Band Camp

   I recently created a full-fledged 90-day program for my clients that uses only bands. There are a few reasons why I went this route, and I want to lay them out here so you can determine whether bands may be a good option for you to incorporate into your training. 

   With free weights, you need to have multiple pieces of equipment to get into the right position so you can target the muscle group you want. With bands you can be in any orientation and anchor the band to get resistance. You can also travel with them anywhere. 

   So the sheer variety of exercise and locations make bands a great tool. This means you can target literally any muscle group in your body no matter where you’re working out.

   The great part is that bands force your body to use proprioception, which is good for the brain and body in regards to coordination and balance as your body naturally corrects itself to get into the correct position to go through the desired range of motion. This means more muscles work during an exercise session simply by forcing the body to move correctly.

   When you use bands you can also do explosive motions, which exert more energy and can burn more calories. 

   The greatest part is that bands also have great resistance when combined, which is great because you can also build strength using bands.

   I would never say that you should fully replace your free weights or machines with only bands forever, but you can definitely fully transform your body using bands.

Anthony Trucks is an IYCA-certified trainer who covers weight training for SportStars.