Why Resistance Bands Outperform

October 29, 2008 Filed Under: Resistance Bands

One of the best things about working out at home is the convenience. Having the ability to work out on your own terms has great benefits, like what you have to wear (or not wear) the type of music you listen to or television you watch. The list can go on ad nauseum. But the largest setback about working out at home is the cost of setting up a worthwhile facility.

For experienced and rookie home-gym members alike, core-strength equipment is an absolute requirement. Most folks already have a exercise ball and most of them sit in a corner gathering dust. This has nothing to do with the ball’s quality as a workout piece — in fact, the ball has some clear benefits. Instead, the problem with the ball is that it is highly specialized and most people need variety in their workouts. Resistance bands like the ones used by personal trainers and fitness gurus not only allow for variety, but for expanding the strength routine to include other strength areas.

Almost all bands on the market (bands are also known as tubing) allow different resistance levels. With the most common types of bands, however, several sets are recommended so that different resistance types can be had. Usually, resistance levels are dictated by different colors depending on the brand, but the true reasons resistance levels exist is that the bands’ tubing come in varying degrees of thickness. Sill, it would be wise to invest in several sets so that you have more than one resistance level around, otherwise the bands will join the dusty exercise ball.

Luckily, some of the more advanced brands of band allow multiple bands on a single handle. You can accomplish this by clipping additional bands to the handle and thereby increase the resistance level (e.g. add a 7lb to your existing 5lb band). This alone doesn’t eliminate or reduce the cost, it does allow for consistence with the handle, but this might be a personal preference more than anything else.

When weighing resistance bands against free weights, consideration should be given to the joint pain that free weights cause. Since momentum doesn’t exist with bands they way it does with free weights (it is this momentum that leads to injuries), the bands provide a safer alternative. In fact, as the elastic tubing stretches, the resistance increases and this also helps to reduce injury.

Compared to bow resistance that machines like the Bowflex use, elastic resistance is more direct. Does this matter? To some, it might. For the same reasons that some bodybuilders will not use Nautilus-type equipment at the fitness center, some might prefer the elastic over bow resistance machines. The reasons might vary depending on personal opinions, but the similarity between the two is that the bow machines use fly wheels and pulley systems just as those machines at the gym use. Therefore, it is save to conclude that some prefer a more direct workout. Just as the free weights provide a more direct workout, so do the bands.

Finally, gravity workouts and systems also lack the main benefit of resistance bands in that their weight (e.g. your body weight) remains consistent. Whether executing pull-ups or sit-ups or anything else that relies on gravity the consistent weight factor does not allow for proper strength and muscle building. Where elastic-based bands outperform is in their resistance. See, since bands increase in resistance as they stretch, the muscle gets more of a “workout” where it needs it most (at its extended stages) whereas consistent weight remains the same; the muscle is getting the same workout in the full range. This benefits both strength and muscle gain.

Bodylastics is a system that FitChimp.com endorses. For $45.95, you can purchase a starter package that is fairly comprehensive with four bands and up to 44 lbs of resistance on each side. The most expensive rings in at $99.81 and adds three more bands and can go up to 127 lbs of resistance on each side. With any of their systems, you can expect to enjoy a more comprehensive workout at home.