Today I want to talk about some of my favorite band. Not the musical kind, the exercise kind. (Cheers to the cheesiest intro ever.) Seriously though, I’m going to explain some of the benefits of using resistance bands and some of the different types of resistance bands that are out there. Let's start with some of the benefits of resistance bands.
- Versatility- bands can be used just about anywhere and you can do just about any exercise with them. You can do full body workouts or isolate body parts or muscle groups. Really the only thing limiting what you can do with a band is your imagination.
- Storage- unlike other exercise equipment, bands don't take up space in your house. All you need is a bag to keep your bands in one place and a spot in a closet to keep that bag out of sight. Also because they're easy to store, bands are great option for traveling. This way you can still get workouts in while on work trips (let's be honest you're not exercising while on vacation).
- Inexpensive- a set of dumbbells or kettlebells can cost well into the hundreds if not thousands of dollars and that's not even including the shipping and handling. You can get a good durable set of bands, of various tensions, with various attachments for about $40. You can't beat that.
- Two-way tension- bands provide tension during the "up" portion (concentric) of an exercise just like any other weight or resistance tool. However, bands force you to also control the "down" portion (eccentric) of the exercise also or the band will snap back possibly hitting you or someone else. This allows for more time under tension (trust me this is a good thing).
- 360° motion- most free weights force you to either move them straight up and down or side to side. Bands allow you to move them at any angle you desire because they can be securely attached to doors, walls or poles. This freedom of movement allows you to challenge your body a variety of new ways.
These are just some of the benefits that you can get from using resistance bands. When you're using bands there are some things that you need to remember. First off, bands are elastic. Which means when you pull on them they want to and will snap back. You have to be able to control that snap back and the potential effect it can have on either your body or those around you.
Also along these lines, the more you pull a resistance band the more resistance (and coincidentally the more "snap back") there will be. This comes in handy say if you only have one band. You can increase the intensity of your workout just by applying more tension to your band. However, keep in mind you can only apply so much tension to band before it pops so be careful.
Lastly, if you have a resistance band that has tears or rips throw it away immediately. Every time you pull on a band with a tear you are taking a chance that the band will pop. Trust me when I tell you it does not feel good to get "snapped" with a resistance band that has popped mid exercise.
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