A rubber band expander is a miniature trainer designed to strengthen muscles and is able to replace many others, such as barbells, dumbbells, jump rope, hoop. When performing exercises using this simulator, the load will be much greater, and, accordingly, the muscles will strengthen and grow faster.
Use a tourniquet is necessary for exercises with low intensity, during which the simulator will clamp blood flow. Those who come up with this way of doing the exercises guarantee that after them muscle mass, endurance and strength will be increased.
What is the use of a rubber band?
Due to its small size, a rubber tourniquet can be taken with you wherever you go, whether itβs a vacation in the country, a vacation or a trip to the countryside, and there you can enjoy training. In principle, at home, there is also not always room for large-sized simulators, so a tourniquet will be an indispensable thing for those who want to save space and at the same time keep their body in shape.
The simulator allows you to work on those muscles that are difficult to work at home without additional simulators. Also, the harnesses are of different lengths, so you can vary the load on different muscle groups.
In Japan, scientists conducted an experiment and found that those who perform exercises with a rubber tourniquet on an ongoing basis, muscle growth rates increase by 290%.
It is believed that the use of a tourniquet during training leads the muscles to a shock state, and conditions are created in which, even with a small load, muscle growth is activated. Such training makes the blood flow more intense, resulting in increased muscle mass.
Comparative experiment
In order to find out how the tourniquet will affect the human body, an experiment was conducted. Men were chosen for him, they performed the same exercises, but some of them - with a simulator, and some - without it. During the experiment, it was proved that those who performed exercises with a tourniquet increased the level of growth hormone, but they had to make less effort. Based on the experimental data, it can be concluded that the harness for training increases their effectiveness.
If, with the help of a tourniquet, blood flow is limited, but the exercises are not performed continuously, growth hormone will remain at the same level.
How to choose the harness?
The expander is a rubber band that can be of different lengths and different widths. The load that you will experience during the exercise will depend on the length of the simulator. The shorter the tape, the greater the load. As for the width, it is better to choose a narrow tourniquet for muscle training , and a wide one for pumping up the press.
The ends of the harness also differ: the simulator may have handles, openings for the hands, or simply cut ends. You should choose the option that is more convenient for you to hold in your hands. It is doubly useful to use the hand expander, as it will not only help strengthen muscles, but also increase grip strength.
There are rubber bands of different colors, and this is not just a marketing move. The color of the tape indicates the degree of rigidity of the simulator.
Of course, when choosing a harness, as with any purchase, the question arises about the cost. How much does a rubber band cost? The price of this simulator ranges from 100 rubles to 1000.
Features of training with a harness
When a personβs work takes a lot of time, he works, for example, in the field of trade and does not have an extra free minute, then it is almost impossible to allocate time for constant trips to the gym. For such cases, a tourniquet would be ideal. It is enough to devote quite a bit of time for training while at home.
It is very simple to work with the tourniquet; there are no special instructions in performing the exercises or the contents of the simulator. The harness for training is safe during use, and the muscles during its use are always tense. There is also no threat of injury or sprains. Using the expander, you use almost all the muscles.
Rubber Harness Exercises
In fact, there are a lot of exercises with this simulator, you can even come up with them yourself. When practicing periodically, you yourself will be able to choose exercises that will affect precisely those muscle groups that you need. If you do not want to experiment, the most successful exercises using a harness will be described below.
Before you begin training, it is better to change into a tight-fitting shape so that when performing exercises the tourniquet does not cling to things. Also, if you have long hair, you need to collect it.
Triceps and Biceps Exercises
- Exercise for triceps: take the rubber band of the expander, stand on one end with the heel, take the other end in your hand and carry it by the head. Pull your hand up, straightening it and pulling the tourniquet.
- Exercise for biceps No. 1: stand with both legs on the middle of the simulator, grab the ends in your hands, bend and unbend your arms at the elbows.
- Exercise for biceps number 2: in a standing position, step on one end of the tape, and take the other in your hand. Press a hand to a body and release.
Pectoral Exercise
- Wrap the rubber band around the body and assume a prone position so that your hands press the ends of the harness to the floor. In this position, do push-ups.
- Throw the expander behind. Hold the tourniquet at its ends with your hands. In a standing position, keep your hands at shoulder level. Get your hands together and get your hands apart.
- Lie on the floor, while the middle of the tourniquet is pressed with your back, grab the ends of the simulator in your hands and simulate push-ups.
Exercises for the back and abs
In these exercises, the resistance of the tourniquet forces the back muscles and abs to strain.
The first exercise is performed in three stages. The trainee becomes feet in the middle of the tourniquet, and holds its ends in his hands. The body should be flat. Next, in three stages, we perform the exercise itself:
- without bending the body, raise straight arms to the sides, then slowly release them;
- raise straight arms in front of you and slowly lower back;
- we pull our hands back and slowly lower them at the seams. Then the exercise starts over.
In the second exercise, training with a tourniquet involves the muscles of the arms and upper torso. We raise our hands in front of us, holding the harness firmly by the ends, then, as far as we have enough strength, we spread our arms to the sides and slowly bring them to their original position.
The third exercise is tentatively called "Slopes with a barbell." This name is chosen because the same muscle groups are involved that work when tilted with a real barbell. For the exercise you need to fix the tourniquet near the floor for a heavy stationary object. Standing nearby, we bend over and throw the free part of the tourniquet around the neck. Next, you need to slowly align, overcoming the resistance of the tow, and just as slowly bend back. With this exercise, you must be careful enough, since the load on the back is significant.
To perform the fourth exercise, it is necessary to stand on one end of the tourniquet with the right foot, and hold the second in the right hand. The arm should be extended to the side, then slow torso to the left. Exercise must be done clearly, feeling the work of the muscles. Then you should take the tourniquet in the other hand and fix it with the other leg. Accordingly, the tourniquet will be on the left, and the inclinations will be made to the right. In case of insufficient load, the harness can be folded in half.
Exercises for the buttocks and back of the thigh
- Stand with one foot on the harness for training, grab the ends of the treadmill and pull it as tight as possible. Step back with your free foot and squat several times. Perform an exercise on each leg 10-15 times.
- Take the rubber band in your hands and stand on all fours so that the ends of the tow are pressed to the floor with your hands. You form a loop of tape. Insert one leg into it and stretch it, extending the knee. Perform control on each leg in turn.
- Fold the simulator in half and, if possible, grip the handles together, fasten one end of the loop obtained on each leg or put your legs into it. In a standing position, spread your legs, lunge, transferring body weight to a bent leg. Perform the exercise in turn for each leg.
- For the next exercise, take a supine position, bend your legs at the knees. Press the ends of the tourniquet with your hands to the floor so that the expander is above your hips. Perform pelvic lifts by stretching the tourniquet.

So, a rubber tourniquet is an excellent simulator for doing exercises without leaving your home. It is small in size and easy to use, the tape does not require special preparation for operation and a lot of storage space. Performing ordinary exercises, you can strengthen their effect when using this simulator. The hand expander is especially effective. Good luck with your workouts!