Strengthening the Upper Body
By
Anthony Tumminello
If strengthening all of the muscle groups in your upper body is a goal, incorporating resistance bands into your training routine can be beneficial. When it comes to building a sculpted upper body, resistance bands are a convenient tool for adding strength that comes with the added benefit of an increase in overall flexibility and mobility.
Resistance bands, also called exercise bands or resistance tubes, work by providing external resistance that your muscles must work against similar to free weights. However, unlike free weights or bodyweight exercise, resistance bands do not rely on gravity to provide tension. Instead, when you use a resistance band you are constantly working against the force of the band. While that might sound easier, it is in fact more difficult as your muscles are under constant tension through the full range of motion of an exercise. It is virtually impossible to cheat and use your body for momentum using bands making them highly effective.
Resistance bands have other advantages over free weights. They are very inexpensive, durable and portable, making them a convenient tool for getting in a workout anywhere. Additionally, the elastic nature of bands makes motions tighter and overextension of joints less likely thereby reducing risk of injury during use.
There are five main types of resistance bands available. Power resistance bands resemble thick rubber bands and can be used for every aspect of training. Tube resistance bands have handles on both ends and are designed to mimic gym machines and/or dumbbells. Mini bands are similar to power resistance bands but are shorter and wider. Figure 8 bands have soft handles at both the top and bottom and as their name suggests, they are shaped like the number 8. Therapy bands are long and light and are frequently used by people recovering from an injury but can also be used for stretching.
There are a number of ways to incorporate resistance bands into training your favorite body parts.
Biceps
It is easy to use resistance bands in bicep exercises including classic curls and hammer curls. To do curls, anchor the resistance band so that it does not move by standing in the center of with your feet shoulder width apart. Using an underhand grip, move your elbows to where the focus should be and lift the band. Hammer curls can be performed in the same way but instead of curling with an underhand grip, switch to a neutral grip for a different type of muscle activation.
Triceps
Kickbacks are an effective way to hit all three heads of the tricep. Anchor the band by standing on it, pull the resistance band into one side of you and bend the elbow to bring the bands to either side of your chest. Bend forward from your hips so that your torso is parallel to the floor and then extend the triceps behind you, pulling the band with it. This exercise can be done as single arm reps or double depending on how hard you would like to work.
Shoulders
Shoulder presses are a classic exercise. Anchor the band and with your arms starting with a right angle at your elbow, push straight upwards above your head. To focus more on your front deltoid, using an overhand grip, raise your arms straight in front of you and then slowly lower back down. To focus more on your rear deltoids, try a band pull apart. Hold the band at shoulder length, tighten your abdomen, and using your rear delts, retract your shoulder blades. Band pull aparts can be done with an underhand or an overhand grip and target not only the rear delts but the muscles of the upper back as well.
Back
Your back is critical to supporting you through not only your workouts but also regular daily activities. Bent over rows are among the most intensive upper back exercises you can perform with a resistance band. Start by anchoring the band under you with body weight, bend forward with your lower back and use your lats to pull the band toward you. You can use the same starting position to work the lower back with good mornings. Simply stand straight up by contracting your lower back and return to bending forward keeping a neutral spine the whole time.
A strong, sculpted upper body is not only aesthetically pleasing but also helps keep your spine aligned and encourages a healthy posture. When choosing a resistance band, keep in mind that the thickness of the band will determine how difficult an exercise will be. Be sure to start with a few reps on a lighter band to gauge the difficulty of an exercise, particularly with shoulders which are more prone to injury, and then work your way up to a level of tension appropriate to your level of strength.