THIS WEEK, I am going to focus on basic equipment for really effective exercises.

I firmly believe you don’t need the fanciest or most complex workout equipment to make significant progress and in this article I am going to focus on resistance power bands and mini loop bands.

Resistance bands are possibly my favorite piece of kit and something I use in nearly every training session when working with clients.

The best thing about the bands is that they are relatively cheap, easy to pop into the gym bag and you can do so much with them — from mobility drills to challenging strength and core movements.

If you are an individual who is short on time, space or equipment then these exercises are for you.

Type of bands and best place to purchase

There are a couple of styles of resistance band. My favorites are the power bands and the mini loop bands.

Both are perfect for doing lots of different styles of exercises. They come in varying degrees of tension (resistance) and nowadays most good training facilities should have bands on offer on the gym floor.

If not and you want to have a set handy in your kit bag then D8Fitness have a great selection and their website is easy to purchase from.

The best thing about bands is that they are so versatile and can be used by everybody from officer workers, athletes (particularly golfers and field-based players like GAA, rugby and soccer) and casual gym goers.

Mobility/flexibility

I regularly highlight the importance of working on your mobility and flexibility. It’s an area that most people neglect as some people don’t see the importance of it or don’t know what to do.

This is where power bands can come in. If you are someone who sits a lot at the desk and notice you are quite stiff, immobile and tight then then I really recommend you check these power band mobility drills may help you out.

Warm up

Mini loop bands are excellent for glute activation drills and it’s something I suggest to all my teams and athletes to do especially before games and training sessions.

Here is a glute activation video routine that all my clients can do.

Strength

Power bands are a great way of testing your strength and making a certain exercise that little bit more challenging. Here are 3 ways you can integrate a simple medium strength resistance band into your workout.

Core

Core work is so important and in general I would consider function and performance to be the priority, not aesthetics. Basic drills like planks, hollow holds, twists and side bends are well known for improving core strength.

However, let’s take a look at a smart way of using the bands with this banded core workout below which will challenge you and really help strengthen your core.

David Last is a personal trainer based in Dublin. For more information you can follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Or you can send him a direct message here.

You can also see some of his previous articles here

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!

Finish strong! Three ways to end your session on a high

How to get the most out of the gym when playing team sports