Move of the Week - Band Pull Apart

The Band Pull Apart is one of my favorite exercises to incorporate a pregnancy and postpartum training program. The horizontal pull movement is a great starting point before progressing to seated, standing, or kneeling cable rows, inverted rows, or elevated/supported or unsupported rows.The exercise works the upper back and shoulders, but it’s also super effective at working the deep core - transverse abdominis. Set up tips:1. You can adjust the resistance of the band by where you choose to hold the band. Hands closer together = more tension. Hands further apart = less tension. Double band = most tension.2. Keep ribs down to help keep your upper abs engaged. Tendency is to flare the ribs and arch through the lower back, especially with higher resistance and doing anything upper back or pressing overhead.3. Shoulders back and down.4. Keep hands facing down. I don’t like keeping the elbows totally locked out, but our goal is to keep everything nice and straight.5. Inhale to fill the belly with air while the band is relaxed. Exhale and pull the band apart, holding tension for a 1-2 count before releasing. Exhale on the pull (the toughest part of the exercise). Your arms come out to form the letter T.6. All about breath, control, and feeling tension and release. Slow and steady - don’t rush through it.Awesome benefits:1. Great warm up or burn out finisher (men and women)2. Increase shoulder mobility3. Improve posture4. Great at working the rear delt / upper back5. Great exercise to help you connect with breath and the exhale/core engagement with exertion.6. Portable!Have you done the band pull apart?You can snatch up the band in this video and some of my other at home gym favorites here.