Good day to you, inquisitive readers! Sports equipment of various kinds is increasingly becoming part of our fitness life. And in this process, two opposing trends are observed: the emergence of more complex and bulky exercise equipment and, conversely, the simplification of sports equipment.
In the latter case, expanders are becoming increasingly popular. Especially the tubular rubber expander with handles. Let us not lag behind modern trends! Moreover, not so long ago I already made a post about how to train with elastic bands.
Exercises with an expander: what's the point?
The main function of an expander in exercises is to create additional resistance and increase the load on the muscles.
Therefore, even simple steps with an elastic band on your shins will be many times more effective than without it. But in abdominal exercises, the role of the expander changes. “In some positions it really increases the load (and this will help create a beautiful relief),” comments Lyubov Rakhmanova, trainer at the Capsula . - And in others, on the contrary, he will provide light support. There is also a group of exercises where the expander helps you feel if you are doing them correctly: it creates a frame within which you have to move.”
Thus, with an expander, familiar fitness movements - crunches, planks, turns - become more interesting and effective. We asked Lyubov Rakhmanova to show us a set of exercises for the press with an expander.
How to choose a tubular expander?
Before choosing a tubular resistance band, you should ask yourself a few questions. First of all, what type of training are you most interested in? A Pilates-based workout requires something different than a HIIT workout, although both can be equally effective at increasing your fitness level.
Then think about which parts of your body need more exercise. While some resistance bands are best for the lower body, others are great for pull-ups. There are even some designed for full-body workouts.
Next, think about the level of resistance you are looking for. If you are already far along in your fitness journey, you can opt for a set of tight bands. However, if you're just starting out, you may want to buy a set that is a little more stretchy. Some brands even advertise these resistance levels as light, medium, heavy, and so on, making it easy to know exactly what type of weighted resistance you're choosing.
Finally, as with any purchase, you should keep price in mind. Of course, not many of these sets cost more than 2000 rubles, but if you want to keep a tight budget, this may be an important point to consider.
We've tested many of the best tubular resistance bands currently on offer to find the sets that best suit a wide range of users and exercises.
How to build a workout
* Start the session with a light warm-up and end with stretching.
* Build a workout in a mode convenient for you. “You can perform the exercises sequentially for 15-20 repetitions , without resting between them - this way you get a circuit training ,” explains Lyubov. “If the classic strength scheme , perform exercises of 15-20 repetitions in 2-3 approaches , resting 1-2 minutes between them.”
* Work at a calm pace and watch your breathing: make the main effort while exhaling.
* Do this program 3-4 times a week.
To perform the complex you will need a mat and an expander.
The best tubular resistance bands
Tubular expander Original FitTools tubular (FT-RTE-BLACK) 150 x 12 cm
This manufacturer offers a versatile, high-quality product with its popular strong suspension training system. It comes with two types of anchors that you can easily use to secure it to doors, beams, poles or trees.
Using adjustable training straps with rotating foam handles, you can get a full-body workout by performing seven basic movements - lunges, squats, planks, as well as pulling, pushing, hanging and rotating movements.
The system comes with a workout guide, movement chart, workout poster, and a free code to access TRX online workouts to tone your upper and lower body. Compact and lightweight, the entire system weighs just 0.5kg, making it easy to pack away and use outside.
Universal tubular expander BRADEX SF 0233 165 cm
This basic, affordable system from the innovative fitness equipment and clothing manufacturer is an easy way to start learning suspension without making a huge investment. It doesn't take long to securely attach it to any door and then get started with the two main adjustable straps and handles included.
The four-point harness system makes it easy to change the resistance level for different exercises. This system is durable enough to hold up to 130kg, but it's still lightweight and easy to pack away when you're not using it. It also comes with a basic exercise guide to help you get started.
The key to this set's popularity is its patented anti-snap safety design, which includes an internal Snap Guard safety cord to prevent any accidents. While some similar offerings have a nasty habit of clicking, sending metal or plastic bits into your wall or, worse, into your face, this set is designed to avoid those situations.
While each individual band doesn't have a huge amount of resistance, the stackable design of this set allows you to add or subtract resistance as needed for different muscle groups.
Tubular expander with carabiners Atletika24 – 6 kg red
While the idea of suspension training may seem a little intimidating to try on your own at home, this system makes it easy for beginners to get up and running.
With two types of anchor systems, this resistance band is perfect for installation in your home, backyard, park or when you are on vacation. To help you get started, it comes with a workout guide, a movement poster and chart, and a free code to download two introductory workouts.
Tubular expander Fitness Formula
This system is designed for those who want to take their training to the next level. This resistance band is tested to withstand loads of up to 300kg, is durable and can handle intense exercise. Adjustable straps and loop help you vary your positions, allowing you to perform a wide range of strengthening and balancing movements.
Durable rubber grips are comfortable even during long workouts. Also included is a set of four resistance bands and a mesh carrying bag, so you can easily store it or pack it away and take it on the go.
Tubular expander Espado 1200x8x14mm
While suspension training is suitable for all fitness levels, beginners may want to consult a trainer or work on their weight-lifting skills in a stable environment before starting. Once they are ready to start working independently at home, this system is a great choice for seniors or beginners.
Using non-slip, comfortable rubber handles and adjustable, durable straps, they can perform basic movements such as chest presses, bicep curls and squats. The set comes with fitness instructions to get you started, as well as a mesh bag for storage and carrying.
Tubular expander Resistance set
Like other suspension training systems, this system is ideal for home use, especially for those who have limited exercise space. This well-made, durable system is a versatile 2-in-1 machine, with options for both resistance and bodyweight training.
It easily attaches to a door, ceiling, pull-up bar or tree branch, and the flexible design and adjustable strap width allow you to work a wide range of muscle groups. The handles and footrests are durable and, like the entire system, are easy to wipe down and disinfect.
You can increase or decrease the resistance simply by changing your position, so this system is suitable for all fitness levels.
Tubular expander with protective casing 5LB
If you're looking for a heavy-duty, durable system, then this tubular resistance band is a solid choice that's more affordable than some comparable sets. Easy to install, it comes with a door anchor and wall mount, and also includes adjustable ankle rings to fit a variety of leg shapes.
The training straps, made of high quality material, can support body weights of over 150kg and are adjustable to accommodate a variety of movements.
"Scissors"
Lie on your back with your legs straight, place the center of the expander on your right foot, grasping its edges, and pull the band. Lift your neck and shoulder blades off the floor, work your abdominal muscles. Bend your left leg and extend your right leg above the floor at an angle of 45 degrees (point the toe towards you). Pull your left thigh closer to your stomach, and lower your right leg lower, almost to parallel with the floor, then return to the starting position. This will amount to one repetition. Perform 15-20
repetitions on each side.
Purpose
The very name of the wrist expander indicates that the main purpose is to strengthen the hand, which is responsible for flexion and extension of the fingers. This is especially true for those people who spend a lot of time typing text on a computer keyboard. There are also specific diseases that are associated with severe tension in the hands. This is called carpal tunnel syndrome. It is very useful to use a hand expander in this case, since it will serve as a therapeutic agent when pathology or symptoms of the disease manifest themselves.
Many people believe that the expander is only capable of developing the wrist, and therefore no one is even interested in what muscles the wrist expander also develops. If used correctly, almost all the muscles of the hand will be involved, especially the forearm. With the help of such a simple device, you can prevent the occurrence of various health problems, such as arthritis. And also, to a significant extent, such exercises reduce stress and fatigue, and the time of exercise is not limited in any way.
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The important point is that you can purchase such a special device for both women and men, for amateurs and professionals, for the elderly and children. If you use the expander regularly, the effect will last for a long period of time. After just a few dozen sessions, a person will feel how much stronger his grip has become.
The main advantage of the device is that training can be done absolutely anywhere. This could be public transport and shopping or relaxing on the couch.
Why train your hands and forearms?
There are a lot of athletes who engage in arm wrestling, wrestling, boxing and weightlifting. It is these people who first need to use an expander to train their arm muscles. Climbers or musicians also need to have a strong grip, but even housewives very often face situations when they need to go to the store and bring back a heavy string bag, and this is quite difficult if your hands are weak.
A strong grip is important not only for athletes, because men show their character through the strength of their handshake.
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In addition, if you use special exercises, you can develop other muscle groups, partially replacing more bulky, expensive exercise equipment. This is why the wrist expander is so valued among athletes and ordinary people. It is for such life situations that you need to train with the help of this device. The finger expander is very useful.
Hand expander: benefits and harms
This compact device can be used to strengthen and pump up the muscles of the wrist, forearm, and make fingers strong. This will strengthen your hand grip and improve blood circulation in your upper extremities. If you exercise frequently, it will affect your overall health. The hand expander provides a general therapeutic effect, strengthens the immune system, and helps resist various infections. If we talk only about arm wrestlers, bodybuilders and bodybuilders, then for them there is simply no alternative to such a simulator.
In addition, such a device has an almost zero level of injury, which is rare among simulators. Many doctors claim that the carpal expander can be used very effectively to develop the muscles of the hands after fractures and injuries. Such a mini-simulator cannot pose any health risks, but it can create some inconveniences that are typical for cheap and not too rigid models.
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Do not forget that springs can deteriorate. But these are very small and insignificant negative aspects that you don’t even have to remember when purchasing such a simulator. The only thing we can say with certainty is that it is incapable of causing absolutely any harm to the body. If you don’t deliberately throw it against the wall, expecting a rebound, then you can be confident in the safety of the equipment.
Twisting from a standing position
Fix the center of the expander on the support (thread it through a door handle or horizontal bar). Stand with your back to the support. Grasp the edges of the expander with your hands and spread them apart, stretching the tape. Do not bend at the waist, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Using your abdominal muscles, gently twist your body to the left, then to the right. This will amount to one repetition. Perform 15-20
repetitions in your chosen mode.
Monitor the sensations in your muscles during training: this helps you exercise more thoughtfully, and therefore more effectively.
Features and benefits of training
There are silicone, rubber and spring models of expanders. The basis of the work of any of them is the effect of the elastic force of the simulator on various muscle groups. The training is suitable for men as well as women and does not require prior physical preparation.
For women, exercises with an expander at home are an excellent opportunity to get your figure back to normal after childbirth or get rid of excess weight. At the same time, the simulator is compact, classes will not take much time. A set of exercises with an expander for men will allow you to pump up your muscles, make them more prominent, restore or maintain athletic shape.
The simplest type of such a simulator is a long rubber band 9–12 cm wide and 1.2 meters long. A classic spring expander consists of several long springs with comfortable handles at the ends. Today, figure-eight models and convenient compact versions (butterfly) have appeared that allow you to train the thigh muscles. Manufacturers offer the following varieties of this simulator:
- Carpal. Allows you to increase your grip strength. The simplest type is a rubber ring. It is often used as a means of rehabilitation after arm fractures. More complex models are necessary for weightlifters and wrestlers - exercises with a wrist expander are mandatory for them.
- Brachial. Used to strengthen the pectoral and shoulder muscles. This device allows you to work on your back muscles and perfectly pumps your forearms.
- "Butterfly". Designed to target the thigh muscles. It is especially popular among women who are losing weight, because there are few exercise machines that can change this area. It is suitable for correction of the arms and chest area. The action is based not on stretching, but on compression of the spring.
- Universal. One end of this model is for the arms, the other for the legs. Performing exercises with a universal expander at home is more convenient than with other varieties.
- Special. Used to influence the arms, legs, and allow you to train the muscles of the chest and back. They differ from the classic version by the presence of a loop that can be hooked onto a suitable support. The model is perfect for weight loss.
WristUniversalShoulderButterflySpecial
The exercise machine is easy to purchase at any sports store. Complexes of exercises include effects on almost all muscle groups. The load can be increased or decreased depending on the degree of stretch or the number of springs used. The advantages of using an expander include:
- low cost of the simulator;
- the ability to use it almost anywhere;
- ease of storage;
- quick visible results with systematic training;
- safety and ease of use.
It is this type of sports equipment that is most often used in physical therapy classes, since it allows you to gently influence the muscles and gradually increase the load, achieving the desired result. A set of exercises with a rubber expander helps to recover from injuries, strokes, and other diseases.
The simulator has few disadvantages - often beginners start working on their own and perform the exercises incorrectly because they do not have sufficient knowledge. In this case, training with an expander is not beneficial. In addition, it can be easily damaged if stored improperly.
The device may be damaged by the teeth and claws of pets. The rubber band loses its elasticity if it is constantly left in the vicinity of heating devices. The model with metal springs should be protected from dampness.
The advantage of an expander is the ability to successfully train at home. For men, exercises with this sports equipment help pump up their muscles and make them more prominent. For women, training with an expander allows them to bring their figure back to normal after childbirth, tighten their body, and get rid of excess weight.
Classification by color and hardness
Bright, beautiful, multi-colored - the eyes run wild. But all this variety is not just designed to lift the mood during training. Gradation by color is a division of rubber bands according to the level of rigidity, and therefore the degree of specified load. Let's figure out what's what.
The level of resistance of the fitness band, which provides load during training, directly depends on its color category. The darker the shade, the stiffer the expander.
Approximate classification:
Principle of operation
Ski expanders (photo above) are classified as multifunctional exercise machines, since with their help the main and problematic muscle groups are worked out. You can exercise at home, in the office, on the street or in the gym - the choice is yours.
The principle of operation of the device is simple: elastic bands are compressed and stretched like a spring, and the resulting force is a load on the muscles. On modern models, latex versions are used instead of rubber elements. They are more durable and easier to use.
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The use of the simulator in question is universal - it is suitable for strength, aerobic and preventive training. You can buy the device without any problems in almost any sports store or online.
A set of exercises for hands
The complex is suitable for pumping deltoid muscles, biceps, triceps:
- "Romanian thrust". Attach the equipment to a tripod or pipe, tighten the expander and perform lunges alternately forward and backward. When going down, you need to abduct your pelvis as much as possible. Repeat the exercise 10 times for each side.
- “Standing press alternately.” You will need to stand up straight and hold the ends of the sports equipment in both hands. Stand with your foot on the expander tape (visually 1/3 of the entire length). Hold the projectile with one hand, lift it and stretch it with the other. Lower and raise straight arms, holding them vertically.
- "Machs for middle deltas." Stand with your feet on the expander band and swing your arms in different directions.
- Curling your arms to pump up your biceps. You need to stand with your feet straight on the expander and straighten your back. Take the handles of the sports equipment in your hands and pull towards yourself, bending your elbows.
Types and varieties of expanders
All expanders are simulators of narrowly targeted or isolating action and are aimed at individual muscle groups.
Depending on this, they are distinguished between hand, torsion (shoulder, hand), universal or multifunctional.
Everyone should have a home exercise band. Resistance bands are suitable for both men and women. Everyone, regardless of gender, benefits from physical activity.
The only difference is what you plan to get in the end. So most men who use a hand trainer have a strong masculine handshake. They shape the torso, train the shoulders and arms.
Women focus on the muscles of the legs, waist and hips.
What are the benefits of a wrist expander?
Professional athletes and ordinary people use the exercise machine for different purposes. Let's figure out what benefits the product will bring to health and physical strength.
For professional athletes
Which athletes need to use a wrist expander?
- bodybuilders;
- bodybuilders;
- track and field athletes;
- climbers;
- swimmers
One of the conditions for successful training, especially related to lifting dumbbells and barbells, is an “iron” grip. And a hand expander will help you acquire it. If the muscles of the forearms, hands and wrists are not sufficiently developed, the athlete simply will not physically be able to lift heavy objects. Or the load on other parts of the body (chest, back) will be distributed incorrectly.
Sometimes due to intense training, athletes receive various injuries: muscle strains, ligament tears
Proper and careful use of the expander allows you to speed up the recovery process due to blood flow to the damaged areas
For ordinary people
The main advantage of a hand expander is that it not only strengthens the muscles of the hands, but also allows you to improve the health of the body as a whole. Why should a mini-exercise machine be in the home of every person who cares about their health?
Increased physical strength and endurance
Situations regularly arise in life when strong hands are required:
- delivery of heavy bags of groceries from the store;
- repairs, rearrangement of furniture in the house;
- carrying suitcases during travel and business trips.
And women who have recently given birth often have to carry the baby on themselves. If the muscles and ligaments are weak, discomfort occurs. Sudden loads can cause injury. The expander increases physical strength in the hands and thereby makes everyday life easier.
Disease Prevention
People whose work involves monotonous flexion and extension of their hands may develop an occupational disease - carpal tunnel syndrome (carpal tunnel syndrome). The following persons are particularly at risk:
- stenographers;
- court secretaries;
- drummers;
- pianists;
- motorcycle racers;
- freelancers working at the computer.
Characteristic symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are pain, numbness or tingling in the hands, and weakness. A hand expander reduces the risk of this disease.
In addition, poor blood circulation in the hands can cause problems with blood pressure and negatively affect your appearance (hair, nails, facial skin). And if you regularly perform exercises with a manual exercise machine, these problems will most likely bypass you.
Common joint diseases are arthrosis and arthritis. Their main cause is considered to be metabolic disorders. And the latter arise, among other things, due to slow blood circulation. Once again, a small hand exercise machine will come to the rescue.
Strengthening the psyche
The expander brings tangible benefits to the health of the nervous system. When a person holds the product tightly in his hands, he frees his mind from obsessive thoughts and concentrates on something positive.
If the expander has pimples or other relief, it has a massage effect on biologically active points. As a result, a person’s thinking abilities, memory and mood improve. You can use the exercise machine to prevent depression and simply in those moments when you feel irritated.
