Exercise tubing is still great way to burn calories

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With all the technology thrown into the fitness world, it's nice to know that some basics are still the best, like tried and true exercise tubing.

Matt Rolph, owner and instructor at Group Interval Training in Woodland Hills, has people team up to try the tubing as a key tool to torch calories.

"Elastics are great. It's a great way to mix things up from your traditional dumbbell [or] barbells," said Rolph.

In partner work, one person hunkers down in either a squat or plank position to act as an anchor for the teammate. This in itself is tough to maintain.

"You're not building that bulk. You're getting a good workout, but you're using resistance and you're not lifting the heavy weights," said Michelle Calderone of West Hills.

The active partner works on body parts, like the bicep with curls, the chest with presses, the triceps with kickbacks, the upper back with plank rows and so on.

For the legs, there's jump squats or jump lunges. They can also be done low impact style.

"With the bands, you're always training your core. So even when you're doing lower body, you're training your core because you have that tension against the resistance band," said Rolph.

Exercise tubing comes in various strengths indicated by color. Some have handles and some do not, so you can tie them for other exercises.

Tubing has been around for decades, but one thing that hasn't changed is that it will break down with time and prolonged use. So if you find a tear, you've got to toss it and get a new one. Because if it snaps, you're prone to injury and the eyes are especially vulnerable.

"Change them out if you're using them a lot, especially the lighter bands," said Rolph.

Rolph bought the kind that has a cord running through it to prevent torn bands from snapping the face. They cost a bit more.

Flat bands start as low as $3 and up to around $35 for double tubes with handles.

If you don't have a workout partner, no problem. Anchor your tube around a pole, tree or other secure item and do the work yourself.

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exercise, exercise equipment, food coach, lori corbin

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