Gym In The Pocket...

By Frank

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Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass and endurance. Over the years, with patience, the training has brought benefits to athletes all around and even to commoners. There are many ways to do it such as weight lifting and our own body weight. Here, I’m introducing another method which is the rubber exercise tubing otherwise more commonly known as resistance band training. Some advantages of resistance band training are improving muscle performance, correcting postures and balance training. It can even be used for rehabilitation exercises. And instead of moving on one plane of movement, resistance band training moves on all planes and therefore assists in building of the core muscles with each exercise done. Not forgetting too that it’s much safer too compared to lifting plates and dumbbells.

The Gym In The Pocket (GITP) resistance band looks nothing more than an overgrown rubber band measuring at approximately 2M in a loop. It’s made of natural latex and comes in 5 different resistance levels from light to heavy to suit individual needs (I bought the blue colour version which was the second toughest). Roll it up, and it can be brought along to your workplace or even to holidays. What’s so special about the GITP compared with those normal bands is that it is much thicker thus preventing any snapping or tear that may occur. And based on this, the band will be able to last longer and it won’t go out of shape, well at least not as quick as those normal ones.

A view of the Gym In The Pocket...

GITP can be used to work on most of the major muscles groups on our body. For example, it can be looped around the waist or legs to perform exercises like the leg extension and bicep curl. And if there’s an exercise partner around, things become more interesting as each can help another by holding on to one end. If there isn’t, GITP can also be attached to a permanent fixture like a pillar. Be creative and this simple band will offer lots of exercises. It also comes with 6 exercise charts which works from the total body. Pretty basic exercise actually although more can be found on the internet or books.

The box and the included exercise charts...

Just one thing that I didn’t like about the GITP is its roughness. The band is actually pretty rough and when used on expose skin, it might cause blister. I recommend any users to actually wear a training glove while using it. As for the pricing, it’s a little on the expensive side considering the prices on other resistance band around. But for those who are really into resistance training, the GITP will prove to be a very good investment as it is really different.

Overall, GITP is a great training tool. Although it isn’t a revolution, it’s certainly brought a whole new level to resistance band training. Some might say that they can’t see any difference after using it, but bear in mind that those who do resistance training will actually feel the result first rather to see it. Besides, Rome wasn’t built in 1 day. So, for those who are patience enough, GITP can build wonders to your body.

The Gym In The Pocket retails from a recommended price of RM64 to RM99 depending on the resistance level. Be sure to try out each band first before purchasing though. Oh and yeah. With any purchase of the GITP, you can actually attend their classes for free! For more info on the GITP, do visit their website at http://www.gyminthepocket.com/.

Do check out the following links for some resistance band training exercises.

Link 1 Link 2 Link 3