Fitness Friday: Resistance band exercises

Think you need a pile of weights to get in shape? Snap out of it and grab a resistance band instead. This portable piece of equipment can improve strength and balance, help recover from an injury, or just add variety to your existing workout routine.

Whether you are an exercise rookie or an advanced athlete, WINK News Fitness Expert Mike Drumm says people of all fitness levels can benefit from using them and is here today to demonstrate some of his favorite resistance band exercises.

Resistance bands come in all colors and sizes and offer many advantages over traditional machines or free weights. The first and most obvious advantage is how portable they are. You can take them anywhere with you. A resistance band weighs only a few ounces. But unlike weights, it creates constant tension throughout a movement, recruiting more muscle fibers and accelerating muscle growth. Plus, bands are inexpensive, and you can do hundreds of exercises with them.

Using Resistance Bands

With your resistance band training, every part of both the concentric and eccentric part of the exercise has resistance, resulting in better range of motion strength. The downside to resistance bands are that you can’t really perform near maximum lifts. When using resistance bands for your workout, the factor you should be thinking about is picking a band with a resistance appropriate to your strength and the exercise you are doing. I recommend purchasing a combination of thicker bands and bands that offer less resistance.

THE BAND EXERCISES:

Individual: Bicep Curls, Triceps Extensions/Kick-Backs
Individual: Front Raise, Upright Row, Band Thruster (Squat with OH Press)
Alt. Grip: Band Pull Apart (don’t need to hold handles)
Assisted 1: Core Rotations, Side Squats (Helper holds 1-side), Pallof Presses
Assisted 2: Squat Rows/Jumps, Jog in Place (Helper holds padded middle, both sides)

WORKOUT BENEFITS:

Resistance bands are versatile, easy on the joints, and target muscle groups with controllable, constant tension. They also work through the full range of motion, working many parts of a muscle often not worked by free weights or machines that rely on movement restriction and gravity. So anyone who needs a way to work out on vacation, periodically can’t get to the gym, or wants something extra to add to the workout, resistance bands are well worth it.