Resistance Bands: The ultimate home training tool

Resistance bands hadn’t come into my training until I worked in the Strength & Conditioning arena.

Now they are everywhere!

 

This simple and effective piece of kit is extremely valuable to have around the house or to take away in your suitcase! I used this with the Formula 1 (F1) race team because it’s something they can pop in their suitcase and use anytime to prep for their F1 weekend. It is also handy as you can add it into your training routine once a week and it can be used to stimulate muscles by adding resistance without keeping a range of dumbbells around your house.

Versatility

Yes, it’s very versatile, this is a major benefit because bands are stable, easy to the use and practical. They differ in thickness which determines the difficulty in resistance, depending on the muscle group you are focused on. They are a means of strengthening, stretching or can be used for athletic performance or physical recovery.

Variety

Resistance bands come in all forms, sizes, thickness (intensity), and can be closed loop or open. Flat resistance bands or looped bands are useful for rehabilitation or working on specific areas on your body. Don’t be fooled into thinking a specific colour means a specific resistance, all brands are different so be sure to read the description before buying online.

Volume

Training volume is significant here because you won’t have as much resistance. However, this comes with a paradox because it will depend on the type of movement you are performing. If you happen to be practicing pull-ups, you may only max out (with banded support) 4-6reps per set. That’s okay because the band is supporting your bodyweight. When you become stronger in your upper body, you may wish to reduce the thickness of the band when you are able to increase the reps.

Muscle Stimulus

When you are using free weights you are altering the load according to the distance the weight is in relation to your body. This means the further away the weight from mid-line the more difficult the exercise and thus movement is. The closer to mid-line the easier it will be and therefore you could possibly lift heavier. Also during the phase of the lift the resistance will fluctuate. By using a resistance band you will be receiving greater resistance at the strongest point of the lift (proximal to mid-line) and still feeling resistance during the lowering (distal to mid-line) phase of the lift too. Why is this important? You are receiving more stimulation during all phases of the lift and therefore greater adaptation for strength.

Athletic Performance

Using bands will be very beneficial to experienced lifters because it doubles the workload and increases the overall strength of the lift you are performing. For example, using bands in a push up or bench press will significantly increase your tolerance without the bands, therefore able to handle a higher load with good technique.

Neuromuscular Performance

Bands have also showed to increase the way neurons fire. When athletes use this for speed drills or agility training they have seen neurological benefits to their strength training, in comparison to weight training alone.

Stretch & Mobilise

Using bands to ‘prep’ your muscles before the main training routine is the biggest bang for your buck because it saves you the sometimes poor additional reps you do with the barbell. Using a band will activate those specific areas and prepare your muscles for the main lift ahead. Squats are a great example of this. My glutes were terribly lazy, it would take me a long time to get the right muscles to engage during the lift. Instead of spending more time under the bar, this pre-lifting prep phase helped support the right technique, prevented injuries, and left me stronger when performing my main sets. Using the band to support a stretch and hold is incredibly useful if you do not have a competent partner to support you with this!

Who is it suitable for?

Pregnant women, over 60s, athletes, anyone who wants to lose weight or increase strength.

Basically everyone and anyone can use this but as always, refrain from using bands on complex movements before you have mastered the basics.

 

How to master the basics?

For an in-depth routine, follow this link on how to train using resistance bands which will enhance your performance day in and day out. You can also download the FREE PDF (see below) giving you practical tools for when you are travelling too!

 

Resistance Bands Video Training 1

Resistance Bands Video Training 2

Resistance Bands Video Training 3

 

 

References:

http://thesportjournal.org/article/acute-effects-of-combined-elastic-and-free-weight-tension-on-power-in-the-bench-press-lift/

https://www.muscleprodigy.com/the-great-debate-free-weights-vs-resistance-bands/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7851367