Elastic exercise bands, also called exercise or resistance bands, are versatile and lightweight strength training tools. Use elastic bands to work out every major muscle, including your hamstrings. Do lying, seated or standing leg curls and straight-leg deadlifts to work your hamstrings from both the knee and hip joints.
Elastic Bands
Elastic workout bands provide variable resistance, similar to a rubber band. The farther you stretch the band, the more tension you create. This means the middle of an exercise is more challenging than the beginning or end. For example, as you curl your leg, you stretch the band farther, increasing the tension. As you uncurl, the tension releases the farther you lower your leg. When you start any of these hamstring exercises, make sure the band is taut and you have plenty of resistance at all phases of the movement.
Leg Curls
With an elastic band, do lying, standing or seated leg curls. Wrap or tie the band around your ankle and secure the other end of the band to a post or other secure object. Position your body far enough away from the anchor spot that you have resistance at the beginning of the leg curl exercise. Hold your thigh still and bend your knee, pulling your foot toward your buttocks. Complete all the repetitions on one side and then switch sides.
Deadlifts
Leg curls involve movement at the knees; the deadlift involves movement at the hips. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and step on the middle of the band with both feet. Hold the ends of the band in your hands. Push your hips back, keep your back straight and lower your torso toward the floor. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. If the band has a lot of slack at this point, grab the band near the middle, instead of on the ends. Reverse the motion; pull your hips back in and stand up.
Considerations
Elastic bands are available in several tension levels. Each brand color-codes its bands, although the colors are not the same across all brands. A blue band may be medium tension for one brand and extra heavy tension for another. In general, the lighter the color of the band, the lighter the resistance.
Although elastic exercise bands are are available in several resistance levels, the heaviest bands do not compare to the resistance you can create with dumbbells or a barbell. To create more resistance, shorten the band or double up the bands.
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