Know your fitness equipment: Resistance Bands

Resistance bands provide a great alternative to free weights and machines to work your muscles.

Nirmalya Dutta | Published: June 16, 2014 6:02 pm

Resistance bands are great piece of gym equipment which allows you a variation that normal dumbbells, barbells or machines can’t. They’re great for physiotherapy and have some distinct benefits over weights.

How bands are better than weights

According to master trainer Neil ‘Yoda’ Hill, ‘There are numerous benefits over weights. They’re inexpensive, require virtually no maintenance and one band alone can be used for numerous movements. They can be carried anywhere and one band can be used for many different movements. Also unlike weights, the user is able to control the amount of force being applied very easily by their foot position, body position and movement. Simply repositioning your body while performing the given exercise will add more or less load/stress or assistance.’ They are also easy to carry around and have the versatility to work muscles which you will have trouble training with just weights. They’re also great for people who are in rehab or have been injured.

Here are some exercises you can try out with resistance bands:

Standing Double Biceps Curl

With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand on the band and grab a handle in each hand with the arms down your sides. With your palms facing forward, do a biceps curl pulling your arm towards you shoulder while bending your elbow.

Overhead Press

Standing over the centre of the band with, stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Grip each handle, positioning your hands at shoulder level with palms facing each other and then press your arms straight up, slowly rotating your arms.

Woodchoppers

Anchor the loop of the band to some kind of support, and grab the free end with your arms and pull the band down and across your body while rotating your hop. Slowly, return to the starting position and repeat 8-10 reps on each side.

Bent over rows

Stand over the centre of the band with your feet shoulder-width apart, and bend slightly at the knees and hinge at the waist. Grasp each handle with arms outside your knees and pull the band up towards your hops, squeezing your shoulder blades while doing so and then lower down to the starting position.

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Published: June 16, 2014 6:02 pm

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