Spending time at your local gym and squatting with heavy weights isn’t the only way of building that muscular and athletic body you’ve always dreamed of. For the majority of us, our local gym is possibly too expensive or just too far away from home; that’s where resistance bands come in!
You might not be aware, but resistance bands are a great cost-effective piece of equipment that can be used for a variety of exercises. You can train with them pretty much anywhere due to their lightness, and their low price point makes them a great addition to your routine.
Not only are they great for hypertrophy, but they also offer additional benefits such as increasing endurance as well as strength. On top of that, they are less risky in comparison to traditional weight lifting. Different resistance bands offer a different level of itensity. These range from light to heavy which gives beginners a chance to start slowly and work there way up. Whilst professionals can progressively load their muscles over time to get stronger.
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Fire Hydrants
How To Perform Fire Hydrants:
You need to start by putting the resistance band right above your knees; then, you’ll have to get into the tabletop position. Keep your body firm with your shoulders directly under your wrists and your knees and glutes parallel also. Lift one of your legs 90 degrees sideways to your body and control your leg as you bring it back towards your body on the way back down. Repeat this again for your opposite leg and count at least 10 reps for each side.
Clamshells
How To Perform Clamshells:
To begin, wrap the resistance band around just above your knees. Then lie down on your mat and lie on one side with your knees bent. You can support your head on your forearm and your left hand on your left hip as you perform this exercise for good posture. The movement focuses on applying force in order to move the top leg away from the floor.
Squeeze your glute and thigh muscles, and then spread your left thigh as wide as possible. At the top of the movement, you should pause and prioritise time under tension. Count to 3 and lower your leg to the initial position. Repeat the exercise for 8 to 12 reps on each side.
Resistance Band Squats
How To Perform The Squat:
Place the resistance band around the thigh area, just above your knees and then position your feet hip-width apart with arms extended in front of you. Drive down into the squat position, pushing your bottom and back down and out. Push the band outwards to a 45 degree angle, maintaining the minimum width between the knees that you started with. Plant your feet firmly on the floor as you perform this exercise.
Glute Kickbacks
How To Perform Glute Kickbacks:
While standing up, put the resistance band around your ankles and feet just over shoulder width apart. Next, tuck your pelvis under and tense your glutes, then kick your right leg behind your body until the band is tight and strained. Hold your leg when it is extended for a few seconds, then return the foot to your starting position and repeat on both sides over.
Table Top Glute Kickbacks
How To Perform Tabletop Glute Kickbacks:
Place your resistance band on the middle of your feet and then get into the tabletop position on your floor. Your hips and knees should be parallel to the ground. As you kick your foot back and upwards so that your foot is in parallel to your back, make sure your back is not bent, engage your core and tighten your glutes.
Resistance Band Leg Shifts
How To Perform Resistance Band Leg Lifts:
Put the resistance band around your ankle and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. While engaging your glute and thigh muscle groups, find your balance on one leg and lift the other out to the side at a 90 degree angle, extend your leg as far as possible and control the motion on the way downwards too. Continue for at least 10 reps on each side.
Lateral Band Walk
How To Perform A Lateral Band Walk:
Place a resistance band around your ankles with your feet shoulder-width apart. You need to bend your knees and tense your outer thigh and slightly hinging at the hips, and step out to the right-hand side with your right foot so your feet are in line with your shoulders and then step to the right with your left foot so that they are back in line with your starting position. Rinse and repeat this process for 10-12 reps for each leg
Hip Bridges
How To Perform A Hip Bridge:
Place the band above your knees. Lie down on your back, so you’re facing upwards with your legs shoulder width apart. Tense your abs and glutes as you press your heels to the floor and extend your bum upwards to that your body forms a straight line. Make sure you use your arms on either side to support this movement. Rinse and repeat this exercise.
Monster Walks
How To Perform The Monster Walk:
Step into the resistance bands and place one around your ankles and the other one on the thigh level. Focus on core activation and sit back to create a squat position. Now place your right foot forward; while maintaining pressure, put your left foot forward. Continue with the movement until you start to feel the burn.
Resistance Band Split Squad
How To Perform The Banded Split Squad:
Take a step forward with one leg and stand on the resistance band. Next, with both arms, hook the resistance band on top of your elbow and pull upwards to lock this in.
Drop down into a lunge position. In order to make the exercise harder, you can try grabbing it closer to your legs. Keeping your body upright, go down and back up while keeping your torso in parallel with your back knee.
Resistance bands are a great piece of equipment which offers great versatility, and their lightness and portability make them perfect for home workouts or when you need to travel.
The most common beginner level for active men and women is 12 pounds of resistance.
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