Why use them?
As the name suggests, resistance bands provide resistance when being used. When your exercising you can add resistance bands to help engage other areas which wouldn't usually be challenged during that exercise.
Chris is using 2 bands which are challenging his internal rotation of the hip and shoulder
What is the purpose of this? Simply put, it is extra work for the body and mind, it'll challenge him to stay focused as he is essentially being distracted by multiple aspects of the body being put under stress. My main focus was his strength in his shoulder so we loaded his arm with a weight which he can easily perform for 15+ Reps, but I wanted to slow that movement down, so by creating more time under tension and holding the Kettle bell bottoms up we could manage to do this quite easily. This will challenge your shoulder to stabile as you have to balance the Kettle bell more as its now top heavy and as a result it'll help in improving the stability within the shoulder and grip. The bands were placed in specific areas, the leg was loaded up as a result of his valgus knees (knocking knees) during squats and instability during lunges. His right shoulder was also put under stress because he lacked stability in that shoulder. These can be seen as Rehab or even conditioning.
For Anna we wanted to focus on her strength for passing a Net Ball and Stability and strength in her hips.
Anna struggled with her shoulder stability so I instructed her to perform a bridge off the bench exposing the shoulder blade. This will then allow the shoulder girdle to do its job whilst performing a chest press exercise. when your Flat on a bench it actually destabilises the shoulders as they become pinned to the bench. We also wanted to develop more strength and stability in her hips and glutes for her sport, Net Ball. So we loaded a smaller but stronger level of resistance band over her thighs and held the tension during the 8 Reps of the Single arm chest press. I asked her to place her other hand on her hips to be aware if she felt the hips were dropping at all during the exercise. Again bottoms up on the kettle bell helps slow down the exercise and encourage for focus for the athlete to perform the exercise correctly.
Being realistic their isn't enough people in the gym that know how to effectively use these bands to their full potential, they look confusing, where do you attach them? What level of resistance is right for the job?
You may even see these in the gym?
This is called a TRX Rip Trainer
Are they any good?
In my opinion yes, they add a whole different dynamic to the mix by using a pole which is attached to the resistance band.
Resistance bands Multi functional!
If I were to give any tips on how to use them correctly, simply do a little research into other people using them on YouTube or alternatively even better, ask someone who is qualified and knows how they can benefit your goals.
Yes you can use them at home
If you have any questions on resistance bands, don't be shy comment on this blog or email me directly, I'll be happy to help.