Trivia time! What do Jennifer Lopez, Tracee Ellis Ross and Jennifer Aniston have in common... besides holding the title of WH #GirlCrush? Answer: All three use resistance bands to help sculpt and strengthen their bods.
In fact, Aniston's trainer Leyon Azubuike swears by 'em. "Resistance bands with handles are amazing for upper-body work," he says. Turns out, using these rubber tubes to get stronger can be more effective at activating ancillary (a.k.a. helper) muscles that assist your primary movers than picking up dumbbells, per a small study in the Journal of Human Kinetics. That's likely because the added instability fires up these secondary muscles, which are often hard to target and train.
Giving this support system some extra attention is oh so necessary - but often overlooked, according to Azubuike. "Too many people are building a superstrong house on a weak foundation," he says. This can happen when you don't strengthen your joints and the muscles around them, says personal trainer Chelsey Wilkens. The solve: Focus on moves that'll challenge (and toughen!) these little muscle wonders.
Put the following workout on heavy rotation and you'll build a routine on solid ground, finally...
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