You’ve possible crossed paths with a resistance band or two along your fitness journey. While they seem like easy gym tools, they come jam-filled with a full range of benefits.
So, we turned to two Aaptiv trainers to tell us extra about resistance bands and how to make use of them in our training.
How do resistance bands work?
Aaptiv coach Candice Cunningham says, “Resistance bands work by including an exterior resistance force that can be utilized without having to hold further weight per se.” They’re flat, sometimes looped bands that vary from skinny sizes to thick.
Aaptiv trainer and owner of Trainers in Transit, Jennifer Giamo, additional explains, “They present resistance at various levels of problem (mild, medium, heavy, additional heavy) when offering the opposing pressure with your individual body weight. When they’re anchored in place, you may push, pull, curl, and so forth. towards the rubber resistance.”
What are some advantages of resistance bands?
Travel-pleasant
There are multiple advantages to using resistance bands, which makes them so fashionable amongst gym goers and trainers alike. “They are portable [and] inexpensive,” Giamo says.
Resistance bands can be used anywhere-the gym, on the park, in your home. They’re compact and mild in order that they don’t take up much area or add weight. When you loved this information and you want to receive more info about woven elastic webbing (intensedebate.com) generously visit the website. Basically, they’re excellent for fitting in workouts on-the-go.
Just pop one of these bands in your luggage, and you can set up your individual dwelling gym in the middle of your resort room.
Multi-degree
You might have noticed that resistance bands come in various colors and thickness. Each measurement and color typically correlates with a sure resistance stage.
So, you may choose which band to use based mostly in your skill and the exercise you’re doing. It makes this multi-stage health device nice for all ranges, says Giamo.
Variety
“They’re great for activating muscle teams prior to heavy lifting or cardio exercise to ensure proper muscle teams are working and doing their jobs,” Cunningham provides. “They’re additionally nice for toning smaller muscle areas.”
But you don’t must study new workouts or movements to use the bands. Take workouts you’re already acquainted with, and woven elastic webbing make them more challenging by adding additional resistance. Alternatively, you can truly make some moves simpler by using the bands as leverage and offsetting a few of your bodyweight.
“They present variety to a routine workout and likewise permit for muscles to work concentrically and eccentrically-offering resistance during the ‘work phase’ and the ‘rest section,’” says Giamo. “[Resistance bands] are also fairly simple to make use of when working out on your own. They’re protected and effective.”
What exercises can I do with resistance bands?
You should use resistance bands as a part of a variety of fitness routines and workouts. But they’re particularly useful in relation to power and toning workouts.
“The benefits of utilizing resistance bands for energy coaching are endless,” Giamo says. “You can carry out workout routines for every main muscle group, challenge your current routine ([for instance], add them to push-ups for increased issue). You can also enhance your vary of movement, flexibility and muscular endurance.”
There may be a spread of exercises you need to use them with corresponding to assisted pull-ups, chest press, bicep curls, and tricep extensions.
“Some [different] great workout routines are scapular retraction pulls and pull ups for higher body, for decrease body glute bridges, lateral kicks or walks, and clams,” says Cunningham.
Are resistance bands better than free weights and gym machines?
While resistance bands are great, it doesn’t mean that you could shun the free weights and gym machines completely.
“I suppose they’re a great complement to weights and machines,” Giamo explains. “They help add a special aspect to power coaching and are particularly nice when weights and machines are usually not obtainable. You possibly can mimic almost all workouts and work the identical muscle groups utilizing resistance bands.”
In reality, elastic band research present the consequences of mixing elastic and free weight resistance on power and power in athletes. A combination of the bands and free weights, for example, exhibits considerably higher outcomes in contrast to just using free weights alone.
Ultimately, to enhance your general body composition, don’t simply rely on one or the other. Use a mixture of resistance bands, free weights, and machines to provide your self an incredible workout – you will discover this and extra inside the Aaptiv app.