You might have seen superbands popping up at CrossFit packing containers or close to the pull-up bars at your fitness center. These lengthy, looped resistance bands present a stunning thickness and heavy-duty resistance that in the end separates them from the comparatively wimpy tubing you generally consider whenever you hear the time period “resistance bands.”

However superbands aren’t only for older adults or people recovering from accidents. No, they’re designed for athletes and exercisers on the lookout for new methods to achieve power by way of resistance coaching.

Advantages of Resistance Band Workout routines

Whether or not you are utilizing superbands or old-school resistance tubing, the advantages of performing resistance band workouts are largely the identical.

Transport

Bands are light-weight and simple to move. Simply roll just a few up and throw them in a suitcase or fitness center bag and you will have resistance coaching tools obtainable wherever you go.

Effectiveness

A band’s resistance will increase because it continues to stretch, with the best resistance on the apex of every train. Once you elevate a dumbbell, you already know you are lifting a set quantity of weight by way of a full vary of movement. What it’s possible you’ll not notice is that on the apex of every motion, you get a bit of break.

Take, as an illustration, a shoulder press. As you elevate the dumbbells, urgent them overhead, you are working towards gravity to push the burden up. When your elbows prolong totally, your well-aligned bones assist help the burden earlier than you reverse the motion and work with gravity to decrease the weights (in a managed method) again to your shoulders.

When performing a resistance band shoulder press, the resistance degree is comparatively mild originally of the motion. It steadily will increase as you press the band up, reaching its peak resistance when your elbows are totally prolonged. To take care of kind, your stabilizing muscle tissue have to stay engaged on the high of the motion, serving to enhance joint stabilization, which, over time, can cut back the possibility of harm.

Mobility

Bands may be moved in instructions and patterns that weights cannot be moved. Gravity is an inherent issue you’ll be able to’t ignore when lifting weights. Once you carry out a barbell squat, you load up the burden earlier than utilizing gravity to behave on that weight to make the squat more difficult. As such, sure motion patterns and workouts are exhausting, if not unimaginable, to carry out with normal weights.

For example, you are going to have a tough time performing a heavy dumbbell or barbell chest press whereas standing upright. Gravity will pull the burden of the barbell or dumbbell towards the ground as you prolong your elbows in entrance of your chest, and also you merely will not be capable of elevate as a lot weight (or work for the specified muscle teams) due to the physics of the train change.

Resistance bands are completely different. As a result of even heavy-duty resistance bands are light-weight, so long as one aspect of the band is anchored, you’ll be able to simply carry out a standing chest press, extending the band to create resistance, fairly than counting on gravity to behave on a predetermined weight. This implies the motion patterns and workouts you’ll be able to carry out with resistance bands are virtually infinite.

Versatility

Bands can be utilized throughout energy and mobility coaching. Resistance bands aren’t simply good for power coaching. Bands can even add resistance to anaerobic energy workouts, similar to sprinting and leaping, and agility workouts, like aspect slides and grapevines. Once more, the probabilities are virtually infinite.

Help

Most superbands specify a resistance quantity in kilos or kilograms. This “resistance” quantity turns into an “help” quantity when utilizing superbands for pull-ups. For example, a band that gives 15 kilos of resistance throughout power workouts successfully assists you throughout pull-ups by lowering your physique weight by 15 kilos.

Heavy Obligation Resistance Bands, or "Superbands"

CrossFit popularized the idea of superbands, introducing them to packing containers as a method for athletes to carry out assisted pull-ups. However rapidly, the makes use of for heavy bands expanded and the market exploded. When buying superbands, take into account the next:

• Colours and weights aren’t standardized. Each model has a unique color-coding system to determine completely different resistance ranges. And from brand-to-brand, resistance ranges differ between bands. When making a purchase order, take note of what the color-coding and resistance ranges are for the bands you are buying.
• Use a number of completely different bands. As a result of completely different muscle teams are usually stronger than others (as an illustration, your quads are sometimes stronger than your biceps), having a number of completely different bands readily available is useful for full-body coaching. Usually talking, it is a good suggestion to buy a lightweight, medium, and heavy band to take pleasure in a well-rounded routine.
• The lengthy loops may be anchored to vertical or horizontal posts. Merely wrap the band over a horizontal put up (like a pull-up bar) or round a vertical put up (like a sturdy avenue signal or jungle fitness center put up), then pull one aspect by way of the opposite aspect till it is safe. As soon as in place, you are able to do lots of the workouts that usually require a cable system similar to biceps curls, triceps push-downs, and seated rows.

6 Resistance Band Workout routines for a Full-Physique Exercise

When you’re prepared to provide superband coaching a strive, the next workouts present a full-body exercise routine.

Squat Press

To carry out a squat press, stand along with your toes on the resistance band, securing it in place. Place your toes roughly shoulder-distance aside, toes angled barely outward. Grip the highest of the resistance band in each arms, bending your elbows and “racking” your palms at your shoulders, your palms dealing with ahead. The vertical parts of the band ought to be positioned to the surface of your physique, virtually as if it is boxing you in.

Press your hips again and decrease your glutes towards the ground as you bend your knees. When your hips drop slightly below parallel along with your quads, press by way of your heels and drive your hips ahead to return to standing. As you do, press your arms straight up over your head, extending your elbows totally. Bend your elbows and decrease the band again to shoulder-height. This can be a single repetition.

Carry out 2 to five units of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Banded Push-up

Kneel on the bottom and wrap a superband behind your again, gripping one aspect of the looped band in every hand, along with your palms “hooked” inside every loop so the band cannot get away from you. As such, it’s best to have two lengths of band flat throughout your higher again, proper the place your scapulae (shoulder blades) are positioned.

Get into push-up place along with your palms underneath your shoulders, your knees lifted, and your physique forming a straight line from heel to go. Or modify by beginning in your arms and knees. The band ought to really feel tight on this place. If not, regulate the band in your arms as wanted.

From right here, bend your elbows, reducing your chest towards the ground. Simply earlier than your chest touches down, reverse the motion and press your self again to the beginning place, pushing towards the band’s resistance.

Carry out 2 to five units of six to 10 repetitions.

Assisted Pull-up

When you’re unable to carry out a standard pull-up with out help, superbands could make it attainable. Securely connect your superband to a pull-up bar. Place one knee contained in the stretched resistance band as you attain as much as grip the pull-up bar with each arms. When you’re unable to achieve, use a step or field to get in place. When hanging from the bar, the band ought to be stretched, your knee contained in the supplied loop.

Use the big muscle tissue of your again to begin pulling your self towards the bar as you bend your elbows; as you do, the band will present additional help that will help you carry out the train. When your chin clears the bar, rigorously reverse the motion and straighten your elbows to increase your arms.

Carry out 2 to five units of 6 to 10 repetitions.

Banded Deadlift

To do a banded deadlift, lie a heavy band flat on the ground, positioned horizontally in entrance of you. Stand on high of the band along with your toes hips-distance aside so the band is secured to the ground. Interact your core and hold your again straight and shoulders again. Press your hips again, permitting your knees to bend and your torso to hinge ahead till you’ll be able to attain down and grasp the looped ends of the band in every hand, pulling them taut simply exterior your shins. That is the beginning place.

Press your toes exhausting into the bottom, utilizing your hamstrings and glutes to drag your torso to standing because the bands stretch. Reverse the motion, urgent your hips again, bending your knees, and hinging ahead from the hips to return to the beginning place.

Carry out 2 to three units of 8 to 12 repetitions.

Lateral Band Walks

Take an extended, looped band and loop it over itself a couple of times till it creates a smaller circle. Step each toes contained in the circle, and place the band round your shins, simply above your ankles. Alter it for consolation, ensuring the band’s loops lie flat towards your pores and skin. Place your toes roughly hips-distance aside, so the bands are taut however not tight. Bend your knees and hips barely.

Take a step laterally to the left along with your left foot, simply far sufficient to stretch the bands and create resistance. Plant your left foot, then step your proper foot laterally to the left, planting it so your toes are once more hips-distance aside. Proceed stepping to the left for a full set of repetitions earlier than altering instructions to step to the suitable. Maintain stress within the band all the time to supply correct resistance.

Carry out 2 to three units of 10 to 12 repetitions in both course.

Band-Resisted Dash

Securely connect a superband to a sturdy vertical put up, positioning it at roughly hip-height. Step into the band and face away from the put up along with your toes staggered and hips-distance aside, your knees barely bent. Alter the band and your place so the band is taut, however not tight, and so the band lies flat throughout the entrance of your hips. Bend your elbows, one arm reaching ahead and the opposite again, as should you’re about to take off from a beginning line.

Once you’re prepared, start operating ahead towards the band’s resistance, pumping your arms as quick as you’ll be able to as you drive your knees ahead. Run ahead till the band is tight, then run in place towards the band’s resistance.

Carry out 3 to five units of 20- to 30-second sprints.

Do This Complete Physique Resistance Band Exercise Anyplace!