Rubber bands

I have noticed that for some exercises and especially in pre-hab routines rubber bands are being used frequently. I want to get a pair for shoulder pre-hab and mobility work, since it is one of me weak points. For instance wall extensions is very much beyond me and I figured that working with the bands could gradually increase the ROM and strength with-in my shoulder girdle.

I do however have no idea what to buy.

- What strength should the bands have?

- How long they should be?

Fryk said:

For instance wall extensions is very much beyond me

This is incorrect. While performing them perfectly may be beyond your current capabilities, you can and should include them in your training. Simply perform them to the extent that you are able.

If all of us waited until we were perfect at something prior to attempting it, most of us would spend the majority of our time doing a great deal of nothing .

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

Coach Sommer said:

Fryk said:

If all of us waited until we were perfect at something prior to attempting it, most of us would spend the majority of our time doing a great deal of nothing .

Yes, of course, trying to improve, that is the whole concept of training and doing exercises. However, one thing does not necessarily exclude the other and I think that rubber bands might be an effective piece of equipment. Pre-hab and re-hab routines have been my weak point in the past, and an area I want to improve on.

Coach Sommer said:

If all of us waited until we were perfect at something prior to attempting it, most of us would spend the majority of our time doing a great deal of nothing .

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

this is so true, and again inspirational!

Elastic bands are great, not too expensive and have many, many uses. I use my bands EVERYDAY even on non training days. I also use them to warm up and do prehab after EVERY workout. I have found that prehab is essential in preventing new injuries and keeping my old injuries in check.

I just went to a local sporting goods store and got a 5lb (I want to get a 10lb and 15lb because the 5lb is getting to easy) band with handles. I would suggest starting with the lightest one you can get (or try a few out until you find one you are comfortable with) and then progressing from there.

You'll have to play with them and see what you get. I have a 60 lb one and that's what I have to use for inlocate/exlocates. Anything less and I just overpower it to the point where I don't get good feelings in my shoulder. I need that resistance to work against to keep my shoulder moving the right way It works too, feeling better all the time!

A friend of mine (several of them) are coming down from the US. Can someone please recommend a good Rubber / Elastic Band or set of Bands for the kind of Scapular / Mobility work that Ido shows in his videos.

And, if they would also come handy as Assisst bands in later progressions etc Irons Cross? (maybe thats way too far away for me now).

Please recommend some that are available online so I can have them delivered to my friends or send them a link. Also, if there are some available in stores I might be able to ask them to go and get.

From an older post / thread -

Which ones would you suggest?

Blairbob said:

Rogue Fitness or Iron Woody power bands. I'm sure a google or maybe they're on ebay.

serotonin said:

wow, i saw the Iron Woody power bands and are really expensive, but the are also thick, i was refering to something like therabands (no thick at all may be the blue one is 1 mm but the others are less than half mm :roll:) I'm sure you can find theraband type or clones in any good sport store (sometimes sales them in a package as you can see in the next link or by meters (5 € the meter).

You can see the difference in the photos of thera-band web.

http://www.thera-band.com/store/product ... oductID=26

Coach Sommer said:

McMaster.com Pallet Bands

When utilizing bands for basic strength work assistance, I prefer to use pallet bands from McMaster.com. Compared to other bands on the market, the pallet bands are much lighter in the assistance which they provide as well as much thinner; so although it will require more bands initially they also make it substantially easier to customize the amount of assistance provided by adding and subtracting bands.

The prices are also substantially better:

Item # 8848T93: 1/2" (width) x 1/16" x 28" (length); 27 pieces for $17.45

Item # 8848T81: 1/2" (width) x 1/16" x 46" (length); 18 pieces for $16.20

My personal preference are the 1/2" bands, although there are also 1/4" and 3/4" bands available. Go to McMaster.com and enter catalog page 1526 or do a search for "pallet band" for additional information.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

mark said:

I bought those rubber bands Coach suggested from McMaster.com. They work great. It cost me $20, and I only need a 1/4 of them, so I've split the cost with some friends. Great place to get some. I like them better than the bicycle tubes and the surgical tubing.

bodyguard said:

Blairbob said:

Rogue Fitness or Iron Woody power bands. I'm sure a google or maybe they're on ebay.

Which of the Woody power bands do you have because they are difference, like starters, Intermediate, Advanced till Elite ones.

They are expesive too by the way

serotonin said:

i dont know what you call expensive. Mine cost me about 10$ (three bands, different colors/resistence) they are 15 cm. wide and 1.5m long and have no grip at the end (not the ones like tubes with a grip at the end).

serotonin said:

wow, i saw the Iron Woody power bands and are really expensive, but the are also thick, i was refering to something like therabands (no thick at all may be the blue one is 1 mm but the others are less than half mm :roll:) I'm sure you can find theraband type or clones in any good sport store (sometimes sales them in a package as you can see in the next link or by meters (5 € the meter).

You can see the difference in the photos of thera-band web.

http://www.thera-band.com/store/product ... oductID=26

Gregor said:

I use bands just for warming up to. But these terabands are so "fragile"->alo of snapping...

kal said:

Hi folks.

Re: Which Iron Woody bands for prehab?

I'm in the market for buying some bands to do shoulder prehab work with - dislocates and stuff like Ido's routine (

and

- thanks Ido!). Unfortunately, mcmaster say they don't ship internationally anymore, so I can't buy pallet bands from them. This leaves Iron Woody bands, which come in 41, 20 and 12 inch sizes. For the 41 inchers, the "#1" band gives 5-35lbs resistance, and the "#2" gives 10-50lbs resistance - are these longer ones the best choice because you can just fold them up? If so, which should I buy between #1 and #2?

Thanks.

I had to have shoulder problems, then I came upon Dick Harztell's shoulder traction and he saved me.

I highly recommend buying his flexbands and looking into his program for stretching and prehab. It works wonders.

I know I sound like a salesman, but I got to meet him and he is by far the most helpful man I have ever met.

this is him. there are a lot of useful videos in that channel.

here is a picture of us when I met him:

Does anyone know how much assistance those mcmaster pallet band give? I put 2 of the 46'' ones that coach suggested on my rings today after they arrived and could easily do an l cross(sitting on the bands) and almost a victorian. Seems like they give quite a bit of assistance.

I'm looking into buying some bands and I seem to remember someone liking the Lifeline stuff a lot. Anyone?

biomieg said:

I'm looking into buying some bands and I seem to remember someone liking the Lifeline stuff a lot. Anyone?

That might have been me, they have good bands but they aren't easy to find where you are. Its not the bands that are expensive, its the shipping!

I have been dealing with a place in the UK that has treated me very well. Super good prices, and the shipping is almost cheap!

http://www.thestrengthcompany.co.uk/

Thank you Cole!