Benefits of resistance bands:
Convenient:
Portable, can be shoved in your suitcase and used while on holiday. I always pack mine and when the mood strikes me I get a workout in.
Female friendly:
Much to my disappointment some girls are still quivering in their boots at the sight of a dumbbell. For the millionth time girls, there’s nothing to be scared of. If you want to firm up the wobbly bits and get a beach body you are going to need to lift weights.
A good introduction into lifting is using resistance bands. They still provide resistance but because their appearance is less clunky and more delicate, females are drawn to them.
Try out resistance bands for your first few weeks of resistance training then you’ll have some “balls” to upgrade to the dumbbells.
Variety is the spice of life so don’t be shy girlies.
Inexpensive:
You can perform a range of upper and lower body exercises without having to fork out thousands on equipment. A few different strength bands will do the trick.
Safe and easy to perform:
The great thing about a resistance band is it provides constant tension throughout the upward and downward phase (concentric and eccentric) what that means is strength gains and safe range of motion throughout the exercise.
Whilst you will never be able to do any maximal type training (as you can do with a bar, you can keep increasing the resistance) you can vary the resistance by where you stand on the band and what colour you use.
Generally speaking black/blue is heavy, red medium and green is easy.
Resistance Bands Exercises
So now you are up to speed with the benefits of resistance bands what the heck do you do with them? You can try these exercises in the gym or at home, again that’s the benefit of such a portable piece of equipment.
Squat and Press (legs, butt, shoulders & core):
Stand on the band with both feet hip distance apart.
You will take hold of handles and perform a squat (remember to stick your butt out and keep you chest lifted up) and as you are returning press both arms from the shoulders so the arms will straighten.
Always keep a soft bend in the elbows, don’t completely lock out.
Slowly return the arms down and repeat movement.
Try 15 reps or 3 sets minimizing rest in between sets.
Lunge and curl (legs, biceps & core):
Stand on the middle of the band with the right foot.
Have your legs parallel in a lunge position and maintain upright posture. You will have the handles in your palms and the elbows resting comfortably into your waist.
Bend your front and back leg down till that reach both 90 degrees and at the same time curl with the band. Because we are working the upper and lower body here you will need to adjust to the movement.
You may find you balance is a little off but keep your navel drawn into spine and you will be competent in no time.
Again 15 reps, 3 sets and minimal rest.
Row (targets back &core):
Wrap your band through a door handle or around a pole. Make sure the bands are even. As you stand tall, take a few steps away from the door or pole till you feel tension in your arms.
Keep your elbows parallel to the ground and perform a slow rowing motion. Feel the squeeze between your shoulder blades and keep your shoulders down toward your feet at all times. Navel into the spine.
Return to start position and repeat this motion for 15 reps and try 3 sets. Keep rest to no more 45 secs.
Chest press (chest & core):
Taking note of the position of the last exercise (the row) which was working the back, we are now turning around and facing away from the band to work our chest. Stand tall with the bands even and tension applied.
The further away from the band the harder this exercise will be. Hold the handles at chest height with e
Elbows bent, next press out from your chest till elbows are almost fully extended (remember not to lock) and return back to original start position. Again 15 reps, 3 sets and keep rest to under 45 secs
So there you have it! A full body workout that you can perform at the gym or in the comfort of your lounge room. Remember to start off with a band that provides enough resistance then progress as the exercises become less challenging.
That bikini body will definitely not be far away.
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