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For many of us, going to the gym is a part of our weekly routine, and the only true way to get a good workout in. But this is real life. The gym is not always an option, or maybe not a good fit for you personally. Maybe there is not a quality gym close to where you live? There are plenty of reasons to look for alternatives to get in a good workout. That’s perfectly fine. If you are one of those who could do without the gym, or just can’t make the time commitment, resistance band exercises might be what you are looking for.
Here are 7 reasons why resistance bands exercises are a great alternative choice for a great workout:
Low Cost Barrier
Low Impact for the Body
Time Savings
Workout Easily While Traveling
Focus On Single Body Parts Or A Whole-Body Workout
Easily Adaptable for Any Fitness Level
Combine With Additional Training Methods
Types of Resistance Bands
Therapy Band
Tube Bands
Loop Bands
Figure 8 Bands
21 Resistance Bands Exercises
Resistance Band Exercises For Legs
Resistance Band Exercise For Glutes
Resistance Band Exercises For Biceps
Resistance Band Exercises For Triceps
Resistance Band Exercises for Abs
Resistance Band Exercises For Back
Resistance Band Exercises For Chest
Resistance Band Exercises For Shoulders
Summary
Here are 7 reasons why resistance bands exercises are a great alternative choice for a great workout:
1. Low Cost Barrier
Resistance bands come in several different varieties and styles. We’ll get to that a little bit later, and show you where you can get them. The cost won’t crush your wallet either. Depending on what you’re looking for, it’s easy to find a set of bands from $10 to $20. Compare that to a home weight set, or a treadmill for the house.
2. Low Impact for the Body
If you are prone to injury, or coming off of an injury, and not quite ready to get back to the gym, then resistance bands could be a great way to ease back into your routine and work the injured area.
Maybe you want to use resistance band exercises as a supplement that won’t beat up your body too much? Resistance bands are a viable alternative.
Here is a list of common sports related injuries that resistance bands are used to help rehabilitate:
Shoulder pain and/or dislocation
Tennis elbow
Runners knee
Hip bursitis
Sprains and strains
Post-ACL repair
3. Time Savings
Using resistance bands, one could easily squeeze in a 30-minute full body workout, either in the comfort of your living room, garage, home gym or in a hotel room. We live busy lives and sometimes you have to get creative to get in your workout among everything else happening.
The time savings are there, while still challenging your muscles and breaking a sweat.
4. Workout Easily While Traveling
When traveling, it can be hard to stay on an exercise routine. Sure, it’s possible the hotel your at might have a gym, but there might be times when a gym or exercise equipment is not readily available.
This is why resistance bands are so convenient. You can easily pack them in your bag and get in a quick resistance band exercise workout right in your hotel room.
5. Focus On Single Body Parts Or A Whole-Body Workout
Resistance bands are very adaptable, so they can be used with multiple muscle groups. Depending on your goals, you can tailor your workout to focus on one muscle group at a time. For instance, if you are wanting to focus on a leg workout, there are many different resistance band exercises for your legs, from a front squat to a glute extension.
If you want more of a challenge, try for a full body workout, using circuit training. This is where you would make stations for each muscle group (legs, arms, chest, core, etc.) to build a full body circuit.
6. Easily Adaptable for Any Fitness Level
Someone who isn’t exactly a gym rat or a fitness freak, might not want to drop hundreds of dollars on home gym equipment or spend monthly for a gym membership they might rarely use. Resistance bands offer those an affordable option that can still get them into great shape.
The bands themselves come in different styles and resistances, so you can choose what fits you best. Using the best 21 resistance band exercises we will outline below can develop overall strength and muscle tone for the advanced all the way down to the beginner.
7. Combine With Additional Training Methods
If you are looking for a way to add some variety to your workouts, resistance bands can offer another way to challenge your body.
If you spend a lot of time hitting heavy weight at the gym, try some resistance band exercises to hit parts of your muscles that you might be neglecting with just dumbbells and barbells.
Types of Resistance Bands
There are several different types of resistance bands, depending on your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. The different types of resistance bands can be broken down into four different groups, all with a different purpose.
Therapy Band
Therapy bands are of course, used for therapy. This is for someone coming back from an injury or disability. These bands are usually flat and do not offer as much resistance.
Tube Bands
These bands use a tubular resistance band, normally with a handle attached to each end. The tube bands can be used to train the chest, arms or lower body.
Loop Bands
These loop bands are flat like the therapy bands, but come in various resistance levels. They are mainly used for the lower body.
You can use these loop bands for pretty much any muscle group though.
Figure 8 Bands
These are tubular bands in the shape of a figure 8, with handles attached to the end of the figure 8. These bands can be used for upper and lower body, as well as lateral style movements.
21 Resistance Bands Exercises
Resistance Band Exercises For Legs
Front Squat
Lying Hip Abduction
Standing Abduction
Front Lunge
Resistance Band Exercise For Glutes
Glute Extension
Leg Press
Resistance Band Exercises For Biceps
Standing Bicep Curl
Resistance Band Exercises For Triceps
Triceps Pull Down
Overhead Triceps Extension
Triceps Kickback
Resistance Band Exercises for Abs
Kneeling Crunch
Side Plank Arm Lift
Russian Twist
Resistance Band Exercises For Back
14. Bent Over Row
Standing Row
Resistance Band Exercises For Chest
16. Push-up
Standing Chest Press
Resistance Band Exercises For Shoulders
18. Overhead Press
Front Raise
Pull Apart
Lateral Raise
Summary
Resistance band exercises are a great way to strengthen and tone your muscles without putting the wear and tear on your joints as you would lifting traditional weights. Plus they are easily portable and straightforward to use.
Use these 21 resistance band exercises to put together your own workout!
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