Uploaded on 25 Mar 2011
This is a short series of powerful exercises that can be done using a dynaband/resistance band to effectively work all of the major muscle groups.Link Scrapbook:
1 - Using a resistance band is an ideal means of exercising our muscles for several reasons. Its level of resistance increases with the degree of muscle contraction, and it adapts to the angle of the joint. In other words, as you pull it toward you, for example, the band gets harder to pull.
This is the opposite of what happens with machine weights or free weights, where your maximum effort occurs at the beginning of the contraction, but as you pull the weight toward you, momentum takes over and it becomes easier. With elastic bands, there's no momentum to bail you out; you have to exert energy the entire time. It's Hard to Resist Resistance Bands - latimes.com
2 - Moreover, resistance bands offer constant tension on your muscles during the entire concentric and eccentric portions of the movement. That’s something you won’t get with free weights wherein resistance is dependent on gravity. And resistance bands can be used to work any muscle in your body; they’re very versatile.
If you’re looking to increase your definition, then resistance bands are a viable option. I’d still recommend incorporating free weights into your routine, but an effective resistance band routine will yield results. I’d recommend keeping rest periods short; as you move quickly from exercise to exercise, you’ll be able to get some great fat-burning cardiovascular benefits as well.
If you’re looking to build some serious muscle, resistance bands alone won’t cut it. They’re great to use when on vacation, or to occasionally switch things up, but not as your entire muscle-building fitness program. To build muscle, you must use a heavy amount of resistance that fully fatigues your muscles in fewer than 10 repetitions. With resistance bands, it’s very hard to max out – and to incrementally progress to slightly heavier levels of resistance. You really need free weights for that level of fine-tuning. Do Resistance Bands Work? | Davey Wavey Fitness
3 - Despite the similarities between these free-weight and resistance-band exercises, the act of stretching an elastic band instead of lifting a weight requires your muscles to perform in new, unfamiliar ways. Instead of isolating specific muscles by lifting weights, resistance bands access a variety of secondary muscles in order to complete a given exercise. As a result, the new exercises may help you to break out of a plateau in your workout, allowing you to see a return to steady muscle gains. Aside from being portable and easy to use, resistance bands can be used to train a variety of different muscle groups, such as your back, legs, upper body and core muscles. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/553931-can-resistance-bands-help-trick-your-muscles-when-you-hit-a-plateau/#ixzz2USAWasuG
4 - Any exercise that can be done with a dumbbell can be modified to perform with a resistance band. In fact, more exercises are available to those using resistance bands than to those using traditional iron weights.
Resistance bands work muscles differently than dumbbells. As one stretches the band taut, the band stores kinetic energy in the form of recoil. This recoil is negative energy which works the muscle on the way down as well as on the way up. Working out with dumbbells does not create a recoil effect.
Resistance bands also become tighter as they are lengthened, which means that a load of 15 pounds can feel more like 30 pounds as the band is stretched taut. This feature creates a building effect of tension and challenges muscles more than working with a dumbbell. http://can-resistance-bands-help-you-build.html
