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5 Resistance Band Moves

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:50:10 -0700

Our friends over at the American Council on Exercise (ACE) have shared many workouts with us. There's a morning core workout to target your abs, a hip, thighs, and tush workout to get you ready for bikini season, four exercises for a strong and healthy back, and shoulder sculpting moves to get strapless-dress-ready. ACE has shared another workout with us, this time using a resistance band, that targets a few areas of the body that women say are "trouble spots." So grab a band and get started.

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Band It: Half Boat With Wings

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:00:12 -0700

If you're looking for a way to tone up your core and thighs, grab a resistance band and give this move a try. It may not seem like you're doing much, but after a few reps, you'll start to feel the burn.

For step-by-step instructions on how to do this exercise, keep reading

Band It: Bicep Curls With Forward Lunges

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:33 -0700

Bicep curls are an essential strength-training move, but they can become boring after a while. So make them a little more challenging by adding lunges.

Grab a resistance band and keep reading

Band It: Upright Rows

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

It's never too late to shape your shoulders by doing upright rows. Using dumbbells is effective, but you can make this basic exercise even more challenging by using a resistance band, too.

Grab your weights and a band and read more.

Stand on the middle of a resistance band with your feet hip distance apart. Place a dumbbell in each hand and grip the handles of the resistance band. Your closed palms will be facing your body.
Stand with your shoulders over your pelvis, and your knees slightly bent.
Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, raise them to your shoulders, bending your elbows out to the sides.
Then with control, slowly lower them to the starting position.
This counts as one rep. Complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Weekend Workout: 3 Resistance Band Moves

FitSugar — Sat, 09 May 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Sometimes our weekends are busier than our weekdays, and you can only fit in a short workout. So here are three quick strength training exercises. All you need is 10 to 15 minutes and a resistance band. The first exercise targets your shoulders and upper back. When doing the second move, you'll be working your core, and you'll feel the second move in your backside. If you need more details about how to do each move, just click on the name of the exercise. Repeat all three exercises for a total of three rounds.

Shoulder Press
Steppers

Opposite Limb
Extensions With
a Band

Booty Kicks With
a Resistance Band

Multitasking Move: Opposite Limb Extensions With a Band

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

If you need a new exercise that effectively works your back, shoulders, and booty, then grab a resistance band and try this move. It's similar to the Opposite Limb Extensions on an exercise ball, but it works more areas of your body.

To learn how to do this exercise read more.

Place one handle of your exercise band around your left foot. Then come onto your hands and knees, holding the other end of the band with your right hand.
At the same time, extend your right hand and left leg out. Hold for a few seconds and then slowly return back to the starting position. This counts as one repetition. Do a total of 15 to 20 reps on this side, and then switch and do 15 to 20 reps on the other side.

Multitasking Move: Resistance Band Flutter Kicks

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:30:00 -0800

Looking for a way to strengthen your abs and tone your thighs at the same time? Then you're going to love this fun exercise called resistance band flutter kicks.

The picture above shows the easier version. To find out how to make this move more challenging, read more.

Sit on a mat or carpeted floor. Loop one handle of the resistance band on either foot. Hold on to the middle of the tube with both hands and lie on your back.
Draw your naval toward your spine and press your low spine into the floor to protect your lower back, then lift both legs up so they are almost pointing straight up toward the ceiling.
Holding the band securely, scissor your legs up and down one at a time, starting with the left leg. Move slowly and point your toes. Each time your right foot lowers down counts as one set. Complete 10 to 15 sets.

To make this move more difficult, lower your legs so they are about six to 10 inches above the floor. Make sure to keep your abs scooped when you work with your legs close to the ground. Scissor your legs for another 10 to 15 sets.

For all you Pilates folks out there, this exercise is similar to doing leg springs on the Cadillac, aka trap table.

5 Reasons to Use Resistance Bands

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0800

Here is my ode to resistance bands. I love using them to tone and strengthen, and it saddens me that more people don't use them. Here are five reasons why you should.

You can target smaller muscles, like the rotator cuff around the shoulder, more easily than with weights. Using a band will increase your coordination and your balance, and utilize more muscle groups at a time.
Bands offer more variety because you can create resistance in all directions. Also, since there are different tension levels based on the color band you use, you can easily alter the difficulty level. Use a higher tension band for an easier exercise like Bicep Curls, or a lower tension band for more difficult exercises like Overhead Shoulder Presses.
Resistance bands can make all strength training exercises more challenging. Try using one with basic moves like push-ups and squats. Or use a band in combination with dumbbells such as this exercise called Bent Over Row With Resistance Band.
Bands are cheap, so they make a great addition to your home gym. Buy one band for $10 or a set of three for $30.
Resistance bands are lightweight so you can pack them in your suitcase when you travel. You can reconstruct many cable pulley machine exercises with resistance bands too.

Source

Get Lifted: Bent Over Row With Resistance Band

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

If you downhill or cross country ski, ice climb, play ice hockey, or just want to stay in shape this Winter, doing Bent Over Rows will help strengthen your upper body. To make this exercise more challenging, you can do it while using a set of dumbbells and a resistance band. This move will target your upper back, mid-back, and triceps.

Want to know how to do this exercise? Then read more.

Place a set of three to five pound dumbbells on the floor next to the outside edges of your feet. Hold onto either end of a resistance band, and step onto the middle of it with both feet, so your ankles are directly underneath your hips. Lean forward, bending at your hips, and pick up a dumbbell in each hand. It's OK if your knees are slightly bent.
Keep your back parallel to the floor, and let your arms hang down. From here, pull both elbows up so they're in line with your torso. Be sure to keep your elbows in and pointed upwards. Then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position to complete one rep. If you need to, adjust the length of the resistance bend according to how difficult you want to make this exercise.
Complete three sets of 12 reps.

Get Lifted: Push-Up With Resistance Band

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Push-ups are one the world's best exercises because you don't need to do many in order for them to be effective. They work your upper body and core like nobody's business. If you're looking for a way to make your push-ups more challenging, try using a resistance band.

To find out how read more.

Hold either end of a resistance band with both hands. Swing it over your head so it's resting on your upper back, underneath your shoulders.
Now come onto your hands and knees. Place your hands under your shoulders and keep your knees where they are, or straighten out your legs so your body is in a plank position. The band should feel snug, neither too tight nor too loose, so make adjustments if you need to.
Now bend your elbows out to the side and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Then straighten your arms.
Do two or three sets of 8 to 20 of these push-ups.