Resistance Bands – Level Up Your Home Workouts With Resistance Bands!
With the current lockdown set to last until mid-February at the earliest, it’s time for us to level up our training as we adapt to home workouts becoming a more regular occurrence.
Maintaining a means of staying active during this lockdown can do absolute wonders…from keeping us focused and occupied, to enabling our bodies to stay active, to releasing endorphins and in doing so giving us priceless mental boosts to help us through these challenging times.
Though home workouts may deny us from an endless variety of gym equipment, there are some game-changing purchases which we can make to really up the ante of our home training intensity!
Keep reading as we explore the world of resistance bands – combining strength training with affordability, these bands really are a hidden gem and would be a massively valuable lockdown purchase!
We’ll also look at Instagram star, Alexia Clark’s home resistance band exercises. The Instagram sensation has shown a great deal of love for resistance bands and the perks of incorporating them into training routines!
Adapting Our Training To Life In Lockdown
Despite our worries and fears about the lockdown impacting our fitness journeys, our quality of training really does not have to suffer! Our training intensity can be levelled up through different measures, let’s take a look at some;
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Time under tension; this means contracting our muscles slower and for longer during strength training exercises. With this technique, a low level of resistance can go a long way and be used to really activate and work those muscles, allowing for killer workouts!
- Making the most of time outdoors!; under the lockdown guidelines, we’re permitted time outside for exercising purposes. This can really be put to use through running, walks and outdoor workouts. Outdoor training can be wonderful way to get out of our homes whilst also working towards our goals!
- The wonders of the web; YouTube currently has a countless number of videos based on workouts which require 0 equipment and can be done from start to end within the comfort of your living room! Go have a look!
- Clever buying; though a lot of gym equipment may be heavy on the bank account, there are still many pieces of equipment which are cost effective and widely available!- examples include: resistance bands, kettlebells, skipping ropes, push-up bars, pull-up bars and yoga balls!
For women worldwide, resistance bands have been a brilliant and truly effective accessory for both gym and home workouts. With a wide range of resistance levels available, resistance bands can be a fantastic addition for all of our training routines, regardless of our experience or strength level.
Moreover, resistance bands have the potential to really add some more intensity and burn to those home lockdown workouts!
Resistance Band Training – A Home Trainer’s Best Friend
Resistance bands allow us to incorporate resistance into our workouts and train anywhere without the need for gym weights! This makes them a perfect option for those training at home.
Strength training facilitates numerous benefits, from weight loss and muscle toning, to muscle gain and increased power! Strength training gives you the power to use strength training exercises to work towards your goals. Resistance bands offer the ability to perform versatile strength training exercises in absolutely any setting. Let’s take a look what else we can do with these bands!
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Every Strength Training Exercise Has A Resistance Band Variation
No matter the exercise or what it traditionally requires, there will always be a way to use bands to activate the same muscle groups! This includes functional exercises such as squats and lunges.
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Joint Friendly!
Whereas free weights rely on gravity to create resistance, bands do not- meaning that movements exert a lot less direct pressure on joints and muscles. For those of you who suffer from joint or injury issues, bands may just be your ticket to levelling up your training routines!
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Cater To Your Needs
Resistance bands are available with different resistance levels, making them an approachable accessory for all of us! You can even mix and match the resistance levels you work with during home training sessions.
Alexia Clark Resistance Bands Home Exercises
Alexia Clark has shot to social media stardom with her eye-catching fitness content, engaging tutorials and an Instagram follower base that’s currently at 2 million! To check out her videos, including instructional resistance band workouts, go check out her out on Insta; @alexia_clark and YouTube!
Let’s take a look at some engaging home resistance band exercises used by Alexia herself!
Rows using a door handle
This variation lets your target those back muscles through mirroring a traditional seated cable row! Using a door handle as an anchor is an effective way to get the most out of your home settings.
Tricep extensions
This movement allows you to really work on toning and strengthening those triceps! – use bands of a higher resistance if you’re looking to really build those tri’s!
Kneeling thrust
This movement can greatly support you in developing more mobility and flexibility in your hip flexors and abductors whilst training from home.
Stationary lunge
A fantastic functional exercise to really target the lower body, with focus on the hamstrings!
Lockdown training can pose a lot of obstacles, from having no gym equipment to missing our usual fellow gym-goers! But….every problem has a solution, and with some creative thinking, determination and will power, we can and we will get through this!