How can you use bands to increase the difficulty of functional exercises?

1 Upper body strength

One of the benefits of bands is that they can create tension throughout the range of motion of an exercise, unlike weights that rely on gravity. This means that you can work your upper body muscles from different angles and intensities. For example, you can use bands to perform chest presses, rows, shoulder presses, and curls. To increase the difficulty, you can shorten the band, use a thicker band, or add more bands. You can also change your stance, grip, or tempo to create more challenge.

2 Core stability

Bands can also help you improve your core stability, which is essential for functional training. By attaching a band to a fixed point, such as a door or a pole, you can create an anti-rotational force that challenges your core to resist movement. For example, you can use bands to perform pallof presses, wood chops, and plank variations. To increase the difficulty, you can move further away from the anchor point, use a thicker band, or increase the range of motion or speed of the exercise.

3 Lower body power

Another benefit of bands is that they can enhance your lower body power, which is the ability to generate force quickly. Power is important for functional training, as it helps you perform explosive movements such as jumping, sprinting, and changing direction. For example, you can use bands to perform squats, lunges, deadlifts, and hip thrusts. To increase the difficulty, you can use a thicker band, add more bands, or perform the exercises with a plyometric element, such as jumping or skipping.

4 Mobility and recovery

Bands can also help you improve your mobility and recovery, which are important for functional training. Mobility is the range of motion of your joints and muscles, which affects your performance and injury prevention. Recovery is the process of restoring your body after a workout, which affects your adaptation and progress. For example, you can use bands to perform stretches, warm-ups, and cooldowns. To increase the difficulty, you can use a thinner band, increase the duration or frequency of the exercise, or combine the band with other tools, such as foam rollers or massage balls.

5 Feedback and awareness

Finally, bands can help you improve your feedback and awareness, which are essential for functional training. Feedback is the information that you receive from your body and the environment, which affects your learning and correction. Awareness is the attention that you pay to your feedback, which affects your execution and improvement. For example, you can use bands to perform exercises that require balance, coordination, or alignment. To increase the difficulty, you can use a thicker band, reduce your base of support, or close your eyes or ears.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?