Novak Djokovic
From 14 hour long daily workouts to holding training sessions in the searing hot Abu Dhabi heat, Novak Djokovic's fitness routine is nothing short of legendary. The number one ranked tennis player in the world is also considered by many to be one of the fittest athletes as well. While these mind blowing aspects of Djokovic's exercise routine deserve plenty of credit for his incredible physique and athletic ability, his integral use of resistance bands is an aspect that shouldn't be overlooked. Resistance band training has been scientifically proven to enhance balance and flexibility, which are key attributes that help make Novak such a dominant force on the tennis court.
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Usain Bolt
The "Lightning Rod" is largely recognized as the greatest sprinter of all time and with his vast array of career achievements it's easy to see why. Bolt holds the record in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 * 100 metres relay. He is also a nine-time Olympic gold medalist and an eleventime world champion. Usain's trainer Leeroy Gray is a huge proponent of using bands to improve speed and made them a staple of Bolt's workouts during his nine years of training the legend. That's because resistance bands are superior to free weights in terms of stimulating fast-twitch muscle fibres, which are crucial to developing speed and quickness.
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Lebron James
The two time NBA champion and four time NBA Most Valuable Player was seen using bands extensively throughout a one hour workout video that was released back in 2013. These resistance band exercises included Rotational Band Screws, Body Weight Band Squats and Band Terminal Knee Extensions among others. I could spend a lot of time explaining how to do these exercises, but who better to demonstrate how to perform them then the King himself?
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Resistance band training is good for strength building too
A common misconception related to resistance bands is that they are a waste of time when it comes to serious strength training and muscle building. The truth is using both elastic and free weight resistance during a workout offers superior muscle building results than using weights alone. A March 2008 study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research featured two groups of athletes who were engaged in strength training.The group who incorporated resistance bands with free weights showed significant improvements in bench press, squat, and power generation compared to the group who didn't.
Training exclusively with free weights is often limited in terms of range of motion,thus limiting the total amount of resistance that can be created during numerous exercises. Elastic resistance is variable in nature, which permits stronger peak loading and a stronger muscle tension throughout the full range of movement. As a result, enhanced gains in strength can be achieved.
This can likely explain why many of the top NFL football players such as Antonio Brown, Michael Thomas, and Todd Gurley are combining resistance band training with traditional strength building methods.
Resistance bands are great for everyone
Often times, a trend among elite athletes or celebrities is out of reach for us regular folks in terms of affordability and accessibility. The awesome thing about resistance band training is that not only is it super effective, its also extremely affordable! Whether you are just starting to workout or ready to hit the gym like Lebron James or Novak Djokovic, there are bands available in a multitude of lengths, tensions, and models to fit your needs. WODFitters carries all of the best elastic-based exercise products available today and backs every purchase up with a free lifetime warranty. There's no better place online to buy bands, and there's no longer a good excuse for you to not be working out like a world class athlete!