Resistance Band Exercises
Resistance band exercises can pack a full-body workout in a little package that you can use at home, at the office, in your dorm room, while traveling and even while watching that favorite movie.
Long used for injury rehabilitation, resistance bands have come into their own for use by ordinary people and athletes. It is easy to see why.
Besides the flexibility and compact size, resistance band exercise can build muscles in all muscle groups and it quite versatile.
Resistance bands come with varying degrees of tension or resistance. It's the color that determines the tension and resistance. From lesser to stronger the colors go in this order: yellow, red, green, blue, black, and silver.
Creating a resistance band exercise program for all muscle groups is fairly easy. Before beginning even this simple and non-contact exercise program, however, make sure you get the go ahead from your doctor. The tension or resistance can produce injury in those who may have a pre-existing condition.
As usual, warming up is important. Muscles need to be flexible and warm before begging to strengthen them, so do some cardio exercises: ride a bike, run, jog or take a brisk walk. Get the heart rate up and at the point where you are about to break a sweat, slow down and start your exercise program.
Ladies and gentlemen, choose your resistance bands!
For the lighter resistance bands do at least two sets of twenty repetitions. If you are already along in your resistance band exercise program and are using heavier bands reduce the number of sets and the number of repetitions.
Some of the more popular resistance band exercise sets involve the chest, shoulders, back, abdomen and legs.
One popular way to use resistance bands is to build your arms and, more specifically, biceps. This is so simple yet works the biceps the same way a set of weights will. Stand with your feet on your band of choice with your feet about should width apart and knees bent. Keeping your back and head straight, grip the band with your hands palm up and close around the band and pull up from the elbows to shoulder height. Repeat.
Another popular set involves the band bench presses. The image here is usually that of weights propped overhead and lots of repetitive motions. With the resistance band you simply lie with the band under your back and grip the ends with each hand. Raise one arm and then the other and repeat the set.
After your workout slowly warm down.
Among other exercises that can be done with resistance bands are lunges, deadlifts, and squat work, but really only limited by imagination and physics.
