bands & kettlebells

Dec: 30th.

" We all have more than a few failures.That's what makes us ready for successes."

WOD

5 rounds for time

500 meter rowing on C-II

50 squats

30 back extensions

time: 24:58

Dec 29 th.

Rest day

Dec 28th.

WOD
15 mile bike ride. Hell the weather was good so I hit the roads for the first time in a month. Winter sucks for bikers. legs felt good for not riding but maybe I need the rest anyway.

Kettlebell session for 20 minutes. Just keeping the kettlebell moving as much as possible.

Dec 27th

" Strong reasons make strong actions"

Wm. Shakespeare


WOD

session 1.

5x 500 meter rowing.

Kettlebell(griptastic session) for 10 minutes without hitting the floor

session 2

"Barbara"


5 rounds for time

20 pullups

30 pushups

40 situps

50 squats

time: 27:42



Resistance or exercise rubber elastic bands sold today which come is a vast number of sizes, tensile strenght, configurations to meet the almost infinite number of exercise applications. They can be used for rehabbing injuries or surgery, general exercise, speed training for track and boxing, strength training enhancement.



The English call them "strands", which were sold many years ago as a exercise tool made of medical tubing and its older brother, springs. Everyone who wanted to work out 20-40 years ago always had a set of "chest expander springs and later rubber" I have seen old pictures of them used at the turn of the last century in most gyms. It was mainly used for upper body exercise as it was difficult to squat.....besides no one looked at your legs.

Restance bands can be used in any number of routines, they come in thin wide low resistance(tension of toilet paper) for aerobics classes to the ultra thick for power lifting applications. Bands can be use for speed training for track and field, and on the other hand they can be put in you travel bag on vacation for a quick workout.

I started using bands back in the military as most navy ships I was on did not allow weights. There was never a time I did not have some kind of resistance bands for a quick workout, warm up or addition to my lifting. When I got into powerlifting is when I really got the most benefit for the use of heavy resistance bands to add resistance to squats, bench press, and Even the dead lift. There are only a few powerlifters today that don't use resistance bands at some point in their training.

The addition of bands to an exercise can be fun and can improve a stagnant routine by adding a different kind of resistance. On the other hand it can reduce the loading like when you are doing pull ups, so you can gradually decrease the size and maybe discontinue using band when you become strong enough to perform the pull up without assistance.

The normal resistance can be made more challenging by adding a band to the movement, when applied at some location of the movement known as the 'sticking point". However, like most exercise, it has to be progressive and cycled off and on the training schedules.

The down side of bands, is that you have no idea what the resistance is at any given time from band to band and length use. Resistance is based on RPE it used by itself. If it is used in conjunction with a know weight exercise, like squat, then there is some kind of measurable condition. This is how I use band today is to add to a know weight and try to activate as much Type IIB muscle as possible. Its basically an isotonic-dynamic isometric contraction( now that a valid conflict in terms) Bands don't seem to change in strenght but they will dry rote in time.

Then there is the mother of all bands and that is bungee jumping. (make sure they are not dry rotted)