MSD-Band Premium Band (Gymnastics Conditioning and CrossFit)

MSD-Band Premium Bands are an essential accessory for gymnasts of all abilities, whether you are improving strength ahead of a competition or aren’t yet strong enough to perform. Thanks to their low cost, flexible use and effectiveness, resistance bands have grown in popularity and are now used across a range of sports, including gymnastics and weight training.

Resistance bands are used heavily throughout the training and conditioning process, particularly in speed and agility training, stretching exercises, general fitness and aerobics. Often referred to as fitness bands, sports bands and strength bands, this training accessory can be utilised in a number of ways making every workout as dynamic, interesting and productive as the next.

The science behind the resistance band

Resistance bands were invented by football coach Dick Hartzell back in 1980, and have since featured in the training regimes of many sportspeople and pro-athletes. They are now available in a number of forms and types, meaning everyone can find the right product for them for stretching, conditioning, physical therapy or rehabilitation.

How are resistance bands made?

MSD-Band Premium Bands offer the best accessory for resistive exercise, creating positive and negative muscle force through a range of motions that can in turn be adapted for your age and ability. MSD bands are made from heavy duty latex sourced from Malaysia. The forests here offer the strongest natural latex rubber in the world, a factor that makes it the preferred material for the resistive sports band.

When the tree reaches six years old, the harvesting of the latex can begin. The sourcing process is highly sustainable as just a small selection of incisions are made in the bark of the tree, these incisions are used as entry points and latex vessels are inserted to remove the liquid from within. This process is called rubber tapping and from just a few incisions buckets of liquid latex can be extracted.

The liquid is then transported to the laboratory, where MSD-Band’s specialist scientists produce latex sheets, each sheet is formulated, powdered, dried and cut to size. This material is then adapted further to produce various products which differ in terms of colour, dryness, tensile strength and resistance. The sheets are then rolled and quality checked before making their way to stockists.

Improving upper body strength with bands

For gymnasts, conditioning is an important part of getting your body ready for the high intensity performance required at a competitive level. The pull up exercises in particular on both rings and fixed bars benefit from prior resistance training and can help beginners and elite gymnasts alike develop excellent upper body strength.

Utilising resistance bands, like the MSD-Band Premium Bands, during your training can make achieving upper body strength much easier as well as improving safety. Pull-ups without bands can put your body at risk of injury, but as you continue your training your need for band assistance will decrease. Bands can also be shortened as training continues as the shorter the band is, the more bodyweight it will support.

Resistance bands and ring training

Ring exercises are standard for all gymnasts, however, developing the strength to take on ring pull-ups and ring dips with gusto takes time and training. Resistance bands give you the extra help you need to build up the strength required and bands can be attached using the choke technique to hone your body for more advanced moves.

To use the choke technique, simply loop the band through the ring and take one of the looped ends to feed it into the other. Pull the band to secure it into place and it is now ready to use. The same technique can be utilised to connect multiple bands for other resistive exercises.

Dip exercises can also be completed with MSD-Band Premium Bands to not only improve strength safely but to also train your body for advanced movements on a fixed dipping platform.

Which band type is right for me?

All MSD bands are colour coded based on the thickness of the band, the thickness dictates just how much resistance is created. From tan (extra thin) to black (special heavy), MSD resistance bands can be linked with other bands, shortened or lengthened to produce varying levels of resistance. MSD resistance bands are also available in a number of lengths.

These bands are available in 0.5m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 3m, 3.5m, 4m, 5m, 5.5m, 10m, 22.5m and 45.5m.