The power of resistance bands

Resistance bands could be the one piece of workout equipment that can take your body to the next level of fitness, strength and overall muscle tone.  As a Personal Trainer, Pilates instructor and pre and post-natal teacher (www.redhotpersonaltraining.com) I find resistance bands a wonderful, versatile and full body strengthening little 'gym in my pocket' tools that really do work wonders.

Bands come in a variety of lengths and strengths so suitable from beginner to advanced athlete and some are made in a loop construction that adds to the versatility and variety of exercise combinations that can be used. They are budget friendly and can easily be used while away from home travelling as they are so portable and require little space to use. (Many of my clients travel with work a great deal so when they are away from home they can continue with their exercises whilst away).

Resistance bands allow you to get a full body strengthening workout without the use of any free weights or gym machines.  The key here is that working out with resistance bands produce a different type of tension on your muscles than that of free weights or resistance machines. They produce progressive tension so they actually create more resistance through the range of your repetitions. This is a good thing as the bands will be targeting your muscles fibres in a different way than you would achieve by just using free weights and machines alone. Resistance bands strengthen the neuromuscular system where it is weakest which is at the end of the range of motion but do not place as much strain on the joints than using heavy weights thus their is less chance of injury. 

Have you reached a fitness plateau?  Resistance bands can be an excellent way to add an element of fun and variety into your workout and can be just what the muscles are looking for to overcome that stagnation.

You can do just about any strength training exercise using bands. In fact an entire full body workout can be achieved (including a band warm up and cool down) using a set of small loop bands (in different strengths) and one 1.5 meter single length band. My diary is usually very full and that sometimes leaves very little room for me to work out myself. A short 20 minute band session can be amazing at achieving an excellent resistance workout in a short amount of time. 

Some body weight exercises can be taken to the next level by simply adding the use of a resistance band. For example, a plank with an alternating rear leg lift could be done with a loop band attached around the ankles for added resistance. 

If you have not tried integrating bands into your workouts you simply must give it a go as they are such a wonderful addition to any workout.

If you would like the help of a personal trainer or to purchase gift vouchers for a loved one please contact www.redhotpersonaltraining.com

Red Hot Personal Training's Christmas Gift Guide

Busy getting ready for the christmas celebrations? With Christmas just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to share our favourite ideas for healthy Christmas presents.

1. You know how we have said how important a good nights sleep is (see blog dated Oct 27) so with that in mind how about a new supportive fluffy pillow that you can just sink into. To really go all out, why not get a silk pillowcase too. Silk not only feels luxurious but has wonderful properties that can help keep your hair shiny and tangle free and your skin smooth, bonus!

2. A wonderful piece of kit to have at home is a foam roller. Benefits of using it before exercise include increasing blood flow to muscles and range of motion and using it after exercise helps aid recovery and relaxation.

3. Lavender, Frankincense and Rosemary essential oils are a wonderful gift to give, as they help to enhance blood circulation, calm nervous tension and are also anti-inflammatory, so they are excellent after a tough workout. Use them in your bath, in an infuser, mixed with a carrier oil and use on your body or just add a few drops of lavender oil onto your pillow for restful sleep. Be sure to use the best oils as you can find to really benefit from them.

4. Have you tried Bamboo workout clothing? Clothing made from bamboo is wonderful at keeping you dry as bamboo is sweat wicking and comfortable during tough workouts, is a great option for allergy prone skin, is antibacterial and feels so soft against your skin. Bamboo is also a great choice for the environment too as it is biodegradable and only needs rain water to grow. We especially love Bamboo trainer socks.

5. Resistance bands are so simple and easy to use, take up little space and can be used to target multiple muscle groups. We love to incorporate these bands into our clients exercise plans and show them many ways to use them in a daily workout routine for strength, muscle and flexibility gains. The favourite type of band among our clients at present is the ‘Band of doom”(named by Red Hot Personal Training clients as you can really feel it working!!). It’s a strong, thick loop band that can be used as a precursor to many exercising as it activates the hips when placed around the thighs and used for squats, side steps etc. It can also very effectively target the glute muscles, thus strengthening and helping to turn back on those all important posterior chain muscles. As an added bonus its amazing for achieving a peachy derrière!

P.S How about a gift of Personal Training vouchers? Red Hot Personal Training has received a great deal of requests for gift vouchers to give as a present this Christmas. A 'one off session' voucher can be purchased for £45 or a package of 10 sessions for £400 making a saving of £50 per session! Please see the 'Prices' tab of our website for more details.

(Red Hot Personal Training, Pilates and Pre and Post-Natal)

Why I love working out with my Kettlebell

Are you looking for a way to tone your entire body, activate those essential posterior chain muscles, improve your posture and lose weight as an added bonus? Look no further than the kettlebell.

Why I love to work out using a Kettlebell

1. A sweat producing whole body toning workout can be achieved in a very short amount of time.

2. Only one piece of equipment is required and it can be done anywhere! (Please make sure children and pets are well out of the way!!)

3. All the major muscle groups can be worked out, including the very important posterior chain muscles. (Those muscles that are made weak by excessive sitting and underuse leading to back pain issues, non-firing glute muscles etc)

4. Its fun and gets that heart pumping for a great cardiovascular workout too!

My three favourite kettlebell moves:

1. The mighty Kettlebell Swing is such a simple but powerful move. You will see great changes to your bottom, and tone in your legs and tummy too! (I personally aim to do a minimum of 100 swings at each session. Try reps of 20, 30, 20, 30 with a 20 second rest break in between each set.

2. The Kettlebell snatch is such a fast and fun move that once you have masted it you will really enjoy the fluidity of it. (Good form is key here. Research the correct technique or ask a trainer to show you how). Try 12-15 reps each side x 2 reps.

3. The Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift is not only great for the legs and stabilising muscles but a good core and balance exercise too). Try 12-15 reps x 2 sets each leg.

If you are a beginner I would advise starting off with a light weight such as a 4kg/6kg (women) or 9kg/12kg (men) and then once you have perfected the moves then consider upping the weight as you get stronger.

Please see the video attached for a sneak peak at these three moves. x

Could you skip this one?

Do you remember effortlessly skipping as a child? How about giving it a go again? What a great way to raise that heart rate up, help with fat loss and help tone that mid section while you are there! Skipping is great as part of a warm up or used as a whole body workout in itself. An inexpensive tool to purchase that is easily portable too!

Try this quick skipping workout below that you could even squeeze in before breakfast!

1. Set the timer on your phone for 5 minutes. Keeping your elbows by your sides and using your wrists to propel the rope (try not to use your shoulders) do 30 simple skips.

2. Take a 30 second (active) break by gently marching on the spot.

3. Repeat the skipping and rest periods until the 5 minutes are up and there you have a great mini workout!

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