Are Resistance Bands Really that Effective?

 For decades, Resistance Bands have been a part of workout regimens for many people from Weekend Warriors to World-Class athletes. The big reason? They're pretty easy to use, about as versatile as you can get and very effective in developing muscle while also conditioning the body. Regardless of your fitness level, bands such as Chest Expanders & Dopamineo Bands are awesome for working the muscles that other pieces of equipment aren't always able to touch.

The simplicity however is not to be underestimated. There's a great way to use bands to get their muscle-building benefit. Let's go over a few tips to help you out....

Depending on the type of band you get, the amount of force to stretch the band will work the muscles like with Free Weights or Machines. Now, the latter two uses the same weight in every direction you work with but with bands, the big difference is the more you stretch it, the heavier it goes. It will literally fight you to prevent you from stretching it. 

For the muscle building effects, there was a study done in 2019 that shows similar strength gains that conventional gym equipment provided. Bands may not look like much but they can strengthen the body and build a more natural physique. In a lot of ways, bands create greater tension on the muscles and are able to work them longer during certain movements. 

 Although bands are incredible for rehab and strengthening the body to work through injuries, they've also become a great deal to those who practice certain sports even such as bodybuilding to condition the body in a capacity where they don't have to rely on big equipment to get the job done, they can do it at a park, in a hotel room, at the beach, in their backyards and many other places. For the Dopamineo Bands, these are extremely effective in getting in serious condition just about anywhere and can be used for a variety of ways and also because of the elasticity, has a longer life span than most bands out there today. 

Bands are incredibly adaptable because even with a shift change in a movement, you can make it harder or easier. Some bands you can be very explosive with but with others, you can make them slow as well and have almost an isometric component to it. Whether shortening or lengthening a band, the resistance can be tough as hell or have you working in a greater capacity such as cardio type training. Like I said above with being able to train just about about anywhere, that's because the majority of bands are extremely portable, meaning you can stuff them into a duffle bag or suitcase and be able to travel with them. Hell if you want to get a micro workout in at the airport you can (I would recommend shorter bands because I don't think you want to be sprinting or doing longer distant exercises towards people using a Dopa Band). Besides, bands are better at getting past security than a kettlebell or barbell ever will.

When it comes to cost, bands are perfect for those on a budget and depending on the type you get, you can basically put an entire gym into a carrying sack. I've got my Dopa Band and TNT Cables in one bag that weighs less than a couple pounds and able to carry and travel with. Some bands are more expensive than others but when it comes to the comparison of a machine or a set of dumbbells, its a fraction of the cost. 

For the final tip, it's important to stay focused on the technique. No matter what band you use, don't ever get so sloppy that you're going to end up hurting yourself. The great thing about this is, bands force you to utilize technique in order for an exercise to be effective. They help keep your posture in line otherwise the band won't move as much or will snap back at you. They're a hell of a coach in that regard. It's also important to not put so much tension on a band because you want to be able to move as smoothly and with precision as possible to have an effective workout. With the Dopa Band, it can stretch a great deal but it's not about just stretching it, it's about working with the resistance at a level that you can do well even if it's challenging. If you screw up, the band will let you know so pay attention. 

So are they that effective. I've been using them for way longer than a decade and have used them to heal injuries. You read about how the Dopa Band helped me get over my sciatica? If not, go find that article and see for yourself. Bands are top notch when it comes to training with minimal equipment and working with your body in ways bodyweight and other forms of equipment can't match. Don't forget to use my 10% OFF Discount on Dopa Bands when you enter POWERANDMIGHT at checkout. Have fun and enjoy the journey.  

DopamineO Sprinting

Taking on a challenge can be very rewarding especially if it's through a workout. On Friday, I wanted to test Phil Campbell's Sprint 8 Protocol with my DopamineO Band just doing Sprint Outs. The protocol is going hard for 30 Seconds and resting/active recovery for 90 seconds and repeating this for a total of 8 rounds. This was brutal but I really enjoyed it. You sprint out as much as the band can handle, walk backward to the starting and repeat the sprint until the 30 seconds are up. During the rest, do marches, side to side jacks or focusing on deep breathing.

This type of training builds explosiveness, added resistance to target more of the muscles during a sprint, conditioning, fat burning and a hell of a calorie burner. I felt it but it was a great challenge to me. Unless you're in a sport or training for competition, you don't see a ton on Sprint Training using bands for typical workouts. You usually find this type of conditioning in Wrestling, MMA, Football, Soccer and other sports. Did some research on it and with the knowledge I have on Sprinting, I wanted to see what I can do. Safe to say it was a success.

Today, I wanted to try the protocol with Bear Crawl Sprints. These are more for Wrestling & Football so I wanted to see what I was capable of. These weren't as challenging to me but it was still one hell of a workout. If I wanted to push it, this would be more on the 30 On, 30 Off approach but for most people, the 30/90 would be nasty to them. I did feel I got a lot out of it and during those 30 seconds, I would get in a total of 5 Sprints at a time so by the end I would be around 40 total Bear Crawl Sprints. It's still brutal because you're going against the resistance and you're running on all fours as fast as you can. This is for really getting in rugged condition hitting practically every muscle in your body. 

I've only found a few videos on this type of training and the Dopa Website shows the exercise but not always in a full workout format (at least from what I gathered) and what other videos show is more of a shorter band and you crawl back instead of walking, I like the walking back cause it feels more natural to me. For the most part, you will notice things right away doing Bear Crawl Sprints; where your weaknesses are, your balance, your speed and how quickly you use the arms. It still burns many calories even after the workout and because you're fighting the band, you're hitting more muscles than in a regular sprint in that position. Builds muscle, generates a crazy level of HGH and you're getting optimal rest so when the next set comes you're exploding out as if you're hunting down a jack rabbit. 

Doing these workouts no more than 3x a week can yield many benefits including fat loss, weight loss, the afterburn affect which has you burning more calories even hours after a session, high levels of energy, a rugged physique and building a powerful set of attributes including strength that lasts, speed and cardio. I've used this protocol with different exercises so these are just another outline of what the possibilities are. Workout like an animal and feel the surge of that animalistic strength and power. For a great discount, enter POWERANDMIGHT at checkout to get 10% OFF your order, get a bundle and save more. 

How To Set Up The Dopa Bands

 I've written about how bad ass these bands are and what they can do, but how the hell do you attach them? If you've seen videos of the exercises I do with it, you know I like to use my Door Anchor which is relatively inexpensive but if I were to use say a tree or a pole like you may have seen in an outdoor video I made, I use my isometric power belt but you can also use a loop strap or Dopa's Anchor Strap they have available. The set up is quite simple but it's not the typical tying a knot around something, its a tad more unique than that.

The tying form involves creating a loop by folding the band in half and creating a thread through the loop. I understand that people may want to do things differently but I'm not going to risk my own stupidity by thinking I know better how to put this band up, so I learned how Dopa does it so I can be efficient when I do my workouts. Although they recommend it, I just do what the instructions say and run with it the rest on my own. It's to ensure that it is properly fastened to the point of the anchor and not snap back. I've been snapped by bands (not even when they broke) and they hurt like hell bro. Plus it prevents unnecessary movement where the band isn't working against you, you want it to work with you to get the most effectiveness out of the workouts.

Just in case you have trouble reading these here's the breakdown....

1. Make a loop by folding the band in half. With one of your hands, hold the holding side (where the logo goes) and the other hand grabs the loop side.

2. Take the looped side and thread it behind or through the anchor point.

3. Take the holding side and thread it through the created loop.

4. Make sure both sides are even otherwise you'll have uneven weight distribution and that will disrupt the effectiveness of the exercises performed and throws off what the band is meant to do. So be sure to keep things even before tightening it. 

If you're still having trouble understanding this (It took me a couple tries myself to get it right), check out the tying video for a more visual. 

Installing the Band outside is relatively the same, just be careful not to attach to sharp things (such as scratchy bark or a broken fence). The way I do it with my Isometric Belt is to wrap around the tree enough so I can tighten it in the buckle and make sure the belt doesn't slide down or upward, the same for a pole which can be tricky but there is a way to do it. Since the Iso Belt isn't available, there's another option which is far less expensive is to grab Dopa's Genius Strap. 

For home use, I have my EverStretch which I've used for other bands and WorldFit Iso Trainer for Suspension Training, comes quite handy. I like to keep the workouts indoors but if I'm ever ambitious, I'll take my strap to a park near by and attach it to the basketball hoop or fence and go from there. Dopa shares other videos of how they attach the Band in other places like the beach, out in the woods and at campuses. 

Overall, you're able to work with the Band just about anywhere that suits you and get in a bad ass workout whether indoors or outdoors. Don't forget to use my discount code POWERANDMIGHT to knock off 10% of your order. One of the big things that Dopa also provides is the ability to create your own bundle package that knocks off an additional 15-50% off an order. Customized Bundles can be provided for Youth Programs, NCAA Programs, MMA Schools, Group Classes, Personal Trainers, Private Training for Clientele such as Celebrities & Top Industry Folks, Military Personnel and Sports Coaches. Get MORE for far LESS!!!

Everyone deserves to be in great shape whether you're young or old, beginner or elite level it doesn't matter. Is this thing the fountain of youth? Who really knows but if I'm willing to invest in it since it kicked my sciatica to the curb, why not for those who want to amp up their game or do some training just to feel energized and do other activities with the people they love? This is one of the very best pieces of equipment I've ever used and it could work for you as well. Keep being amazingly awesome and go kick ass in the things you're passionate about.

Little Things While Under The Weather

 

Tis the season where snow falls and keeping up with maintenance in order to keep things flowing for the holiday season. Shoveled a few times and training hard to be ready for what lies ahead but certain things hit you in the ass and you got to adapt. Picked up a little cold with a sore throat and stuffy nose but it doesn't stop me from training. Whenever I do get sick, it may last a bit and wear me out a bit quicker than usual but I do what I can when it comes to training.

The last couple days have been slightly rough but you keep going. I rest when I need to and I do more micro workouts to keep the energy levels up. Isometrics and some step ups one day, exercises throughout the day yesterday doing exercises for a min each like Animal Moves, Rollouts, Wall Sit, Fist Flank and a few others. Today I started out with a total of 600 Reps of swinging the Indian Clubs and some stretching. Don't have a plan in mind of what to do next the rest of the day but at least I did something. My energy is better and the cold is dying down. 

Being sick is no fun and it makes it even worse when you have to go to work but you do what you can and rest up when an opportunity arises. You're no good to anybody if you can barely even move and you can't perform tasks some jobs require. For me, it's to continuing to find workouts regardless of what's going on with me. I've always told myself, the day I stop exercising is either when I'm in a coma, paralyzed from the neck down or I'm dead; if I can move in some capacity, I'm doing some kind of exercise. 

You won't always be able to go hard when you need to, sometimes life throws you curveballs or you have to back off a bit and do smaller forms of training and lessen the intensity but never stop training. As long as you keep things simple, you will find a way or you'll find a way to not do it, that's the choice you'll have to really put yourself in. You may not be as energetic or enthusiastic especially when your body needs some repairs and not making things worse. Isometrics are a great resource of exercise even when you're under the weather because you don't have to go very hard and even if you can only do 20% of your normal strength, you're still 75-95% ahead of everyone else who is laid up. Want ideas for great Isometric Training, check out Overcoming Isometrics, one of the very best books on the market today on the subject.

Be smart about your training, stay hydrated and be as healthy as you can be. If you're so sick that it's difficult to do anything, rest up, your training will be there when it's over when you can get your energy back. Some people don't have to be as crazy about training as I' Am and many others, we all have our ways of doing what we can and getting the most of what's possible. Some are just so out of it that training just isn't in the cards, it happens and there's no shame in it. If you can exercise while sick, keep it small. Keep being amazingly awesome. 

A Brutal 20 Min Supserset For Explosiveness & Conditioning

 

Working with the Sandbells lately, I've been testing out different things and using both the 20 lber and 50 lber. From 360's to Bear Hug/Shoulder Carries to slams and squats along with other things, it has been an interesting experience but one particular workout I tested out on was one of those nasty ones that just kicks you in the ass and beats on you until you're done. Supersets has been one of my go-to conditioning methods to really tackle the muscles and just go back and forth with little to no rest while on a timer. 

Yesterday, I did two styles of supersets in one workout that was tough as fuck but it was worth the sweat and the hard work. The first superset was doing 5 sets (rested as needed in between) of shouldering the 50 lb Sandbell 10 times and then Bear Hug Carry for 10 Yards 2x. That was interesting and had that labor feel to it but the second superset was just out there, even for me and I didn't think I could pull it off. It's stupid simple but it really tackles the muscles hard especially in your core and legs because of the explosiveness. It was back to back of 10 slams with the 20 lb Sandbell and 20 Step Ups (10 per leg) for 20 min non stop. 

You read that right man, you slam as hard as you can and then work the legs in the Step Up exercise. This is the idea to work a ballistic or explosive exercise while working your cardio at the same time. It doesn't sound like much but when you're repeating these exercise without a break and your lungs are just on fire, it makes you think twice about giving something so simple a hard time. Your conditioning is tested big time because in certain sports like Football & Wrestling, you need to be able to flip that switch at a moment's notice and become a force to be wrecking with in the blink of an eye. The slams hit just about every muscle in the body, the step ups hit all the muscles in the legs so you can work on weaknesses and keep up with your cardio without needing to run. 

Slams are like the standing equivalent to a Sprint where you go as hard as you can for a short period of time. You can use a slam ball if you want but the sandbell is different because with this, it doesn't bounce and you can use momentum to keep going. You slam and have to pick up the bell fast, with a ball you can catch it on the bounce which is also great for explosive training but the bell just stays there when it drops. The sandbell works your grip as well so you're working the tendons and ligaments of your hands, forearms and elbows as you use it and because of how quick you need to be, it's great for grip agility and you end up sometimes squeezing or pinching in order to pick it up. 

Step Ups need no introduction, I've discussed them many times and have shown and wrote out many workouts with them and there's a reason why I love them compared to Squats or Running. With this superset, you can "rest" that heavy heart rate when you do Step Ups because they bring things down a notch yet you can still go and build strength in the legs. Step Ups are not meant to be done as sprint because if you do them too fast, you can trip or slip and hurt something, yes there's a pace to them to a certain degree but they're mainly a cardio or conditioning exercise that can be done for hundreds of reps without the overkill of lactic acid buildup. You can breath a bit "easier" with Step Ups but never underestimate them. 

This superset can reap a ton of benefits and doesn't take up much space. You build muscle while building cardio at the same time, you build durability, explosive strength & power, Leg Strength and Endurance, Boosting your HGH & Testosterone, doesn't take up a ton of time (doing this for 20-30 min would be more than enough for most, in the beginning if you're good at these, start with 5-10 min and build from there) and it's a great idea to build up your conditioning for MMA, Wrestling, Football, Baseball, Kickboxing, BJJ. It can also be used as a stand-alone workout or a finisher (if you do no more than 10-12 minutes) to really tackle the fat burning mechanism after your regular workout. 

It's hard, it's tough as hell and will test you physically and mentally. When you've built up a solid level of endurance from doing this, you may find that you won't get as tired from doing other things. Your lungs will get stronger, your muscles can be set to 9000 in the snap of your fingers and be able to go with gas left in the tank. Keep being amazingly awesome and send in your comments or shoot me an email. Train hard and train with a vengeance.

If you like to use music to get you going and pumped up for action, here's one of my favorite songs by Peyton Parrish called Dane.....

    

Anakin Skywalker May Feel Differently About Sand If....

 It's coarse, rough, irritating and it gets everywhere but what if we changed the idea of how to work with sand instead of hating it. I get it, if you're born in a desert, the last thing you want to deal with is sand. Sand can be used for many things but training with it can be a whole other ball game. Sandbag Training has been used by many athletes and laborers throughout the ages. It builds a real world type of strength and it hits the body far differently than with a barbell or a dumbbell.

It builds a level of fitness that even an Emo Jedi born on Tatooine can maybe work on and would make you harder to kill (talk about a different form of force training). I would play with the Sandbells off and on, doing different things like carries, 360's, slams, shouldering, squats and other exercises yet there's something satisfying about them that just make you feel powerful. Like training to be a Jedi, you learn to not take the easy path and find the flow yet the strength and awareness to use what is best to handle tough situations. Sandbag Training is not meant to be easy and it forces you to figure out how to move and wrestle with something that isn't always easy to grip and pick up. It takes something that is tough and triumph over adversity. 

Sandbag Work challenges your entire body in ways you can't with a straight bar to lift with. You're using muscles you normally don't use and it has a more natural feel to it. Carrying a bag can be very tough especially when you go heavy. It's live weight and it doesn't like to sit still, it'll move and shift while trying to fight you. It's a literal wrestling match match at times. Hauling something like a 50 lb bag will work you harder than a 50 lb dumbbell and there's a reason why many of the old time strongmen worked with heavy bags in order to do other lifts. It prepared them and utilize their muscles that is more controlled with a straight bar to lift, it also strengthened their tendons and ligaments to a very high degree. If a Jedi like Anakin trained with bags, maybe it would've been tougher cutting up those arms and legs of his, you never know.

The conditioning with Sandbags is crucial not just for sports but for everyday life as well. It can build muscle and level up your muscular endurance for hauling furniture, loading a truck, strengthen your back and core along with giving you legs that last for days. Some of the very best cardio I've ever done was with the Sandbells mixing loaded carries with Step Ups and going for extended periods of time working strength and cardio at the same time. It works like a charm and it makes you work hard like crazy. If you don't believe me, try going for 5-10 minutes cleaning and pressing a 50-100 lb bag, I guarantee you you'll feel it and it'll show you weaknesses you didn't think you had. Think that was easy, ok then do bear hug squats with a bag and then go for distance doing the duck walk with it, you won't get very far. 

Don't be like Anakin and hate sand, embrace it as a tool to make you strong in more ways than one. Keep being amazingly awesome.  

A Dinosaur Style Thanksgiving Workout

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd get in a workout that will build a serious appetite later when me and the wife will visit family tonight. Not just a typical workout I do but one that's in the style of Brooks Kubik's Dinosaur Training. It's nothing special but it's brutal, nasty and really hard. It hits every muscle in the body and all it takes is 3 exercises. You don't need to do tons of exercises that only hit a one or two muscles at a time, just pick a few that hit multiple groups at the same time and go at it hard. In this case, it was using only one implement; the 50 lb Sandbell.

50 pounds may not seem like much, hell it's just a few pounds over a barbell plate right? The main takeaway, this is live weight and it shifts so this isn't just a solid implement, it makes you bust your ass in more ways than one. Sandbag training has been around for ages and has been used by the strongest athletes on the planet. When you work a bag hard, you're hitting the body in places that most conventional training can't even touch. Some guys work with up to more than 200-300 lbs (that's for truly elite powerhouses) but 50-100 can be just as beneficial and tough when you get after it like a madman with a thirst for hardcore training. 

This workout consists of the Clean & Press, Bear Hug Squat & Bent Over Row; it is done in a Tri Set which means you do one right after the other and then rest. Do 10 Reps each exercise and then walk it off getting as much rest as needed for the next set. It'll get you breathing hard quick so you'll want to catch your breath just enough to be fresh for the next round. The more sets you do, the heavier that bag will start to feel. It's very simple but sure as hell isn't easy. I managed 10 full sets of this workout and it was so thrilling for it to be over. I wanted to quit around the 6th or 7th set but something in me wanted to just keep going and really test my mental toughness. If I had to pick an exercise out of the three that made me rethink things, it was the Squats for sure. Around the 4th or 5th set, my legs felt heavy. 

Once it was over, instant relief, a much felt endorphin high and a high level of gratitude for it to be over. What are the benefits of this type of workout? A full blown level of strength and power, a good string of cardio because of doing three exercises back to back, Testosterone and HGH booster, great calorie burner and some serious muscular strength & endurance. Keep it simple but never underestimate what it can do especially when exercises like these with a sandbag has some real carryover into areas of regular life. 

I' am thankful for today, to my readers and to my friends and family. Have a great and wonderful Thanksgiving, eat well and train hard, earn that Turkey and those amazingly awesome sides.