Issue 049
May 2009
By Barry Gibson.
The humble resistance band has seen some major changes in its time in the fitness industry. I’m sure we all remember the chest expanders our dads, uncles and older brothers had, which were essentially formulated on the same principles as the resistance bands of today.
The idea of increasing resistance throughout a movement (as opposed to a fixed weight which weighs the same at the bottom of the exercise as it does at the top) is not a new one. The famous strongman Eugene Sandow, was a renowned ‘strand puller’. The beauty about bands, springs, strands (or whatever name you choose) is that they are portable, so you can take them anywhere. They also provide a ‘real’ feeling to your training and give a live experience to your workout.
Judo players and wrestlers have used this type of training for years. I first came across such training when my dad would do Judo Uchikomi drills using a bicycle inner-tube for resistance. His reasoning for this was that the ‘live’ feel of the tube or band was similar to using a partner for the drills. But, more than that, the band increases in tension as you complete the movement. That makes the resistance band an ideal addition to the equipment-less, minimal routines we’ve been using lately. Also, we’ve kept these routines time efficient, so you’ve no excuse. There are many types of band available, but inner tubes will suffice if funds are a problem.
You will need an anchor point to fix the band to. A sturdy fence post or rack in the gym will suffice. Some bands on the market come with an attachment, so you don’t lose any length from the band. An old hand wrap tied around the pole with the band attached will reduce this problem.
Band circuit
Perform each of the following exercises for 30 seconds:
- Snap downs
- Straight punches
- Arm drags / pummelling
- Chest presses
- Rows
- Mounted punches (on a bag or grappling dummy)
- Throws
- Face pulls
- Sprawls (1 min)
The above will take you five minutes. If you choose to rest, do so at the end then repeat. Perform it for rounds like in a fight, i.e. three five-minute rounds with one minute’s rest between. Remember the idea is to be as intense as possible with this routine. Fill each time interval with as many reps as you can. Also, make sure you have some tension on the band to make it hard for yourself. Don’t cheat on these exercises and you’ll build real and useful strength.
Barry Gibson is a kettlebell and fitness instructor based in North East England. A strength and conditioning trainer to MMA fighters, he holds a third dan in judo. Any questions or queries can be directed to [email protected]
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