Resistance (is Futile) Band Exercises

photo credit: djwudi via photopin cc

There are a ton of exercises to build strength with that involve weights and machines. But when you don’t have access to those things, are on the go or just don’t feel like lifting heavy, there is a great advantage to just using resistance bands. Bands are great for strength training in ways weights don't do justice. For instance, control! With bands, there is a greater focus on both the “push” and the “pull” rather than just getting the weight to wear it needs to go and then dropping it because you can’t hold it anymore. Training both the push/pull of muscles is a fantastic way to prevent injury and build stabilization in surrounding muscle groups.

Today we’ll go over some fun resistance exercises to add to your list. If you are playing around with these and you don’t feel like you are getting any work done, there are two key things to adjust to get them right. First, adjust the distance or slack you are giving the resistance band. Either you are standing too close or too far to the anchored side or you need to find the right weighted band. Having several different bands are ideal, but having one medium band usually does the trick. The second is of course, form. Resistance band exercises work a very specific muscle group, so make sure you are concentrating on the group being worked for each exercise. Lastly, never let the resistance band yank you back to its slack point. Always stay engaged and use the resistance throughout the entire movement,This is where "resistance is futile" matters most—don't let the band render your work useless!

Warrior 3 to Row

This is a great balance exercise that incorporates your upper body at the same time. First, with the resistance band hooked around something sturdy, grab both handles. Step back so that you have enough resistance from the bands with your arms extended. Start by balancing on one foot with the other knee lifted. Now slowly lower by bending at your hips into a Warrior 3 pose. Pause, activating your core and stabilizing through your lower leg, then come back to an upright position as you pull back the band into a row. 10–15 reps on each side.

Good for:

single leg stability, dodging bullets in The Matrix, tight-rope walking

Oblique Lateral Drive

Remember how we stopped doing crunches? Good. Now that we’ve stopped worrying about crunches we can move onto some real core work. Tie one handle to a sturdy object at waist level. Step laterally until you have a good amount of resistance from the band. With the other handle gripped with both hands in front of your chest, arms straight, lower down into a lateral lunge position. Keeping the handle and arms directly in front of your chest throughout the entire movement, drive laterally with your hips to end the movement with your weight shifted to your other leg. It might feel strange at first, but when you drive laterally without popping up, squeeze your obliques at the end of the movement. Think of it as you are about to hit a wall and you are bracing for impact on the outer side of your body. It will burn.

Good for:

core strength, becoming a brick wall

Hip Abduction/Adductions

This one is an all-around great exercise for tight hips and groin. I love this one because it is a great way to train my legs to find power in my pull while speed skating. Tie one handle of your band to a sturdy object at ankle level. Take the other handle and slip your foot into it so it rests just above your ankle. Walk until you get a good resistance with your leg extended from your body. To start, pull the leg with the band until it is directly in front of your other leg. Extend away from your body, then complete the movement by pulling directly behind your standing leg. Keep your hips pointing forward at all times, keeping your foot flexed and pointing forward as well. That counts as 1 rep. 10 reps each side.

Good for:

hip and groin flexibility, tap dancing like Gene Kelly

X-Band Walk to Bicep Curl 

You will hear me talk about glutes a lot. Glutes are your saviour and if activated properly in the movements you do, it will be like unleashing the power of the kraken. If you find yourself with tightness in your TFL, this is a great exercise to strengthen those glute muscles to take the tension off. Place both feet over the resistance band and cross the band in front of your body like an X. Start with feet hip width apart. Pull the band upward to give yourself the right amount of tension. Now step laterally with one foot and bring your other foot to meet back under you in the start position, adding a bicep curl at the end of the movement. Really concentrate on what your backside is doing here. Use your glute muscles to complete the movement rather than just stepping side to side. 10 paces each direction.

Good for:

Glute strengthening, TFL release

Split Squat to Tricep Extension

Start in a split squat position, hips square. With the resistance band under your back foot, grab the handles behind your head with your elbows close to your ears. Lower down into a squat as low as you can, keeping the front knee in line with your ankle. As you stand back up, extend your arms above your head, still keeping your arms close to your head. 12 reps each leg.

Good for:

Quad and tricep strengthening

Step Into the Weekend: Friday Fun Links

Exercise:

women and pullups: the continuing debate on why we “can’t” do them. | via huffington post

work your way towards pullups: if anyone can prove men wrong about women doing pullups, it’s this girl. | via georgina poh

in 365 days, you will be fighting for your life. what is your fitness plan? hypothetical fitness planning at its finest. | via reddit

Things I Ate This Week:

tumeric coconut lime pork chops over cauliflower rice: so damn good. i didn’t have cauliflower so subbed broccoli instead. | via mark’s daily apple

classic buttermilk pancakes: no one can deny me pancakes when I am sick. | via the pancake princess

coffee shop oatmeal: I needed an excuse to make oatmeal more attractive. calling if coffee shop oatmeal made it super sexy. | via a beautiful mess

Misc:

the treadmill originated in prison: heck, i feel like i’m in prison when forced to use one. | via mental floss

5 New (exercise) Weapons to Add to Your Arsenal

photo credit: mr.smashy via photopin cc

I finally finished the PS3 game The Last of Us. Not because I didn’t have the time or found it boring. In fact, I refused to play it unless someone else was around because I was so scared of getting my character eaten by all the different infected zombie-like creatures. What my boyfriend pointed out to me was that I took a very odd approach to defeating them and probably the reason I was so scared all the time. I always chose to melee them up close and personal instead of using any of the guns I carried from a safe distance. I spent a ridiculous amount of time and resources upgrading my melee weapons.

Now why am I writing about my video game strategy? Because it is a great metaphor and I wanted to let everyone know that I finished the game, all alone, with minimal screaming and throwing the controller.

Your muscles are like your melee weapons. You defeat your foes with your body time and time again. And if you don’t defend yourself you fall to defeat. Or get eaten by said zombie-like creatures. In order to survive the game, you must constantly upgrade your weapons.

Time to upgrade your arsenal! I am talking about the basic exercises that help you build strength that you do almost every workout! Here are the top 5 basic exercises that I’ve swapped out—but, you guessed it—upgraded for better use of my time and are more sports-specific. 

1. bird-dog < bear reach

As much as I love bird-dog for balance and core stability, I needed something more rounded that involved my lower body other than my quads. I found this amazing exercise tip from a hockey trainer named Maria. A common ailment of skaters and runners alike when not properly warmed up is shin splints. Rather than suffering through the pain and having to stretch it out immediately, add this exercise into your routine to prevent it.

Very similar to bird-dog, start on all fours, with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Now instead of resting on your knees, tuck your toes under as you would in a plank position, but keep your knees hovering just above the ground. Slowly raise one arm in front of you while straigthening the opposite leg behind you. Use your lower leg muscles to stabilize while engaging your core. Pause, then lower and repeat on the other side. Shins and ankles on fire? Good. Keep it up and you’ll find it won’t be a problem in a week or two. Maria recommends starting with just 3 reps.

2. glute bridge < elevated glute bridge

A common misconception athletes have is associating movement and power with the wrong muscles. A muscle that is widely overlooked is the gluteus maximus. The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, how could it be constantly overlooked? All the movement and rotation that comes from your hips is actually being done by your glutes. It is also the muscle that supports hip stabilization. Next time you are making a hip movement, go ahead and feel your backside like Beyonce and see if it is engaged.

What I like so much about an elevated glute bridge is that it gives you a wider range of motion. A lot of times you will see an glute bridge done with feet elevated, but I like shoulder elevation because you can keep your neck and spine at a better neutral position. At the top, you find yourself with no choice but to squeeze your glutes to stay elevated, while engaging your core for backup.

Using a stability ball, the edge of the padded bench or your dog, rest your upper half on it just above your shoulder blades. Make sure you are not using your upper back so that your glutes are making the primary movement. With your feet planted firmly and your butt resting on the floor, push up to the elevated position by engaging your glutes and squeezing them at the top. At the top, pause while activating your core, then slowly lower and repeat. 12 to 15 reps.

3. russian twist < side wood chop

I am learning more and more about spine health these days. There are a boat-load of exercises that are actually dangerous for your spine and cause damage down the line. Since then, I’ve stop doing crunches and situps since they cause your spine to compress itself. This also includes any exercises that cause the spine to twist. Turns out, there is a reason why that song is called twist and shout.

Aren’t I still twisting when I do a side wood chop? It may look like it, but no. A wood chop is turning your body while keeping your upper body out of the movement and saving your spine, because what is driving the movement is your hips—and my favorite—your glutes.

Grab a weight in both hands or just one weight and stand in a squatted position with your feets a little wider than your shoulders. Start with the weights down by your hip, then drive your hip towards the opposite side as you stand up, ending with the weights at your opposite shoulder. Your back should have no movement at all! Try the movement a few times before adding any power or resistance to it. 12 to 15 reps on each side.

4. push up < push up to 1-leg squat

I learned this one from a surfer. Most times when you find yourself on your stomach in a sport, you are either getting ready to pop up or you’ve just face planted and need to recover as quickly as possible before it forever marks the end of your career. Push ups are essential to building upper body strength that requires no equipment whatsoever, although they are one of the most challenging exercises to complete. Form is your saviour here, and once you’ve conquered it there is no time to waste. Upgrade your push up by adding a 1-leg squat to the mix. Think of this as a modified burpee of sorts, but without the exquisite hatred of doing a burpee.

Start in a push up position with your hands under your shoulders, butt down and neck neutral. Lower down and back up as far as you can in perfect form, then with your weight forward, hop one foot under your hip keeping the other foot off the ground. Push back from the ground and rise to a standing position on the one foot. Then, once balanced, lower back down in a squat and return to the starting position. Do only as many as you can in perfect form, then live to surf another day. Vaya con dios, brah.

5. lateral lunge < stability ball single leg squat

Another underappreciated lower body muscle is simply the groin. Sports that require a lot of lateral, quick movements often bring an onslaught of groin pulls. The culprit here is that a groin muscle is strained or pulled from the inability to stretch. Lateral lunges are great for hip abduction strength. If you have been owning lateral lunges like a boss, try this advanced level move. DO NOT do this if you are recovering from a groin pull or have a weak groin. Baby steps, people. The alternative to using a stability ball is to simply do the move without it, or attach a light resistance band to that ankle.

Start with one leg on top of a stability ball and the other underneath your hip. Push your hips back first as you lower into a squat, making sure your knee stays over your ankle the whole time. Only go as far as your groin will let you, this is a very small movement meant to stretch your groin muscle, not build power of any sort. You will notice the leg on the stability ball doesn’t make much movement, which is a good thing. Aim for 6 to 10 reps on each side.

Now let’s go kick some zombie ass.

Resolutions vs. Goals

It is the start of the new year and the biggest question many ask themselves is “what is my New Years resolution?” Many resolutions are set, but many fail to last longer than a Joss Whedon series. I stopped asking people about resolutions a long time ago. Instead, I like to ask what their goals are. What is the difference? You will find it mainly in the mindset people have when it comes to the words “resolution” and “goal.”

Resolutions and the self-shaming that follows

Setting a resolution is stating an intention. It is easy to make one because there are no specific follow up actions tied to making such a statement. You can say that you resolve to lose 10 pounds of fat or gain 5 pound of muscle, but how will you get there? You can resolve to eat healthier or go on a diet, but for how long? What lasts longer than the resolution itself is the guilt or self-shaming that follows after haven’t started working on it. Say a friend asks how that diet is going and you’ve been consuming nothing but donuts (guilty) and holiday mochas with extra whip cream (also guilty). 1. You either lie to hide your shame and punish yourself later in the gym (Danger Will Robinson! Punishing workouts can lead to injury!) or 2. Openly admit you haven’t found the motivation/time/reason to start yet and tell your friend to never speak of it again. Why give yourself the grief? It’s less healthy than that donut.

FUN FACT: the Latin origin of resolution is esolutio-/resolution, from resolvere, meaning to "to loosen or dissolve again."

photo credit: Marcin Wichary via photopin cc

Goals and the measurable distance you will go

Setting a goal is making a commitment to reaching it. Once a goal is set you are now accountable to yourself for achieving it. Goals are also much easier to manage because you can track your progress and will give you less stress and anxiety about rushing to accomplish them. Say you have a goal to increase your endurance. You can lay out a 4-week plan of cardio and measure yourself at the 2-week and 4-week mark and see how long it takes to run a mile. Knowing that you need to measure your progress will give you the proper motivation to keep working towards your goal and not slip. It is like when a contestant on Jeopardy can’t seem to remember how to answer the questions properly. Alex Trebek would say, “Consistency is key.” After each session, no one can deny you of the feeling of accomplishment you get every time to work towards your goal. Having a plan is the key, rather than just the intention of doing it. Much better than fumbling over your own words and getting yelled at by Trebeck, yes?

When setting a goal remember to follow these guidelines.

1. Make it attainable: No one can tell you what you can and can’t do. Only you can know your limits. Set a goal you know you achieve within your own ability. Never measure yourself against anyone else because every person has a different structure and body composition and operates on a different wavelength. Goals that are custom built for you will always been within your reach. Getting a booty like Beyonce is damn near impossible. The powers that be only gifts one person in this world with that ass.

2. Make it measurable: Goals that are measurable keep you grounded and realistic. Want to be able to do 5 pushups in a row without breaking perfect form? Working on your form once a day and then testing yourself at the end of the week is a great way to measure progress. The beauty of measurable goals is that they are also flexible. Didn’t meet this week’s goal? Reevaluate your plan of attack and adjust where necessary.

3. Treat yo’self: Amazing! You reached your goal! Don’t forget to reward yourself for the progress you’ve made. But that doesn’t mean doing something destructive or harmful to all that work you did, just something that aides your self confidence, your mind or your body. High fives are extreme healthy and rewarding, though not personally endorsed.

Happy New Year!

welcome to 2014, everyone! instead of resolutions this year, make goals. goals that are achievable but challenging. resolutions are meant to guilt us into doing things we know we already want to do. goals motivate us to do better by ourselves.

my goal on day one of the new year? hike up a mountain. 

8 miles round trip, 4,160 feet up.

stay tuned for new posts for the year, i promise to keep them exciting and loaded with hard work. cheers!