How To Work Out With Resistance Bands At Home

Elasticated resistance bands are an excellent way to incorporate different elements into your fitness program. Their versatility allows you to work every single muscle in your body as well as the option to vary difficulty levels. While there are many different kinds of resistance bands, we’ll focus on three in this article. Each one can add to your workout and help you reach your strength and toning goals, as well as developing joint stability. Check out some exercises you can do with your resistance bands here.

Loop bands

Loop bands, often referred to as power bands, come in varied widths. The wider the band, the greater resistance you’ll feel during your workout. Using a higher resistance can help to improve your power and strength — even powerlifters utilize these in their workouts — whereas a lower resistance helps to improve muscular endurance and tone.

Loop bands can also assist with certain exercises. For example, if you’re struggling with pull ups, you can try attaching a loop band to the bar, putting your feet in it, stretching out until the band is straight, and then trying the pull up. Easier, right?

Tubing

Resistance bands with handles at the end, like the ones you see people use at the gym, are referred to as tubing. These are the most versatile bands of the three looked at in this article, and their handles make them really easy to use too. As with most bands, the width of the tubing determines the level of resistance. These are great to use in place of weights for your general exercises, including shoulder presses, bicep curls, squats, deadlifts, and more.

Mini bands

Mini bands are a convenient and affordable option. Their size makes them great for travel and perfect for a quick warm up, but their variety of resistances and widths can also provide that muscle burn you’re looking for. These are primarily used for lower body exercises, but can be utilized for upper body workouts too.

They are awesome for creating tension throughout a movement and keeping your muscles constantly fired up.

Tips for use

Each band will work out your muscles, that’s for sure, but it’s the level of resistance employed that will help you attain your specific goals. For a quick warm up, just use a light resistance to wake up the muscles and get the blood flowing. If it’s strength and power that you’re after, you’ll want to bring out the big boys. For muscular endurance, you’ll require a band that allows you to bust out 15-20 reps at a time. Athletes often attach loop bands to a bar on their back for power squats, as this form of training allows the body to lift the weight, but also adds that additional resistance to improve the power during a lift.

Resistance bands are also really useful for rehabilitation exercises as they develop and strengthen the joints and the surrounding soft tissue. If you experience issues with shoulder pain, a light resistance band with some shoulder external rotations may help. Likewise, if you suffer from ankle problems, try wrapping a band around your foot, pointing your toes forward, then rotating the bottom of your foot outward or inward to help strengthen your ankle stability.

Combining resistance band exercises with weights is a sure-fire way to provide your body with the balanced workout it needs. From squats to shoulder presses, your options are limitless!

Maddy has worked in the health and fitness industry for 5 years. She has a bachelors in Exercise Science and has recently received her Masters in Exercise Physiology. She has worked with a wide demographic of clients as a Personal Trainer and loves helping people reach their goals and continue to grow.  She is an outdoor enthusiast and dedicates her workouts to rock climbing, hiking and whatever new experiences may come her way.

Main Photo Credit: zefirchik06/shutterstock.com; Second Photo Credit: Elliot Wright/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: Natalia Plekhanova/shutterstock.com