Progressive Resistance Band Training Workouts ANYONE Can Implement
If there is one thing I have learned over the years of teaching 1,000’s of fitness enthusiasts how to implement resistance band training workouts, is that it can get pretty confusing real fast.
There are so many band exercise options, multiple band resistance levels and literally 25 to 30 different band setups, that anyone would get confused.
For me, it’s easy but then again I have spent almost 20 years studying, training, experimenting, testing and perfecting 1,000’s of resistance band training workouts while developing four 28 day programs.
So I get it and I apologize for confusing so many people but I get excited about the possibilities that come with training with a continuously looped resistance band. However, that is not an excuse for lack of proper teaching and training.
So with that said, I am going to step back and slowly take you through a 3 phase progressive band workout system I have followed for years with both my physical therapy patients, athletes and adult fitness clients.
Needless to say, it covers a large spectrum of individuals and fitness levels. Hope you have your bands set up and ready to go!
3 Phase Progressive Band Workout System
Phase 1 – Stationary Training
Resistance band training workouts should start with a stationary training mindset. Stationary training is designed to slow things down by keeping movements primarily focused on the moving extremity. For example…horizontal chest press would be the arms.
The goal of stationary training is to learn the movements by keeping stabilizers locked in and not asking the body to coordinate too many additional moving joints.
Stationary resistance band training workouts are designed to be implemented for:
- Band training beginners who are trying to master the simple movements of pushing, pressing, pulling or squatting.
- Individuals that want to isolate down on specific muscle groups. People that want to take more of a body building approach or need to improve specific muscle activation, will benefit from this training approach.
- It also works well to help develop “absolute strength” within a specific movement pattern.
Characteristics of stationary resistance band training workouts include:
- Base of support will stay the same which means ground impact forces will remain very low.
- Movements are isolated to just a single plane.
- Movements are done slowly following a traditional 3 count concentric and 2 count eccentric movement.
- Movements will focus on basic movement patterns of push, pulling, pressing or squatting.
Stationary Resistance Band Training Workouts
Phase 2 – Mobility Training
Mobility training is the next progression in band strength training once stationary training is progressing along well. With mobility training, secondary movements are blended into each exercise to create more of a multi-joint, multi-muscle total body experience.
Unlike stationary training, stabilizers are going to become much more important as movement amplitude increases while multiple joints and muscles simultaneously get involved.
Adding in mobility will also be characterized by 2 movements happening simultaneously which will, in turn, require movement patterns to become more integrated in order for the exercises to be perform efficiently.
Adding in mobility to resistance band training workouts is the first step towards training the body to move more athletically with greater coordination and balance.
Characteristics of mobility resistance band training workouts include:
- Hip muscles will become actively involved with upper body movements through various squatting patterns.
- Upper body muscles will become actively involved with lower body movements through various reaching patterns.
- Mobility movement and primary movement will be initiated simultaneously.
- Ground contact forces remain low since no step action is required.
- Stabilization will become dynamic and necessary for movement sequencing to occur efficiently.
- Due to multiple muscles and joints being recruited, force production, workload and calorie expenditure will all increase.
Mobility Resistance Band Training Workouts
Phase 3 – Integrated Training
Integrated resistance band training is truly how resistance bands were meant to be used. Being light weight and minimally influenced by gravity, resistance bands are able to apply resistance to any functional movement pattern while providing force vectors from any direction including horizontal.
Free weights are totally influenced by gravity and therefore can only create a vertically directed force. Integrated band training is going to require a significantly greater level of body awareness and muscle sequencing in order for force production to be maximally created. Dynamic stabilization and sequencing of movements will be the limiting factors behind integrated movement efficiency.
Resistance bands unique light weight construction and minimal influence from gravity makes them the perfect integrated strength training tool.
Characteristics of integrated resistance band training workouts include:
- Integrated training will require simultaneously adding in a lower body step or hop during an upper body primary movement or an upper body high speed reach or swing during a lower body movement.
- Ground impact forces created by the stepping movement will become significantly greater which will, in turn, increase dynamic stabilization needs.
- Loss of coordination will be seen with integrated movements and should be a very obvious sign that individuals may not be ready for this advanced training phase.
- Calorie expenditure will increase significantly as movement coordination improves.
- Force production will be directly related to how well movements in the lower and upper body are coordinated.
Integrated Resistance Band Training Workouts
Summary
Following this 3 phase training system will require time to implement into future resistance band training workouts and not all exercises will reach a fully integrated level. However, the more movements that do reach an integrated level will be a direct influence on how functionally strong an individual will become.
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