Resistance Band Training

By Bruce Cohn
Boston Globe, September 11, 2003
 
Once associated solely with “pumping iron” in private gyms, strength training has made its way into the home. Ever since the early 90s people have become aware of both the importance and possibility of improving muscular fitness.

And why not? Resistance training improves posture, burns calories, increases bone density (your best hedge against osteoporosis) while creating greater strength and vitality. Furthermore, it’s become easier, less expensive and more convenient to get involved in it.

You don’t need a home gym to begin muscle conditioning. In fact, with the recently developed resistance bands- which create tension in your muscles as the bands are stretched- you can perform a complete range of body exercises in any room in the house or in your backyard. And the bands are so light you can pack them easily in your suitcase for your next business trip or vacation.

This elastic tubing is sold in lengths of four to five feet and is offered in a variety of thicknesses to provide different levels of resistance. Many come with handles and door attachments that increase their versatility by enabling you to do more exercises. Better yet, these muscle strengthening exercises can be done in a standing position which is how most of us exert force in our activities of daily living.

Resistance bands are sold in most sporting goods stores and on a host of internet sites. (Use your favorite search engine and type in “resistance bands.”) Most manufacturers use a color-coded system to denote the different levels of resistance for their bands. The better ones will come with a one year guarantee, have attached handles and include some type of door anchor attachment.

Warming Up:
You want to prepare your body by warming up and you can use these stretch cords to do so. Remember, whether you stand on your band or attach it to a door, the resistance generated increases as the elastic is stretched. So you can warm up by doing each of these exercises through a shortened range of motion with your band before going on to lengthening it and intensifying your workout.

Squat Press:
Begin by standing on the tubing with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. (The further apart you spread your feet the more resistance you will create in the band.) Hold a handle in each hand with your arms bent at the elbow to form the letter “L” and hands slightly above your shoulders. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lower into a squat by moving your hips back and bending your knees (think of sitting down onto a chair). As you stand up press your hands overhead. Return the hands to the starting position as you drop down into the squat. Perform this movement slowly for fifteen to twenty repetitions. This is a total body exercise and works the muscles of your legs, buttocks, stomach, lower back, shoulders and arms.

Side Shoulder Raise:
Stand on the band with your feet shoulder-width apart, shoulder blades pressing down and in and stomach drawn in. Grip the handles with your palms facing down and hands at the level of your hips. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms to the side--think of flapping your wings--until your elbows are parallel to your shoulders. Lower slowly to the starting position and repeat for ten to twelve repetitions. While you are working the outside potion of your shoulder muscles, do not be surprised if you feel this throughout your entire body.

Alternating Bicep Curls:
Use the same starting position but grip the handles with the palms facing up. Bending at the elbow, arc the right arm up from the thighs to the shoulder. As you lower the cord with your right hand lift up with the left and maintain tension on the band throughout the movement. Alternate for fifteen repetitions per side and remember that you can increase the tension in the tubing by widening your stance.

The next series of exercises require the use of a door anchor attachment. The most reliable of these insert into the opening between the door and the door jamb on the hinge side of the door. Close and lock the door. The resistance band can now be threaded through the loop on your side of the door. You can change the position of where you insert the attachment to vary your exercises as long as the attachment is securely clamped between the door and the jamb. With each of the following exercises, you can create more or less resistance in the band based on how far you stretch it from the door.

Chest Fly/Press Combo:
Stand in a split stance (one foot forward and rear foot angled so that your hips are square) with your back to the door. Grip the handles with arms out perpendicular to the chest and elbows slightly bent. Pull your hands towards each other as you extend the arms straight out in front of your chest in an arcing motion. Open slowly and return to the starting position. After completing fifteen repetitions of the fly, extend the arms straight out from the chest in front of your body in a punching motion and return slowly for fifteen more repetitions. During the press you may alternate arms which will add a rotational component to your workout. This exercise works your chest, shoulder, arm and core muscles.

Lat Row:
Stand facing the door with knees bent and feet hip width apart. Bend your elbows and grip the handles with your palms facing down. Your arms will be extended in front of your body at the level of your lower chest or upper abdomen. Pull the elbows back as far as you can and slowly return them to the start for fifteen repetitions. Changing your hand position so that the palms face inward towards each other will make this exercise easier. As with the press movement described above--the row is basically the reverse movement--you may alternate arms and rotate the hips to add to the work you will already be doing for your upper back and arms.

Standing Twists:
Stand facing the door with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a handle in each hand and keep the hands in front of the midline of your body. Pivot on the balls of the feet and rotate to the left and right. Repeat for twenty repetitions on each side. This is an excellent exercise for working the oblique muscles of the abdomen but you must remember to pivot your feet in order to protect your back.

You will undoubtedly discover many more exercises and uses for your resistance band. (They are an excellent aid for stretching after exercise.) The workout described here is done entirely in a standing position which requires you to engage your core-- the muscles of your abdomen, back and hips--and exert force in the way you do in real life. So strike up the band and get started on a total muscle conditioning program today.

Bruce Cohn is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Middlesex School in Concord. He runs FIT-TO-GO Total Sports Conditioning and is a nationally certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Bruce can be reached at 781-316-0061 or brucegym@rcn.com.