Let’s Get the Band Back Together!
*This is not an “old guys start rocking again” post.
But, it’s kind of like that. It happens a lot—you find something that works for you—and you just let it slip away. Bands have been like that for us.
We tend to turn to bands when it’s “too late”—when an injury has already occurred and we are in the rehabilitation process. And then, like a fair-weathered friend—as soon as things are working well again—they’re out of our lives.
And then they just sit there. Those multi-colored bands. Laughing at you in their multifaceted way.
So you pick one up one day. Hmmm—yeah—let’s do some of those lateral steps with the band around your feet. Toes pointed in, to laser-target that gluteus minimus--high on the hip. Twenty steps in each direction—wow—that’s an actual butt pump! Dang—time to put these back in rotation.
Next day. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. The time-honored proof that you are hitting muscles in a new way.
Ok—what else do we have? How about the gold standard of shoulder band exercises—the band pull-apart? Twenty reps—and yeah—upper back pump. Crazy.
Next day. There are 17 muscles attached to each shoulder blade. That’s 34 opportunities for pain—and I’ve hit every one.
That’s all the proof needed. It’s time to get the band(s) back together! But wait—why are these bands so damn effective?
Well, there is a concept called time under tension (TUT). Yeah—King TUT! Basically, it’s the amount of time your muscles are under strain. When working with bands, it’s often slower movements, which increase that time under tension. With bands, as you probably know, the tension is also not uniform throughout the movement—but increases as the band stretches. This dynamic tension provides a great way to really challenge your muscles without using a lot of weight. And just like the examples above, you will really feel the difference with the “time under dynamic tension” that bands provide.
Because of the dynamic nature of the time under tension, bands are a great tool for warm-ups. This could also be considered “pre-hab”—which is basically doing rehab before it’s too late.
Band Camp
If you’re new to using bands, or if you’re just getting back to it—we’re big fans of KISS. Well, yeah, especially in the 70s—but not that KISS—this one is Keep It Simple Stupid. We’ve chosen three band exercises that we feel give you the biggest bang for your buck—pull-aparts, lateral walks, and hip hinges. We recommend three sets of each, done in a circuit (one set of each, then repeat three times). With bands, you want the repetitions to be relatively high and easy—around 15-20 reps. The last five should have a nice burn—but you shouldn’t have to compromise form, and you shouldn’t go to failure.
See video below:
These exercises are basically an “all-access” pass to healthier and stronger joints, and quite possibly will enable you to avoid things like hip replacements and shoulder surgeries as you grow older. Trust us—we’re with the band.
Until next time,
Scott and Lennart