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Found this article in the paper this morning and thought I'd share.
Aside from the quote about toning vs. building muscle, not a bad article.
Posted on Mon, Oct. 07, 2002
Supporters singing praises of flex workout
By THRITY UMRIGAR
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Their designer casually refers to them as "rubber bands."
Indeed, they look like giant rubber bands, in shades of red, black and purple.
To hear their supporters tell it, though, the latex-and-rubber exercise Flex Band can do everything, from helping older adults gain more flexibility, to helping a dentist break a world record by bench-pressing 480 pounds.
"A 20-minute band workout can provide a great resistance workout for those who are most interested in muscle tone rather than building a lot of muscle mass," said Tina Sprinkle, personal training director at Woodside Tennis and Health Club in Westwood.
You can loop the thick belt around your back and toes to do leg lifts or tie it on a door knob to stretch your back muscles. Flex Bands are used for developing strength as well as flexibility.
"I love giving my clients a program that includes `dynabands' or exercise tubing because it can be done virtually anywhere at any time," Sprinkle said. "Because the bands are lightweight, come in varied resistances and are relatively simple to use, they are an excellent option for those who travel or want to work out at home."
Twenty-two years after the bands were designed by Dick Hartzell, a retired football coach in the Youngstown, Ohio, area, the Flex Band has suddenly gained popularity. Everybody's using them, from the New York Yankees to college football teams. The bands have been written about in Men's Fitness, Reader's Digest and Powerlifting USA.
Flex Bands come in six sizes and resistance. They are 41 inches long and can stretch up to eight times their length. The wider the band, the more the resistance.
"You can basically strengthen every major muscle group. That way it doesn't strain the tendons," said JoAnn Bushko, group exercise director at Prairie Life Center in Overland Park.
Sean Wade, who works as a rehabilitation therapist at Stow-Kent (Ohio) Chiropractic, also swears by the bands. He said athletes and regular people who exercise with the bands are much less likely to injure themselves than those using weights.
Wade has been using the same band for eight years. It is frayed but thanks to technology that constructs the band in layers and does not use seams, it has not torn.
"Pilates use bands. You can use them for stretching. They are great for people who are rehabilitating," said Bushko who added that they can be used in water. "They are very easy and adaptable."
Larry Miller, a 48-year-old Twinsburg, Ohio, dentist and a power lifter, credits the bands with helping him bench-press a record-breaking 480 pounds at the Master's National tournament in 2000. Since then he has lifted 535 pounds at the gym -- not bad for a guy who weighs 165 pounds.
"This is the best tool I've ever seen for stretching, flexibility, strength training and rehabilitation," he said. "It's hard to convince someone that a band can do so much."
However, the Flex Band is not just for athletes and power lifters. Michael Shimmel, a Stow, Ohio, chiropractor, said the band has helped patients with chronic back pain, who previously did not get relief "no matter what we did."
Another happy side effect is that patients don't skip stretching as they do with static stretches. "The compliance rate is great," Wade said. "It's easy, convenient, space effective and takes way less time than the traditional program."
Shimmel tells patients to experiment with different stretches, as long as they're not reinjuring an old injury. "You're limited only by your imagination. I tell patients to go to pain, not through pain."
Buying the bands
The six types of Flex Bands range in cost from $10 for the minibands and $22.50 for the average band to $55 for the monster band, used by power lifters and professional athletes. For more information, visit http://www.jumpstretch.com.
Aside from the quote about toning vs. building muscle, not a bad article.
Posted on Mon, Oct. 07, 2002
Supporters singing praises of flex workout
By THRITY UMRIGAR
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Their designer casually refers to them as "rubber bands."
Indeed, they look like giant rubber bands, in shades of red, black and purple.
To hear their supporters tell it, though, the latex-and-rubber exercise Flex Band can do everything, from helping older adults gain more flexibility, to helping a dentist break a world record by bench-pressing 480 pounds.
"A 20-minute band workout can provide a great resistance workout for those who are most interested in muscle tone rather than building a lot of muscle mass," said Tina Sprinkle, personal training director at Woodside Tennis and Health Club in Westwood.
You can loop the thick belt around your back and toes to do leg lifts or tie it on a door knob to stretch your back muscles. Flex Bands are used for developing strength as well as flexibility.
"I love giving my clients a program that includes `dynabands' or exercise tubing because it can be done virtually anywhere at any time," Sprinkle said. "Because the bands are lightweight, come in varied resistances and are relatively simple to use, they are an excellent option for those who travel or want to work out at home."
Twenty-two years after the bands were designed by Dick Hartzell, a retired football coach in the Youngstown, Ohio, area, the Flex Band has suddenly gained popularity. Everybody's using them, from the New York Yankees to college football teams. The bands have been written about in Men's Fitness, Reader's Digest and Powerlifting USA.
Flex Bands come in six sizes and resistance. They are 41 inches long and can stretch up to eight times their length. The wider the band, the more the resistance.
"You can basically strengthen every major muscle group. That way it doesn't strain the tendons," said JoAnn Bushko, group exercise director at Prairie Life Center in Overland Park.
Sean Wade, who works as a rehabilitation therapist at Stow-Kent (Ohio) Chiropractic, also swears by the bands. He said athletes and regular people who exercise with the bands are much less likely to injure themselves than those using weights.
Wade has been using the same band for eight years. It is frayed but thanks to technology that constructs the band in layers and does not use seams, it has not torn.
"Pilates use bands. You can use them for stretching. They are great for people who are rehabilitating," said Bushko who added that they can be used in water. "They are very easy and adaptable."
Larry Miller, a 48-year-old Twinsburg, Ohio, dentist and a power lifter, credits the bands with helping him bench-press a record-breaking 480 pounds at the Master's National tournament in 2000. Since then he has lifted 535 pounds at the gym -- not bad for a guy who weighs 165 pounds.
"This is the best tool I've ever seen for stretching, flexibility, strength training and rehabilitation," he said. "It's hard to convince someone that a band can do so much."
However, the Flex Band is not just for athletes and power lifters. Michael Shimmel, a Stow, Ohio, chiropractor, said the band has helped patients with chronic back pain, who previously did not get relief "no matter what we did."
Another happy side effect is that patients don't skip stretching as they do with static stretches. "The compliance rate is great," Wade said. "It's easy, convenient, space effective and takes way less time than the traditional program."
Shimmel tells patients to experiment with different stretches, as long as they're not reinjuring an old injury. "You're limited only by your imagination. I tell patients to go to pain, not through pain."
Buying the bands
The six types of Flex Bands range in cost from $10 for the minibands and $22.50 for the average band to $55 for the monster band, used by power lifters and professional athletes. For more information, visit http://www.jumpstretch.com.
