3 Common Mistakes You’re Making When Training with Resistance Bands

By
Amanda C
-
Photo by Lindsey Saenz on Unsplash

Resistance bands are one of the most useful pieces of gym equipment—as long as you use them correctly. Here are a couple of common mistakes you should avoid if you want to get a great resistance workout with your bands.

Wrong Pick

You can’t get a good workout if you don’t get resistance bands that suit your needs. Luckily, this is one of the mistakes that can be easily corrected—just do your research and know your limits. Resistance bands are affordable, and you can easily replace them as your fitness level improves.

Overstretching

Resistance bands also have their limits, and that’s why you should avoid stretching them too hard. Your band may end up snapping and lead to injury if you decide to test its limits. If you dealt with this problem in the past, pick a thicker band with more tension the next time around.

View this post on Instagram

“𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬?” . When it comes to performing many band glutes exercises, the most common question is whether the band should be placed above or below your knees? In order to maximize both effectiveness and training longevity I’d recommend you follow these simple rules: . ✅Position the mini-band ABOVE YOUR KNEES if you have a history or knee issues, or your band resistance is too high causing other (non-targeted) muscles to get involved (e.g., TFL). Placing the band above your knees will reduce torque at the hips and knees, making the exercises easier to perform. ✅If you have healthy knees and the right level resistance band, your mini-band should more often be placed BELOW YOUR KNEES. It’s a good comprise between knee torque and glutes activation. ✅For maximal glutes activation you’ll get the most by placing the band AROUND YOUR ANKLES, or stood on it. This is significantly harder and achieves higher glutes activation, but also places the most stress on your knees.  . The above was an extract from my latest article at thefitnessmaverick.com: 𝟖 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫. Link in bio. Or direct link: thefitnessmaverick.com/band-glutes-exercises/ . #glutes #glute #bands #resistancebands #resistancebandsworkout #resistanceband #resistancetraining #exercisebands #warmup #warmupexercise

A post shared by GARETH SAPSTEAD MSc CSCS (@thefitnessmaverick) on

Maintaining Tension

Resistance bands are there to make seemingly simple moves more intense, but you have to maintain constant tension for that to happen. If the band tension is lost, so is the intensity, and your muscles won’t be able to work throughout the full range of movements.