Most of us are hard-pressed to find the time, energy, and motivation to go to the nearest fitness club to engage in a good ol’ fashioned dumbbell routine and don’t have the funds to mount a personal fitness center in the convenience of our own home.  There is a simple solution to this quandary, however, and it goes by the name of “resistance band.”

    Sure, many people may scoff at the resistance band workout because it looks easy.  Studies have shown, however, that resistance band exercises have benefits that are unattainable through the use of free weights.  For example, resistance bands stimulate your muscles by allowing you to perform much more controlled movements and keep a constant tension on your muscles during both the concentric (lifting portion) and eccentric (lowering portion) of the movement.  That’s nothing short of a two for one deal! 

    Resistance bands also encourage good form because, unlike with free weights, the exercises are not usually performed with quick, explosive movements.  They also promote safe lifting techniques, provide a greater stimulus for muscle growth, strengthen and elongate the muscle fibers, and increase flexibility and coordination.

Aside from the physical benefits of resistance bands, they are also affordable (between $12-$20) and convenient for traveling.  I can personally attest to the effectiveness of the resistance band workout because I went abroad for six weeks over this past summer and my workouts consisted of jogging and resistance band exercises.  When I returned home I found that I had not only maintained my strength while I had been away, but that it had increased significantly.

    One aspect of the resistance band workout that should be kept in mind is the fact that, as you get stronger, the number of repetitions performed in each set will increase.  Although a high number of repetitions and sets (between 15 and 20 repetitions and 5 to 7 sets) will increase the endurance of the muscles, they differences in strength and size will be minimal.  A way to increase the difficulty of the resistance band workout would be to periodically change the exercises performed (luckily, there are a wide variety of exercises that can be performed), to purchase a band with greater resistance, or to incorporate different forms of exercise (push ups, pull ups, etc.)

Here are a few tips for using resistance bands:

• Rest 30-90 seconds between each set.
• Perform each exercise in a slow and controlled fashion.
• Perform each exercise with a resistance level suitable for you. Once the particular exercise becomes less difficult, then it's time to add more resistance either by using a thicker band or doing more repetitions and/or sets.
• Most resistance bands come packaged with exercise instructions, but exercises can also be found online.

(REMEMBER: ALWAYS OBTAIN CLEARANCE FROM YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY FORM OF EXERCISE ROUTINE.)

I first became involved in “fitness” when I was on my high school soccer team; we would go to the school basement and perform low-intensity bar curls, bench presses and sit-ups for an hour and call it a day.  We simply assumed that our weight training would improve our fitness level and, therefore, our performance on the field.  On days when we weren’t lifting, we would run and sprint on the road at the mercy of a different coach whose mantra seemed to always be: “No pain no gain.”  Although I will not disclose what our record was for that season, I will say that I am fully convinced that neither of my coaches’ “fitness tactics” were successful in the least.  As a matter-of-fact, if you fast forward to five years later, I have what some may refer to as “soccer knees”(thanks to running too far, too fast) and I have had to teach myself everything that I know about fitness and nutrition, the latter of which was never even briefly discussed while I played soccer. 
            From the time I entered high school to the time I graduated I went from weighing 110 lb to weighing 136lb and I assumed that this was pure muscle gain.  I was lucky enough that I did not pile on the extra bulk of the “freshman fifteen” when I entered college because I was able to muster the will power to go to the gym five days a week (although I didn’t have the will power to diet).  Unfortunately, I did not know how to work out correctly and, although I did get stronger and “more fit”, I also gained more bulky muscle than I would have liked.  I also shied away from aerobic activity because I assumed that weight training would be enough to keep me in shape and I wouldn’t need to invest the extra effort in running, cycling, etc.  The result of this exercise “routine” was that, although I did not gain weight, I did not lose weight either.  Also, since I never planned out my workouts beforehand, I never knew what muscles I was targeting and strengthening and I wasted a lot of time at the gym trying to figure out what exercises to perform.
            Six months ago I decided to try a calorie constricting diet along with a carefully researched and structured exercise routine.  Lo and behold, I have lost almost 20lbs, have lost the bulky muscle, and have gained leaner, stronger muscles.  This blog will be dedicated to providing information (in plain English) about diet and exercise for anyone that is interested in improving their quality of life through the power of fitness.

Stay tuned…