Strong & limber: don't have a partner, dumbbells or even a gym? No worries. A six-foot-long rubber band—along with this 15-minute program—can deliver super flexibility and strength, simultaneously, And the increased flexibility will optimize your muscle development when you start training with weights - Home Training

Men's Fitness, May, 2002 by Roy M. Wallack

Watching the Los Angeles Lakers' pregame show one night, I noticed Shaquille O'Neal lying faceup on the floor as a tiny trainer bent the behemoth's outstretched leg back toward O'Nears' large face. It was a hamstring stretch performed via a well-known, partner-assisted flexibility technique called "proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation." PNF, active isolated stretching (AIS) and other partner-assisted stretches are the latest flexibility techniques used by athletes. I'd use PNF myself if it weren't for one problem: You need a partner to do it--preferably a trained professional.

Flexibility, of course, is a very good thing. It prepares the muscles and connective tissue for exercise so you can perform better, avoid injury and recover quicker. It also helps you maintain posture and can even prevent assorted joint problems. But since I lack sufficient funds for a trainer, PNF is out. So I've opted for a superb stretching device that experts say may actually be better and safer than partner-assisted stretching: a 6 1/2-foot rubber band.

Don't laugh. These modern stretch bands are a quantum leap over old-school surgical tubing and provide a time-saving "active stretch" that delivers both flexibility and strength. Used lightly for 10 to 15 minutes, the bands provide a superb warm-up for weight training or aerobic work. Used intensely, they offer a surprisingly tough resistance workout.

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE

Before getting into a stretch-band routine, let's define "active" stretching and explore why it is thought to be better than the more common "static" stretching.

A static stretch involves stretching to a desired position and holding it for 30 seconds or more. By contrast, an active stretch is performed while one is in motion. For example, in a typical "static" calf stretch, you press your rear heel flat on the ground as you lean far forward against a wall. In an "active" calf stretch, however, you lean forward against the wall, then push up on the ball of your rear foot, count one-two, lower the heel to the flat-ground position, count one-two and repeat.

The benefits are immediate: The calf is not only strengthened and stretched, but warmed up and worked through a functional range of motion that mimics the actual movements of running, weightlifting and other activities. Bottom line: Your muscles are not only loose, they are primed for forceful movement through the entire range of motion of exercise.

On top of that, active stretches may be safer. "Lots of people go beyond the normal range when they do static stretching," says Michael Yessis, Ph.D., author of Explosive Running. "And I don't like the way people push you through the motion in partner-assisted stretching. You can compromise the integrity of your joints by stretching too far, too long. So what if you're as flexible as a yogi, but wind up with loose, injury-prone joints? That won't happen with active stretching."

Active stretching can be done with or without equipment such as dumbbells and stretch bands, depending on your goals. By making each stretch tougher, however, bands are on a par with weight work for spurring muscle growth.

"As a warm-up for light weight training or aerobic activity, you don't necessarily need bands during your active stretching," says Yessis. "But they're a great fill-in between weights and a good warm-up for heavy lifting. You can get pretty doggone strong with bands."

For a quick, all-body stretch-band session, we combined input from Yessis and Dick Hartzell, the inventor of the FlexBand, a leading athletic stretch band now used by the Cleveland Indians. The following program should take you no more than 10 to 12 minutes, performing one set of 10 reps for each muscle. Do more sets for increased flexibility and strength.

STRETCH BOX

STRETCH             SETS *   REPS
Hamstring             1       10
Groin                 1       10
Calf                  1       10
Iliotibial band       1       10
Quad/hip flexor       1       10
Band bench press      1       10
Lower back            1       10
Side bend             1       10
Biceps curl           1       10
Shoulder shrug        1       10

* For additional flexibility and strength, repeat the sequence three
to five times.

THE STRETCHES

1| HAMSTRINGS (hamstrings) Lying on your back with one leg straight up in the air, wrap the band around your foot (1a). Grasp the band on both sides of the foot and pull the leg over around your chest (1b). Hold for five seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times without pause, maintaining pressure with the band. Repeat with the other leg.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

2| GROIN (interior knee joint) Lying on your back with the band wrapped around your foot, pull your leg toward the same-side shoulder until you feel resistance (2a). Now extend your leg out to the side until it's straight (2b). Hold for five seconds, then unlock and lock your leg 10 times without pause. Repeat with the other leg.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

3| CALF (calf, Achilles tendon) Sitting upright on the floor, wrap the band around the ball of the foot of your bent leg (3a). Then pull your toes upward forcefully (3b), hold for five seconds, and pivot your toes back down toward the floor. From the down position, extend your leg straight forward, keeping it several inches off the ground. Pull back on the band with both hands, stretching the Achilles (3c). Hold for five seconds. Repeat 10 times. Repeat series with the other leg.