Resistance Bands - When to Use a Rubber

Resistance bands are a fantastic addition to your gym arsenal to improve areas such as strength power, activation, and flexibility. This is because they can used be in a variety of different ways to achieve what you want. Resistance bands fall into the category of accommodating resistance, it is termed this as it allows a better stimulus for an individual’s strength curve. 

How do they work?

Resistance bands are primarily made from rubber meaning they will stretch and then recoil back to their original length. The thicker the band, usually the harder it is to stretch as there is more surface area for the band to be stretched (deform). 

Resistance bands create tension which can be transferred into creating mass (kg) and therefore, can be added or subtracted to exercises to either make them harder or easier. Bands will not provide one specific load and when companies state this, it is incorrect. As a band is continually stretched the tension (mass kg) will increase. Resistance bands also allow weights to move quickly when they recoil.

How bands break?

They can break when bands are stretched too far or when they are attached to a sharp surface which creates a small tear. When this tear is then stretched this is when it will break. 

What can they be used for?

Resistance based training
Resistance bands can be attached to barbells and other specific kit to add extra resistance. The key is to have the band looped around the barbell and the other end anchored to a rigid object. On the downward phase the band resistance will decrease but it can also make this phase move quickly. On the upward phase as the stretch of the band increases the more resistance it will provide. Meaning it will become harder and you will have to push more. 

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE BANDS!!!!!! Too much band tension can result in you failing the exercise or as I like to put it, “getting buried into the floor”. Introduce bands gradually.

Activation Drills
Bands can be used within a warmup as activation exercises, this is because they can be attached to various bits of kit to allow you to perform different movements. A classic exercise is to loop the band around both knees and perform crab walks, with the ambition to activate your glutes (bum) abductors. 

Core Drills
As bands can be stretch they can also be utilised for a variety of core exercises. The great thing about bands is that they allow easy twisting motions to be applied by an external resistance. This is a key addition to add into core training as a lot of exercises in the gym do not allow a twisting motion of the core during their execution. Another great exercise is palloff press to allow twisting motions to occur.

When using bands start with the thinner ones first, these will usually be the red and black colour ones. As you become more competent and confident, progress onto purple and green.

Give it a go, and always remember to rubber up if you want to take your performance to the next level ;-)