Using Bands to Work Out!

Resistance bands are a fun, simple and convenient way to get a good strength training workout.  You can use them anywhere, anytime: at the office, on vacation, at home or outdoors.

Many people will tell you that lifting weights is the best way to get your resistance training and while weight lifting has benefits, workouts with resistance bands do provide some interesting and unique benefits to building muscle size and helping fat loss.

There are many advantages in using resistance bands.  One of the great advantages is that the resistance is maintained through every part of the exercise. During free weight exercises there is always a point in which there is NO resistance what so ever.  Band training utilizes both the concentric and eccentric part of the exercise. In this way you have a greater range of motion & more total muscle stimulation.

Another bonus is that you can train almost every muscle in your body with a band.  The only muscles you may find challenging to use a band for are calves; and literally, there is an exercise for every other muscle.

When choosing resistance bands for your workout the most important factor is in deciding which resistance band is appropriate for your fitness level. The better resistance bands have the ability to attach many bands to the handle similar to adding weights on a dumbbell. Also, when performing the exercise, the band should be secured in a way so the length is appropriate to give resistance even at the bottom of the exercise.  You can use various techniques to ensure consistent tension throughout every exercise.   An example would be with a bicep exercise.  You would hold the band handles in each hand and step on the band approx. shoulder width away.  When you curl your arms to flex your biceps, you should feel tension from the top of the exercise to the bottom.  If there is give in the band at the bottom of the exercise, you can move your feet to step wider than hip width (closer to the handles) on each end and this will increase the resistance.  Similarly, if the exercise is too hard, you can move your feet closer together and this will give less resistance for the specific exercise.

In the end, adding resistance band training to your workout will not only enhance any other exercises you are currently using for your routines, but will challenge your body in a unique and effective way.

For more ideas on how to use a resistance band, check out some of our videos here.