How to Use Exercise Bands

When most people think of resistance strength training, lifting bar bells or hand weights usually comes to mind. However, there is another exercise tool that improves muscle tone and strength that is often overlooked--exercise bands. Get the most from your strength training by learning how to these simple devices.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pair of exercise bands

Learn How To Use Exercise Bands

1. Build up your biceps with curls. Stand on the exercise band with one foot while pulling on the handles with each hand in an upward motion. It's even more challenging to stand with both feet on the band. You can also increase the tension a bit more by spreading your feet apart.
2. Get into some squats by repeating the same procedure in Step 1 using both feet on the band and bending your knees to squat down as far as you can go. At the same time, pull up on the handles and bend your elbows to bring your hands up to your shoulders.
3. Do a chest press with your exercise bands by wrapping them around a pole or other object to hold them securely. Then pull while stepping away from the bands. Your arms should remain at chest level and held outward, parallel to the floor.
4. Leap into a lunge by placing one foot on the exercise band and bending the knee so that you can bring down your opposite leg until your knees are 90 degrees apart. Keep tension on the band by pulling up with elbows bent. Then repeat this exercise using the other leg to lunge.
5. Bust your butt by starting on your hands and knees. With the band wrapped around your right foot, raise your right leg slowly until it is parallel with your shoulders. Hold, then slowly bring your leg down. Repeat with the other leg.

Tips & Warnings

• Exercise bands provide constant tension, unlike free weights. You can also create resistance from all directions, another thing you can't accomplish with weights. For this reason, exercise bands are often called resistance bands.
• There are many more benefits to be gained when you choose to use exercise bands instead of weights. They're much cheaper, can fit in a suitcase or gym bag and they provide far more flexibility to exercise routines for every fitness level.
• Exercise bands are color coded according to the amount of tension they provide. If you can, try to use three exercise bands--light, medium and heavy.