Resistance Tube Exercises: Four Ways to Work Your Body with Resistance Tubes

Resistance Tube Exercises: Four Ways to Work Your Body with Resistance Tubes
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Safety While Using Resistance Tubes

Here’s a few tips to keep in mind before you start these resistance tube exercises. Safety comes first, especially in an area where it’s easy to injure yourself if you don’t take proper precautions.

  • Wear shoes. Some of the exercises require foot movements, and you don’t want the tube sticking to your feet or rubbing them the wrong way.
  • Pick a weight you can handle. Resistance tubes come in various sizes. Choose one that you can stretch without straining yourself.
  • Get a tube with handles. Some tubes come without handles. These don’t allow for a good grip, and you can easily lose control of the tube this way. Getting a set with handles is helpful for maintaining a controlled grip.

Seated Chest Expansion

Tone your arms and pectoral muscles while strengthening your core with a Pilates-inspired resistance tube exercise.

How to do it: Sit on the floor with your legs extended, feet together and your toes up. Place the middle of the tube around your feet and grasp the handles, one in each hand. Sit up straight as you pull the tube out on each side. Your chest should naturally draw forward, expanding. Hold this position for one second, then gradually release the bands back to the first position. Repeat as desired.

Triceps Extensions on a Chair

Some resistance tube exercises, like this one, are great for doing at the office when you have a few extra minutes to stretch.

How to do it: Grab your resistance tube in both hands with the slack hanging behind you near your bottom. Sit down on top of the middle of the tube to secure it in place. You should have equal slack in each hand. Press the handles above your head as far as your arms can reach, keeping them straight. Put your hands back down, then repeat again. Do at least 10 reps per set, or as desired.

Bicep Curls with Squats

Sometimes resistance tubes add a little variety – and challenge – to an otherwise mundane exercise, like squats.

How to do it: With one handle in each hand and your feet spread at shoulder width apart, stand on top of the resistance band with both feet, securing it. Grab the handles so your palms face you when you clench them. Perform one squat. This will put some slack in the tube. As you stand up from the squat, pull the resistance bands up to your shoulders for the bicep curl. Do another squat and repeat as desired.

Step Outs with Resistance Tube Pull

This resistance tube exercise is actually two exercises in one. The step outs give you a cardio workout while the resistance tubes exercise pull strengthens your arm muscles. This is a good fat-burning exercise that’s fun to do to fast music.

How to do it: Begin by holding the tube handles in both hands at about chest level. The band should be horizontal and parallel to the floor. Do one step out. This requires one foot to take a wide step to the side. Squat down after putting your foot down, and as you do, stretch the resistance tube as far as you can. Stand up and bring your foot back to the original position, bringing your hands together to release the tube at the same time. Repeat with the other foot and do as many reps as you desire.

Sources:

My own experience

Exercise.com: Resistance Band Exercises