spine, lifting your arms above your head and raising your right leg slightly off the floor, pushing it forward.To tone your lower abdominal muscles, lie on the floor with your knees bent at 90-degree angles and lift your legs with your calves parallel to the floor with a resistance band pressed tightly over the tops of your thighs. Pull your legs back toward your chest while holding the band taut to engage your lower abs.

Lower Body

Wrapping a resistance band tightly around your legs while standing with them shoulder-width apart allows you to perform several different lower body exercises by simply adjusting the position of your body. Standing with one foot directly behind the other and bending the knee of your back leg toward your buttocks helps tone your hamstring muscle. Standing with your feet far enough apart so that the band is taut, then pushing one leg out to the side while keeping it straight, works the muscles along your outer thigh. Standing with the band taut, and pulling one leg across your body in front of the other leg while stretching the band, helps tone your inner thigh muscles.

Considerations

Rest for at least a full day between resistance-band training sessions to allow your muscle fibers to rebuild and recover. Choosing bands that only allow you to perform 15 to 20 repetitions before tiring work your muscles the hardest. Consider purchasing bands in two different resistance levels so you'll have another band with which to challenge yourself with as you get stronger. Look for bands with different features depending on what types of exercises you want to do. For example, bands with handles make upper body workouts easier and more comfortable, while traditional bands are usually better for lower body exercises because they're easier to attach to a sturdy pole or door frame. Inspect your bands regularly for signs of wear and tear. Replace them if they appear cracked or worn thin since this could lead to the band snapping, which could injure you.