The program of exercises using an expander

When it comes to building muscle, real men prefer to pull iron and leather straps. It's time to refute stereotypes.

You can achieve the same results with a conventional expander. Doubt? Let's see.

Advantages of exercises with an expander:

• You will become stronger.
• You pump up the muscles.
• You will improve the condition of your cardiovascular system without the help of running.
• You will improve your athletic performance (in golf, basketball, baseball), while reducing the risk of injury.
• Training will take you only 30-40 minutes every second day.
• You can train anywhere and at any time with the help of sports equipment, which will fit in your pocket.

Surprisingly, thanks to the exercises with the expander, if they are performed correctly, you will feel both strong and weak at the same time.

It will not be easy. The expander does not stretch itself. You have to work and work hard. If you fully commit yourself to this cause, you will achieve excellent results. One of the good exercises is a 30 second flexion for the biceps. You will see that you can do 60 repetitions for 30 seconds. Ready? Go.

I stepped both feet onto the Superspander, 90 cm long, 1.25 cm wide, grabbed the upper part of the expander with both hands (palms up) and started approaching 2 biceps flexions per second for 30 seconds. At first the resistance seems quite acceptable, but by the 20th second my movements have become slow and painful. Then the coach ordered me without stopping to perform 30 seconds of "rapid extensions", that is triceps presses, performed at the same pace with a flexible expander. When I finished, my arms were exhausted with fatigue, but I also felt like they were filling with strength.  

This sensation can appear in every muscle group. For example, if you are on the same expander, wrap it around your shoulder or pull it over your head, you can perform full squats. Having grasped the expander with a door or by attaching it to a door handle or other immovable object, you can perform twisting in the standing position.

In addition to strength advantages, exercises with an expander increase the endurance of the cardiovascular system and accelerate the burning of calories. To prove this, the coach put a pulse-meter on me. Usually, my pulse during physical activity does not exceed 145 beats per minute, for example, when I climb a mountain by bike. But after only 15 minutes of exercises with the expander my pulse was 144 beats per minute, and even after the end of training, the heart rate continued to grow to 154 beats per minute. This phenomenon is called EPOC or "excessive oxygen consumption after exercise". This is a great advantage of resistance exercises - your body can burn calories up to 48 hours after training. The fact that exercises with an expander can produce the same effect as traditional weights is proof of their value.

Another advantage that I immediately noticed is that the expander can be pulled in any direction, and also create any resistance. Just like traditional cables, these flexible devices can be used in any plane, copying movements in tennis, golf, baseball or even swimming. If you are creative enough, any basic sports movement can be repeated with the help of an expander.

With great enthusiasm, I started an 8-week exercise program. I started to run a lot less and ride a bicycle. Instead, I worked every day with an expander. At first, after training, it was difficult for me to climb the stairs - my legs were literally shaking - but over time I had a new sense of power that I had never experienced before. It seemed to me that I became much stronger.

After 2 months I increased 2.5 kg of muscle mass. I began to feel stronger while running, riding a bike and jumping.

However, fitness trainers note that exercises with an expander are not the best way to pump up a lot of muscle mass (yet for this purpose classical exercises with free weights are better suited). Nevertheless, I found that this is a good option for maintaining and building muscle mass and improving endurance if you do not have access to the usual sports equipment. In fact, exercises with an expander are a great addition to any exercise program, even if you are already doing traditional strength training.

Sports trends come and go. First - it's fitball, then - cardio-kickboxing, a year later - a medical ball ... Always there is something new and the guys go from one fashion novelty to another, without achieving any progress. It is better to think about all these exercises, as about different instruments in one set. Do not just use one hammer for everything. Instead, use the right tools for the right exercises.