The Best Resistance Band Exercises for Beginners

Mechanical tension is the amount of time your muscles are under tension. The more time under tension (TUT), the more force they need to generate to complete the exercise through its range of motion. As such, a higher level of motor units and muscle fibres are recruited. This enhances muscular control and leads to improvements in muscle strength and size.

Resistance bands strengthen movement patterns whether you're a runner, swimmer or powerlifter. They also help you generate force throughout a full range of motion.

For example, a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that university tennis players who used resistance bands to improve their serves saw significant improvement in their serve speed and shoulder strength compared with the control group who did not use the gear.

If you're looking to incorporate resistance bands to enhance your sport performance, be sure to chat with your coach, physiotherapist or other licensed professional who can shed light on the best moves for your sport and areas of improvement you might want to target with a band.

Resistance bands can serve as a key tool to activate muscles for a variety of reasons. Before you jump into your next workout, resistance bands can foster activation by isolating the muscle groups you intend to work during your sweat session. Alternatively, resistance bands can help address a common postural challenge: Janda Syndrome.

Janda Syndrome can occur in the full body, or be Upper-Body Cross Syndrome or Lower-Body Cross Syndrome, respectively. Incredibly common for people who sit for a large portion of their days, Janda Syndrome results in the tightening of the anterior body (like your shoulders and hips) and the loosening of the posterior chain (like your glutes, back and hamstrings).

When this is going on, you might notice that you're in a permanent slouching position, even when you step away from your desk. When this happens, your posterior chain might benefit from a little extra attention before your next workout to ensure your movement patterns are as efficient and powerful as possible. Enter the resistance band.

For example, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that participants who used resistance bands to address rounded shoulders and forward head posture (two components of Upper-Body Cross Syndrome) reported a significant improvement to their alignment after performing a simple set of specific movements to target the impacted muscles.

Resistance bands can foster appropriate posture by activating muscles that might get a little neglected throughout your daily routine. Once proper posture is achieved, workouts can improve substantially—you'll be tapping the appropriate muscles to chip into the work rather than compensating.