Thursday, November 12th 2009

By Bahram Dideban

BAHRAM DIDEBAN

MANAGING EDITOR

There are plenty of benefits to working out with exercise bands, but although every gym has them, they’re hardly ever used; especially by the group that might benefit the most from them: men.

While it seems a bit unmanly to pick up a yellow rubber band to workout with in the gym, there are too many reasons why most men should add it to their workout routines. For example, most men concentrate more on weight training and ignore their most important muscle: their heart. Weight training can (and should) cause you to break a light sweat but it is not quite enough to exercise your heart. The proper resistance band routine when added to a regular routine will cause no extra time added to your workout but will have three huge benefits.

First, it will give that little extra push to your heart, which, although not enough on its own, is a good start. Second, because of the stop-go-stop-go nature of the routine, it will cause serious weight loss that will lead to a more toned physique. And third, because it encourages training movements rather than individual muscle groups, it will help in working out muscles that were previously untouched. On top of all this, it also greatly decreases the chances of injury.

Exercise bands come in a variety of colours, which are indicative of their strength. Bands can range from yellow, which is the lightest, all the way to silver, which is the toughest. In order to incorporate them into your workout remember this rule: after you do a set of any exercise pull out the band and do a set with any number of reps above 15 but below 25. Based on this rule, choose a strength that will allow you to complete your chosen number of reps while making the last few difficult. Never do more than you can handle, especially when supersetting with another exercise since your tired muscles will put too much pressure on your joints and you’ll become more prone to injury.

A simple example of a routine involving an exercise band will go something like this. When you head into the gym first remember to warm up for 10 minutes and stretch well. Next, jump on the bench press and perform a regular set with your chosen number of reps. Once you’re finished that and before you rest, grab the exercise band and wrap it around a pillar or a post. Get into position to perform a standing bench press and grab the resistance band handles with your palms parallel to the floor. Bend your knees and position the band so it’s at chest level, breathe in, and perform each rep as you exhale.

There are too many exercises done with bands to list here but they generally involve the same design. The band is attached to an immovable object like a machine, a post or even wrapped under your feet and then pulled against its resistance. In order to make a proper routine, do some research to find exercises that can be added to your regular workout. And don’t forget, there are a lot of professional personal trainers that you can contact at The Pulse for expert advice.

Tags: exercise, fitness, workout