Resistance bands offer a practical, effective and portable training solution that you can add into any full-body workout at the home or the gym. If you want to improve your strength, tone your muscle, and lose body fat, resistance bands provide the edge you need in your training to achieve your fitness goals.
Benefits of Strength Training with Resistance Bands
- Additional hypertrophic response (muscle growth).
- Improved stamina and endurance.
- Enhanced fat loss.
- Emphasizes both eccentric and concentric movement.
- A compact, lightweight training tool.
- Ideal for rehabilitation programs to improve injury recovery time.
Adding variable resistance from training bands will improve hypertrophy and build your muscular system. The extra resistance increases the intensity of the exercise, raising your metabolism and enhancing fat loss. By working with a tension greater than your bodyweight you increase your strength, stamina, and speed while improving mobility. (1)
If you have muscular imbalances, resistance bands can be used to correct any issues you may have with symmetry, strength, or range-of-motion. Training with resistance bands allows you to focus on both the eccentric and concentric movements of exercises, correcting any biokinetic issues or muscular imbalances. (2)
Tips for Training with Resistance Bands
Try to add resistance bands into your strength training program at least two to three times a week to see the best results from your efforts. Pick six to ten bodyweight exercises that focus on a specific muscle group such as quadriceps and back, chest and arms, or glutes and hamstrings. Each exercise should be performed consecutively for ten to fifteen repetitions to complete one round.
At the end of the first round, add in the first resistance band and complete the second round, focusing on using the correct form. Add a band for each consecutive round until you reach five to six rounds in total.
Make sure that you eat enough protein in your diet to help you recover from your workouts. Never attempt a resistance band workout if you are still feeling sore from a previous workout. Training while your body is still recovering from exercise-related damage will expose you to injury.(3)
Select training bands designed for your specific purpose. There are different training bands for rehabilitation, sports, and fitness.
In Summary
Resistance training bands have a valid place in a training program for anyone that wants to rehabilitate an injury, improve general strength and fitness, or enhance athletic ability.
References
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23669815
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5599848/
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9127682
