It's understandable that you would want to pump some iron. However, by not using resistance bands in your workout, you are losing out on a ton of advantages. Beyond being reasonably priced and easily storable, they are excellent additions to your home gym and mobile exercise routines. They are also quite adaptable. You may schedule a resistance band workout to go along with any arm, chest, or leg day that you want. Incorporate these exercises into your strength training programs as foundational exercises, warm-ups, or finishers to improve your movement patterns and get the desired results, whether you're exercising at home or at a gym.
This is a basic guide to resistance band training that you may use at home or anywhere.
The Reasons Resistance Bands Are Effective
Even if you own dumbbells and kettlebells for performing fundamental exercises, carrying a resistance band with you may significantly enhance your training.
Why? Two phrases: Give in to opposition. In essence, a resistance band "resists" you more the further you pull it. That's not the same kind of resistance as a dumbbell, for example.
Perform a curl on your biceps. Near the apex of the action, as you curl the dumbbell upwards, the curl actually becomes "easy" for your biceps. As you do the workout, the length of the lever that tests your biceps becomes shorter, which means gravity can no longer be a hurdle when using a dumbbell (and your muscle doesn't have to exert as much effort to meet that challenge).
When doing the same curl with a resistance band, you have to work more to earn the squeeze at the top of the curl rather than finding it easier as you get closer to the top. Your muscle fibers are being challenged in a new manner by the stretched band, which is resisting you more and making you accelerate through the whole range of motion. To overcome banded resistance, you'll need to flex your muscles more, which will help you with your dumbbell training as well.
Does this mean that bands are superior than dumbbells? No. However, both equipment may be useful in your training and can even function well together as a whole exercise plan. But one tool—spoiler alert: it's not the dumbbell—is so little that it fits neatly in your bag for every road trip.
The Ideal Applications for Bands
All of this makes resistance bands a good choice for any kind of exercise. But you should ideally change up your training using resistance bands, just like you could mix up barbells, dumbbells, and cables at the gym. Try these methods with bands (keep in mind there are a ton more).
Whole Exercise
Yes, you may use resistance bands to train your whole body; they will push and challenge it. If you're completing a full-body workout using just resistance bands, think about doing this as a circuit. Depending on the size of your resistance band, you may not be able to go very hard on some of the moves where you'll want additional difficulty, like deadlifts and squats. Every full-body workout should include one pull exercise (a row, pulldown, or curl), one push exercise (a pushup, overhead press, or triceps pressdown-style action), and one leg exercise (a squat, deadlift, or lunge).
Completion
Use bands towards the conclusion of your exercise if you have access to dumbbells and barbells or if you are skilled enough with your bodyweight to generate unilateral difficulties (e.g., pistol squats and post pushups). They're an excellent technique to encourage a vigorous and forceful pushup chest squeeze.
Sets of Drops
Using bands in drop sets is a fantastic method to use them at home. In a drop set, you begin with a greater weight (or a more difficult exercise), then you "drop" into a simpler activity or a smaller weight. The easy action seems, well, tougher since you're tired from the first effort you put into the harder move. Give it a go with squats. Hold the resistance band under your feet and place your hands at your shoulders to do ten resistance band squats. Release the band right away, then do ten regular squats. Perform three sets. Savor the burn.
You may combine these exercises to create anywhere, at any time, resistance band workouts. Additionally, always consider full-body exercises (one pull, one push, and one leg movement) when in doubt.
Pallof Press
Pallof Press | Men's Health US Form Check
Why: This traditional abdominal workout will have you rocking your abs. Using banded resistance, the Pallof press pushes your core against all rotation.
How to Implement It:
In a tall kneeling posture, attach a resistance band to an anchor at a height that allows you to hold it with both hands.
Make sure there is some tension in the band by bending your knee far enough away from the anchor. Hold the band in front of your chest with both hands. Tension in your body may be created by tightening your core and glutes.
Keeping your head forward, tense your shoulder blades. Stretch your arms out from your body. Maintain a taut core and glutes to resist the pull of the band or cable. Take a moment to hold before stepping back into the first posture.
