Strength Band Training, 3rd ed.

Author: Page P, Ellenbecker T Category: Strength Training Audience: Consumer Length: 246 pages Publisher: Human Kinetics   Year Published: 2020 List Price: $27.95

AthleteInMe.com^® Rating: Excellent!

Strength Band Training, 3rd ed. contains over 100 exercises you can do using stretch bands.

Recommended for: A great resource for serious athletes, weekend warriors, and older adults. Athletic trainers may find it useful, too.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

• Phil Page, PhD, PT, ATC, CSCS, FACSM studied physical therapy at Louisiana State University, earned a Masters in exercise physiology from Mississippi State University, and a PhD in kinesiology from LSU. Currently, Dr. Page is the Director of Clinical Education and Research for Performance Health, manufacturer of TheraBand, Biofreeze, and Cramer products. He serves as the chair of the research committee for the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy and is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He has worked with athletic programs at LSU and Tulane University, and has worked with the New Orleans Saints, the Seattle Seahawks, and the US Olympic team. Dr. Page has authored over 100 publications, including 3 books.

• Todd Ellenbecker, MS, DPT, SCS, OCS, CSCS is a physical therapist with more than 30 years of experience. He earned an undergraduate degree in physical therapy from the University of Wisconsin, a Masters in exercise physiology from Arizona State University, and a Doctorate of physical therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Currently, Dr. Ellenbecker is the Vice President of Medical Services for the ATP tour and a member of the TheraBand Research Advisory Committee. In 2018, he joined Rehab Plus Sports Therapy in Scottsdale, AZ. He holds numerous athletic/physical therapy certifications and is a USPTA-certified tennis teaching professional. He has been the author/editor of 15 books, more than 55 scientific papers, and over 75 book chapters.

CONTENT

This 246-page book is organized as follows:

PART I: BASICS OF ELASTIC RESISTANCE TRAINING

• Chapter 1: Elastic Resistance Explained
• Chapter 2: Band Basics
• Chapter 3: Application and Assessment

PART II: ELASTIC RESISTANCE EXERCISE AND WORKOUTS

• Chapter 4: Flexibility
• Chapter 5: Joint and Muscle Isolation
• Chapter 6: Upper Body Strength
• Chapter 7: Lower Body Strength
• Chapter 8: Core Stability
• Chapter 9: Total Body
• Chapter 10: Older Adults

PART III: ELASTIC RESISTANCE PROGRAMS

• Chapter 11: Optimal Fitness
• Chapter 12: Team Sports
• Chapter 13: Individual Sports
• Chapter 14: Rehabilitation

REVIEW

In general, this book is well-organized, easy-to-use, and summarizes over 100 exercises very succinctly.

• Chapter 1: This chapter is only 5 pages, but it effectively introduces the reader to what benefits can be obtained from exercising with stretch bands.

• Chapter 2: This is another short, but effective, chapter. It explains the different types of exercise bands. Table 2.1 summarizes the resistance levels of the 7 different colors of TheraBands.

• Chapter 3: This chapter provides an outline of how to construct an exercise program using stretch bands. It explains reps and sets, proper breathing and posture, and how to assess exercise intensity. Table 3.2 is chart displaying the "Strength Index" of each color of stretch bands vs. the number of reps performed. However, it's necessary to read the accompanying text carefully to determine that strength index means "pounds of resistance".

• Chapters 4 through 10: These chapters, which make up PART II, detail specific exercises. For each one, 2 or 3 color photos are provided. Chapter 4 shows how to use resistance bands while performing stretches. This is a good chapter; many readers might not realize that resistance bands can be used like this. Chapter 10 is intended for older adults. This was a smart decision, as resistance bands are often better choices than free weights for older adults to minimize the risk of injury.

• Chapters 11 through 14: These chapters make up PART III. This section is superb. Here, training regimens based on using a collection of resistance band exercises for Fitness (Chapter 11), Team Sports (Chapter 12), and Individual Sports (Chapter 13) are provided. Chapter 14 likewise presents exercise regimens (using a collection of resistance band exercises) for rehabbing injuries: shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, ankle, and back. This section makes the book a valuable resource to both the athletic trainer and the individual athlete.

Other details:

• Photos & Illustrations: This book contains tons of color photos... 2 or 3 for each exercise. These help readers understand the exercise motion. Several anatomical illustrations appear.

• Tables & Graphs: Only several tables and graphs are provided. The table "Exercise Finder" at the beginning of the book is very helpful.

• Documentation / Accuracy: This is not a scientific book, however, 5 pages of cited publications appear at the end. These will be appreciated by some readers.

What I Liked About This Book

This book checks a lot of boxes:

First, the title and sub-title accurately describe the content. Second, it is very thorough without being too lengthy. It is well organized; Parts II and III have color tabs on the pages. The color photos are well done and very helpful. In addition, dedicating a specific chapter for older adults demonstrates that they, too, should consider this type of exercise.

What Could Be Better

In general, this book is very well done. However, a couple details to note:

As with so many books that present specific exercises, the same comments apply:

• Omit the anatomical names and diagrams: Only athletic trainers, and some athletes, know where the "ilopsoas" or "quadratus lumborum" muscles are. Very few weekend warriors, and absolutely no general readers even care. It doesn't help that anatomical drawings are presented, and in fact, it probably turns off some general readers. If the intended audience is academics and athletic trainers, then including muscle names and anatomical charts is relevant. However, this book is targeted to a more general audience.

• Omit the medical jargon: The average reader doesn't know the meaning of terms like "internal rotation," "external rotation," "sagittal plane," and "isotonic resistance."

• Use directional arrows: For most of the exercises, it's easy to figure out the intended motion by looking at the photos. But, for some, the inclusion of a simple directional arrow in the first image (the beginning of the motion) would be helpful.

Enlarging Table 2.1 (p. 10) and Table 3.2 (p. 23) to a full page would allow users to photocopy these tables and avoid the need to carry the entire book to the exercise room.

Last, the authors could have made a brief mention of "wearable" resistance bands. One brand is the "MASS Suit" by Juke Performance.

SUMMARY

Strength Band Training is an excellent resource. It's essentially an encyclopedia of well over 100 exercises -- and stretches -- that can be performed with resistance bands. Yet, the book is not lengthy; it doesn't overwhelm the reader with tons and tons of explanatory text. I can definitely recommend this book.

Other Strength Training Books You Might Like:

• "Fitness Weight Training, 3rd ed." (2014) by Baechle and Earle
• "New Functional Training for Sports, 2nd ed." (2016) by Boyle
• "Strength Training Past 50, 3rd ed." (2015) by Westcott and Baechle