Commonly used in Pilates, resistance tubes are user-friendly and travel-friendly and can give you a full-body workout. Before using your resistance tubing, the American Council on Exercise recommends checking for holes or worn spots on the tubing to prevent potential injury. Avoid working out on abrasive surfaces, such as asphalt or cement, because these could damage or tear your resistance tubes. Above all, avoid strain or injury by maintaining correct posture and performing each exercise in a slow, controlled manner.
Abdominal Exercises
Kneeling crunches with the resistance tubes work your abdominal muscles. For this exercise, you need to anchor the tubing overhead so that the handles hang down. Kneel on an exercise mat and grab the tubing handles, holding your hands next to your ears with your elbows tucked in. For the actual crunch, you need to bend at the waist and curl your head toward your knees.
Lower Body Exercises
A common lower body exercise with resistance tubing is the squat. This exercise works all muscles in your lower body, from your back and abs to your thighs and calves. Stand on the middle of the tube and hold the handles, then perform squats as normal. The shorter the length of the tube, the more challenging the squat.
Arm Exercises
You can work your biceps and triceps using a resistance tube. For a bicep curl, stand on the middle of the tube and hold a handle in each hand. Keep your elbows tucked and use your biceps to curl up until your hands are by your shoulders. For a triceps extension, step on the tubing close to one handle and take the other handle in both hands, pulling it up behind your head. Extend your arms straight up over your head and feel the burn in your triceps.
Chest Exercises
Practice the chest press using resistance tubes for a good chest workout. Secure the tube at chest level and hold the handles with your back to the anchor. Extend your arms out in front of you, then slowly bring them back to starting position to complete the exercise.
Back Exercises
The seated row uses the resistance tube to work your back muscles. With one handle anchored, hold the other handle and sit back until there is slight tension. Pull backward and bring your elbows back as far as you can. Gradually move back to starting position with your arms in front of you and repeat.
Shoulder Exercises
The resistance tube shoulder press works the deltoids, which are the main muscles in the shoulders. For this exercise, you will need to step on the center of the tubing with your knees slightly bent. Hold the handles and pull the tube up until you are in starting position with your upper arms out horizontally from your body and your lower arms straight up toward the ceiling. Straighten your arms to feel the pull in your shoulders, then lower to starting position and repeat.
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