Resistance bands are great alternatives for exercising while you are traveling or away on vacation!!
Author: Jessica Gereau
Here are 10 band exercises that you can either substitute into your current program, or create a separate program of all band work.
1. Military presses - Stand with your feet on the bands so you are making a big U with the bands wrapped under your feet, and press up over your head like you would with dumbbells.
2. Band push-ups - Hold the handles, tie them to a cage or bar, or put your hands on the bands with the band wrapped up over your arms and back and do push-ups. The resistance will make the push-ups much tougher than simple bodyweight push-ups. You can also go the other way and tie the bands up in a cage to support your body to make push-ups easier.
3. Face-pulls - Wrap or tie the band around a pole or cage about face height, and pull the ends similar to a row, but to either side of your face, making sure to keep your elbows up and pointed back. You can do any type of row exercise variation with bands, as long as you have something to tie them to or wrap them around.
4. Cable Tricep Extensions - Tie one end of the band to a cage or pole behind you at about shoulder height, and press forward with one arm extending at the elbow straight out in front of you (keeping your elbow up at least parallel to the ground).
5. Bicep Curls - Stand just like you would with the military press with the band under your feet, but hold the handles/ends and use them for bicep curls. A shorter band or a little higher resistance band work great for these.
6. Thrusters – Set up in a hip thruster position on your back, with legs bent out at a 90-degree angle in front of you so you can force your hips off the ground. Either tie the ends to the base of a cage, or use weights to keep the ends down on either side of you, with the band wrapped over your hips. Then, thrust like you would for a barbell hip thrust.
7. Pull-ups - Tie the ends around your pull-up bar and wrap the band under your knees (or your feet if the band is long or the resistance is really light). The assistance from the band should allow you to do far more reps and help you build up your back and biceps while not needing to support your entire body weight.
8. Hip Exercises - Tie one end of the band around the bottom of a cage or pole, and tie the other end around your ankle. You can do all sort of variations to work on hip flexion, extension, adduction and abduction by changing the direction you face relative to the pole/cage, and which direction you move your leg to pull the band. For example, facing toward the pole/cage and pulling back with your leg will work your hip extensors. Facing away works your flexors, etc.
9. Band Good Morning - Stand on the ends of the band in a bent-over position, like the start of a good morning, with the middle of the band wrapped over your shoulders and neck. Keeping your legs in place, do a good morning (stand up, bending at the waist) with the resistance band substituted for a barbell.
10. Band Squats - Hold the ends in either hand while standing on the middle part of the band in a squat position. Stand up, stretching the band and providing the downward resistance like a weight would do if you were using a barbell.
There are countless exercises you can do with bands, so look around and try new things to really utilize these nifty tools for some great results!
Author: Jessica Gereau
Here are 10 band exercises that you can either substitute into your current program, or create a separate program of all band work.
1. Military presses - Stand with your feet on the bands so you are making a big U with the bands wrapped under your feet, and press up over your head like you would with dumbbells.
2. Band push-ups - Hold the handles, tie them to a cage or bar, or put your hands on the bands with the band wrapped up over your arms and back and do push-ups. The resistance will make the push-ups much tougher than simple bodyweight push-ups. You can also go the other way and tie the bands up in a cage to support your body to make push-ups easier.
3. Face-pulls - Wrap or tie the band around a pole or cage about face height, and pull the ends similar to a row, but to either side of your face, making sure to keep your elbows up and pointed back. You can do any type of row exercise variation with bands, as long as you have something to tie them to or wrap them around.
4. Cable Tricep Extensions - Tie one end of the band to a cage or pole behind you at about shoulder height, and press forward with one arm extending at the elbow straight out in front of you (keeping your elbow up at least parallel to the ground).
5. Bicep Curls - Stand just like you would with the military press with the band under your feet, but hold the handles/ends and use them for bicep curls. A shorter band or a little higher resistance band work great for these.
6. Thrusters – Set up in a hip thruster position on your back, with legs bent out at a 90-degree angle in front of you so you can force your hips off the ground. Either tie the ends to the base of a cage, or use weights to keep the ends down on either side of you, with the band wrapped over your hips. Then, thrust like you would for a barbell hip thrust.
7. Pull-ups - Tie the ends around your pull-up bar and wrap the band under your knees (or your feet if the band is long or the resistance is really light). The assistance from the band should allow you to do far more reps and help you build up your back and biceps while not needing to support your entire body weight.
8. Hip Exercises - Tie one end of the band around the bottom of a cage or pole, and tie the other end around your ankle. You can do all sort of variations to work on hip flexion, extension, adduction and abduction by changing the direction you face relative to the pole/cage, and which direction you move your leg to pull the band. For example, facing toward the pole/cage and pulling back with your leg will work your hip extensors. Facing away works your flexors, etc.
9. Band Good Morning - Stand on the ends of the band in a bent-over position, like the start of a good morning, with the middle of the band wrapped over your shoulders and neck. Keeping your legs in place, do a good morning (stand up, bending at the waist) with the resistance band substituted for a barbell.
10. Band Squats - Hold the ends in either hand while standing on the middle part of the band in a squat position. Stand up, stretching the band and providing the downward resistance like a weight would do if you were using a barbell.
There are countless exercises you can do with bands, so look around and try new things to really utilize these nifty tools for some great results!