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I’m changing.
You just can’t get stuck in your ways.
So I’m changing.
Some may say I have a commitment issue with workouts.
Pick one and stick with it.
But my workout attention span is way too short for th…..
I’ve had a number of different philospohies when it comes to my preferred fitness plan.
For a time, I only wanted to do bodyweight exercises.
Why?
I thought that I wanted something simple that could travel with me wherever I went.
No big equipment or heavy weights that I couldn’t take with me perhaps in a hotel room, or someone’s house if I were staying with someone for a while.
There’s some real sense in that philosophy.
Although there would have been even more sense if I was actually someone who travelled.
I wasn’t.
So that lasted for a little bit.
Then for a while I was mostly only interested in weights.
I have to be honest. There is something mentally satisfying about moving a certain amount of weight, then getting stronger and seeing the numbers on the weights go up and up.
Unlike the numbers on a scale.
It’s extremely motivating and a wonderful way to keep you going.
Many of you know motivation is sometimes hard to come by, but when you start seeing such objectively clear gains that can be measured so easily, it can be addicting.
And that lasted for a while too.
But soon I needed to try something else.
I stumbled upon this box of exercise bands I had stashed away and thought they might be fun to try.
So I did try them.
And they are.
For one thing, they really are fun. Safely attach them to a door and you can pull off all sorts of motions that are very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with weights or bodyweight.
For another thing, they can travel with you. So if I ever do travel, I can finally implement that philosophy I once created for no apparent reason at all.
And for yet another thing, there’s this thing everybody is talking about called “time under tension”.
The general idea is that one of the most important factors of lifting weights is not simply moving large amounts of weight. It’s the amount of time you keep your muscles under tension.
In layman’s terms, what you’re talking about here is using full range of motion, paced not too quickly, perhaps even holding the top of a rep safely for a beat.
As opposed to wildly swinging weights around so you can say you moved the most amount of weight.
That may sound fun and make you feel good, but you may also be not getting the best results.
Now, it is possible, albeit more difficult, to wildly swing around with an exercise band too, but they have one great advantage over other fitness implements.
They get more tense through the rep, which makes wildness inherently more difficult.
As you move through the rep and the exercise band stretches more and more, the amount of tension provided by the band increases.
When lifting weights, depending on the exercise, you can reach a point in the rep where the amount of tension decreases. It reaches a peak in the middle of the motion, then releases a bit toward the top of the motion.
Take a bicep curl, for instance.
There is a ton of tension as you reach “the hump”, when your arm is at about a 90-degree angle. But then, when you get past that hump and pull the weight up further, that tension releases and you can actually hold the weight without any tension on your bicep at all.
With an exercise band, that tension continues through the top of the rep and stays there.
(Now, mind you, I think bicep curls are largely useless. But once I get over this injury, I’ll probably start doing some again. Because yes, I am as vain as the next guy and you are too and that’s okay.)
Why am I telling you all of this?
I really don’t know.
Maybe I’m just trying to move some exercise band product and you should check out this Amazon link below:
Maybe it was just on my mind and I’m excited about it, so now you get to know about it too.
And also be excited about it.
I’ll keep using weights for lower body exercises like squats. I enjoy those anyway.
But for upper body?
I’m the Rubber Band Man.
Perhaps I’ll update you on how things are going, if I feel like it.
And if I don’t?
I won’t.
Just imagine my results are something like an Adonis-like figure, only much better.
And until I post any photos that could disprove that, let’s stick with that image.
In the meantime, seriously, check out some exercise bands.
These are legit my favorite. A great set that can generate a ton of tension, replace expensive weights, and that most everyone can start and grow with. I absolutely love them.
Maybe you’ll love them too.
Get stronger. Feel better.
Have a great day, everyone.
Don’t forget to check out the only for-purchase exercise program I’ve ever bought and enjoyed.
Old School New Body.
Great for busy schedules, flexible, simple, and I really found it fun and satisfying!
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