When it comes to investing in home fitness equipment, you can’t ignore including a set of endurance bands. They do not occupy space and can be used instead of weights to work almost all muscles in the body.
Once you get to them (we recommend that you buy the multicolored elastic bands that come in 5 different resistances), you will surely be wondering how to use them? What exercises can I do? He’s attentive.
Resistance bands are especially beneficial for someone new to endurance or strength training, as they help in the early stages of strengthening. Since bands are based on endurance, rather than extra weight, to strengthen muscles, they can help prevent beginners from making much effort too soon, as they continue to learn to work the muscles. And for someone more experienced, bands can help create better muscle activation before a strength training session. Better muscle activation means better performance.
As a general rule, the bigger the muscle you’re working, the heavier the band you’re using; remember that the bigger muscles require more challenges. This means that the movements that hit the smaller muscles in the upper part of the body, such as biceps and triceps, are performed better with the lighter bands, while the lower part of the body (where most of the larger muscles are) should be challenged with the heaviest. Of course, as your rhythm and endurance get better, feel free to level up as you see fit. With that in mind, here are the best exercises for each of the bands.
Exercises with light and extra-light bands
1. Push-ups: Put yourself in a bending position with the band around your wrists and hands slightly off your shoulders (wider than you would normally do if there wasn’t a band involved).
Inhale as you lower your entire body to the floor with the core and the glutes engaged, and exhale as you push up.
2. One-Arm Row: Since you will only work one arm at a time in this movement, the best option is definitely a lightweight endurance band.
Place your arms in a bow and arrow position at a 45-degree angle, blocking both hands and closing your fists around the band. Keep your wrists straight and exhale while you’re carrying your work arm to your shoulder. Then change sides.
3. Pulldowns of triceps: Stand straight with the solid chorus and the elbows squeezed towards the chest. Place the band around your hands with your palms down. Bend the elbow to hold one hand to the shoulder and use the other hand to push the resistance band down towards the hip, stretching as much as you can.
Medium band exercises
1. Split Leg Lift: Lie face up with the resistance band around the ankles. Keep your legs straight and activate the core to lift them into the air, lifting the buttocks off the ground and creating a 90-degree angle with the body. When you get upstairs, pull your legs out to get an extra push on the outside of your thighs.
2. Plank with Toe Taps: With a band around your ankles, place yourself in an plank position; make sure you keep the core and glutes firm so that there is a straight line from the top of the head to the sole of your feet. Hit one foot to one side at a time, stabilizing in the center of your body to avoid any swinging of the hip.
3. Bicycle Crunches: Hit those obliques more forcefully lying upside down, placing a half band around your feet. With your hands behind your head, kick a foot in front of you and cross the oblique ones so that the opposite knee and elbow are touched. While it may seem like a challenge at first, you’ll build momentum as you move, so it’ll be easier the faster you kick.
Exercises with heavy and extra-heavy bands
1. Lateral Step-Through Squats: Putting a set of heavy resistance bands around the ankles is an excellent way to raise the bar on any type of squat. For this version, start with your band around your ankles and step aside, going down to a squat position. Keep your chest up and the core tight, and try to bring your ass closer to the ground as parallel as possible. After reaching the end of the movement, drive with the heels to get back on your feet. Repeat on the other side.
2. Kickbacks: This exercise will light your burning buttocks. Put your knees and hands on the ground, position known as four legs, and place one end of the resistance band around your foot while holding the other end under your hands. Lift your leg back and up as much as you can, keeping the core tight to prevent the lower back from falling. Get your knee back to the ground and repeat.
3. Clam shells: Thumb sideways with slightly bent knees, one leg on top of the other, and a resistance band around both thighs. Slowly raise and lower the upper knee with your feet together, using the outside and inside of your thighs to resist the band pull.
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