Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Upper Body Band Stretches

Bands can be found here:
http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-mobility-packs.php

The Band and Ball combo might be the best $20-25 you ever spend. Bands can be used for lower body stretching too(we'll visit this in the future), but they really lend themselves to a quick and easy, yet thorough upper body stretching program. 

Always loop the band around your wrist, THEN grab it, this way if you accidentally let go, the band will still be in your hand, if not "You'll shoot your eye out!".


Pecs: Place band at shoulder level, grab and turn away, keeping the torso upright, it's more about stepping away than leaning away. Turn the palm up slowly for a deeper stretch of the pec minor.


Lats: Place band around eye level or higher(most people seem to get a deeper stretch from an overhead band). Bend at the waist, keeping the arm straight, place the opposite foot forward and angled so you are sinking back in the stretch across your body.


Overhead/Triceps: Place band at slightly lower than shoulder level. Get close to the anchor point, then turn away, keeping the elbow high and close to your ear. For a deeper stretch, step away, once again it is more about stepping away and keeping the torso upright than it is to lean forward to increase the stretch.


Biceps/Forearms: Grab the band with both hands, palms facing down, the closer your hands are to each other, the more intense the stretch. Step away and press the hips forward, keeping an upright torso(by now I sound like a broken record but hopefully you get the idea).