Strength Training

Youth Strength Band Training

Posted by Christina Chapan 05.08.2008 - 6:43 PM CDT

This is a series about using strength bands in your workout. Working with children bands and balls are a great alternative to weight workouts. Since children should not use heavy weights until their bones are mature, bands and balls offer children the opportunity to do strength training without the potential damage to their growth plates that heavy weights pose. Strength bands are inexpensive and come in a variety of strengths and sizes. Strength bands and balls come in a variety of sizes and strengths, so all ages can participate in exercises and benefit from executing the exercises correctly.

Shoulders

Muscles Utilized: Deltoids

Overhead Press

Stand on the band, holding handles with both hands. The band is distributed evenly under feet, shoulder width apart. Begin with arms bent in a goalpost-shape, wrists straight and abs engaged. Contract the shoulders to straighten arms up and lower back down. Use an even motion to bring up the tubes from shoulders to above the head.

One Arm Lateral Raise

Sit or stand with one end of the tube underfoot and the other end in one hand. Keeping elbow slightly bent and fixed, lift the arm out—shoulder-level—to one side.

Front Raise

Stand in the center of the band. Hold the handles for more resistance. Wrap the ends of the bands around your hands. Bring the bands forward and hold them at the starting position at the waist. Lift arms overhead and keep arms as straight as possible.

Upright Row

Muscles Utilized: Front and Side Deltoids

Stand with your feet evenly distributed on the tube, hip- or shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, shoulders back and chest out. Lift the band from hips to shoulder height and back again with an even motion. Palms are upright and fingers and thumbs are downward. Return to starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Chest

Muscles Utilized: Pectorals

Resisted Push-ups

Begin by laying down and facing the floor. Start in the push up position, pushing up with knees or toes towards the floor. Bend to wrap the band over your back and hold the ends with both hands flat on the floor. If using a tube with handles, hold the tube inward from the handles. Loop the band to add tension and bend elbows toward the pushup. To emphasize the triceps, move hands closer together with thumbs and index finger to form a diamond.

One-Arm Chest Fly

Attach the band to a sturdy object or have a partner hold the band. Hold the handle in the right hand and wrap the loop around the hand to increase tension. Keeping the arm straight, with elbow slightly bent at shoulder level, contract the chest to bend the arm in towards the middle chest. Return to chest and repeat.

Chest Press

Have a partner hold the middle part of the band or wrap the band around a stable object. Hold the handles in both hands, tubing running along the insides of the arms with palms facing each other. Squeeze the chest and press arms out in front. Return to chest and repeat. Don’t lock out the elbows and keep knees soft and abdominals tight and engaged. Keep arms at chest level.

Triceps

Muscles Utilized: Tricep Brachii

Tricep Overhead Press

Stand with back straight and one foot on the tube. With both hands, raise the tube straight overhead, then slowly lower to the head. Elbows should be up by the upper part of the head and hands behind the head. Lift the tube back up so that arms are straight but not locked. Repeat for desired repetitions.

Tricep Extension

Hold the tubing in one hand and place the other hand behind your back. Now grab the other end of the band with the overhead arm and stretch the top elbow until your arm is fully extended. Return to the starting position and repeat for desired repetitions.

Bicep

Muscles Utilized: Bicep

Bicep, Hammer and Side Bicep Curls

Place both feet on tube and make sure that the tube length is evenly distributed between both feet. Bend the elbows and curl hands up. Repeat for desired number of repetitions. For variations of this exercise, hold band with thumb reaching toward ceiling for a hammer curl or curl arms to the side for a side curl with a bicep or hammer curl.

Back

Muscles Utilized: Lattismus Doris

Reverse Fly

With front foot standing at one end of the band, hold the other end of the band in one hand and lean over, abdominals in torso slightly bent, and raise arm to shoulder level. Squeeze shoulder blades together. Return to starting position and repeat for desired repetitions.

Bent Over Row

Center tube under feet and bend forward at the waist, back flat and abdominals engaged. Grab the tube closer to the feet and bend the elbows to pull the arms up the torso and squeeze the back. Return to starting position and repeat for desired repetitions.

Lateral Rows

Step onto the resistance band with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Grasp the ends with palms facing each other. Arms should hang down to the sides with elbows slightly bent. Raise band to side of the body at shoulder height, keeping slows only to slightly back and knee bent position.

Lat Pull Down

With legs shoulder-width apart, keep knees soft and abdominals engaged. Grasp the bands so that hands are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Lift arms just above the head, palms facing front and looking straight ahead. Extend arms laterally at shoulder height with firm wrists and slightly bend elbows. Pull your shoulder blades back and together and expand the chest. Return to starting position and repeat. This can be done in either a standing or sitting position.

Legs

Muscles Utilized: Quadriceps

Squats

Stand on the band, weight evenly distributed and feet shoulder-width apart, keeping tension on the band by holding a half-bicep curl. Lower into a squat, keeping knees bent and pulling on the band to add tension. Return to starting position and perform desired repetitions.

Lunges

Stand with right leg forward, left leg back and position band under right leg. Keeping the tension on the band by bending the elbows, lower the lunge until the knees are slightly at a 90 degree position with front knee behind the toe. Return to start and repeat.

Round Band

Hip Adduction and Abduction

Muscles Utilized: Hip

Stand behind a chair, placing one or both hands on it for balance. Step both feet inside the loop and position the band around your ankles. With good posture and contracted abdominals, shift your body weight up to one leg. Keep weight on one leg, softly bent at the knee throughout the exercise. With knees aligned and foot flexed, contract the hamstring and bend your free front left knee ninety degrees toward the buttocks. Slowly return to the stating position and repeat for the number of desired repetitions. For adduction, go from the front of the leg and extend leg to knee height. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Printable Version