Spiderbands – the next big thing?

If you're looking to add a new spin to your workout, an innovative device taking inspiration from a spider's web may be just what you are looking for. The Spiderband takes the form of elasticated cords suspended from the ceiling which are then attached to the hands and feet, using bodyweight, gravity and the natural resistance of bungy to give the user a broad range of exercise options during their workout – and they can can be used for assistance, too. 

The brainchild of fitness trainer Franci Cohen, the Spiderband was seven years in development and is set to be implemented in gyms across America, then the world. Bodyweight exercises are expected to be among the most popular in 2015, according to a poll carried out by the American College of Sports Medicine. Lunges, chin-ups and squats all among the range of motions that can be completed with the aid of the Spiderband.

The benefits of the Spiderband are many-fold. As an all-over body workout that aids both cardiovascular and muscular regimes, the device can also aid the user in performing exercises that were previously beyond them. Chin-ups, so difficult to perform for so many, are now possible as the Spiderband's stretch and bouyancy assists the user in their exertions – almost as if they have a spotter working with them.

The Spiderband provides a useful mix of resistance and assistance. Neal Pire, an exercise physiologist with the ACSM, explains thus: "If you're doing squats using those bands, it's assistance on coming up; if you're pulling down, it's giving resistance."

The new equipment also adds an extra dimension to standard, tried-and-tested workout methods. Because of their aerial nature, using the Spiderband brings into play the use of other muscles that would not normally be associate with the given exercise. "Doing bicep curls on the ground, the rest of the body is standing still, but with the bands, the body needs to balance," Cohen explained of her invention.