Micro Resistance Bands

Band are not a new thing, but short bands offer a new and alternative way to use resistance bands. The micro resistance bands offer a simple and convenient way to perform warm ups/activation drills, improve form and increase the challenge of traditional exercises.

WARM UPS/ACTIVATION DRILLS

Micro resistance bands can be used for activation drills, which is a great addition to any warm up. Activation drills are an exercise that targets specific muscles to improve their performance or to help prevent injury during the work out. Once a muscle has been stimulated it will be easier to activate.

Common activation drills for the lower body are the supine bridge and the x-bands walks (walking side to side). Supine bridge works the hip extensors, but when you add the micro resistance bands to the movement you work the hip extensors, external rotators and the abductors. For walking drills you can have the short bands around your knees or ankles. If you have any knee issues putting the short bands just above them will reduce the stress on the knees. Having the bands around the ankles increases the resistance the bands create.

Wall walks can be used as an activation drill for the upper body. Have both arms inside the bands, fix one to the wall as the other moves. These movements are the most important: side to side thumb pointing in/ out and diagonally up focusing on squeezing your shoulder blade down and back. Thumb in uses rhomboid a little more, thumb out simulates middle traps more and diagonally works lower traps more.

IMPROVING FORM

Micro resistance bands can be used to create good habits or reinforce proper technique. A common error when beginners are leaning to squat is their knees drop in. You can use the band as a kinaesthetic queue to teach them to fight against the pull of the band to improve their knee alignment. The same error can occur at the bottom of a squat in more experienced squatter when they are using maximal weight. This is more likely to be due to relative weakness in VMO and the glutes. In this case you could use the bands in conjunction with sub maximal weight to reinforce good squatting form and strengthen the appropriate muscle groups.

Micro resistance bands can also be used to improve pressing form. Placing the bands around your wrist is a great kinaesthetic queue to teach someone to press with proper upper body alignment, rather than arms out to the side.

INCREASING THE CHALLENGE

Adding the band to any exercise will stimulate more muscle because it adds another dimension to the resistance. For example the torch press with the power clubs and the bands around the wrist is a great exercise for shoulder strength and stability. At the bottom of the movement your elbows are at 90 degrees, wrists inline with your shoulder resisting the pull of the bands, your rotor cuff muscle are very active in this position, they must work really hard to maintain good alignment as you press up.

Micro resistance bands will also help to work out imbalances, increasing the challenge to your weaker side. This happens because the stronger side will maintain its alignment and the weaker side will be pulled in, forcing the weaker side to work hard to maintain alignment and therefore increasing the challenge.

TRADITIONAL EXERCISES + Micro Resistance Bands

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