When it comes to the most versatile workout equipment, resistance bands always stand out among the best. Many of us are considering using equipment to workout at home and, weights and resistance bands are two that may be high on the list for many.
These two offers similar benefits but only one is more versatile than the other. For a more effective workout, we need to know why resistance bands are better than weights. Today, we are going to show you all you need to know about this tool and how you can take advantage of it.
What is a resistance band? who can benefit from resistance bands? and the things you need to consider before you buy it. This will help you make the best choice for your home workout.
I understand not everyone can afford to stock up their house with a set of weights (dumbbells, barbells, squat rack etc.). Many cannot even begin to consider it, the amount of space this type of equipment requires is quite a bit and that is one of the areas where resistance bands are better suited.
What Is Resistance Bands?
Resistance bands are brightly colored elastic bands that can be used to perform a different variety of workouts. These bands are good substitutes for weights and studies have confirmed that resistance bands are indeed effective for muscle building and toning, as they put it “your muscles don’t know the difference between resistance bands and weights.”
A 2019 study from NCBI concluded that elastic bands provide similar strength gains when compared to resistance training performed from traditional devices.
I am a big proponent of training with resistance bands. For both guys and girls, there is so much to take advantage of.
Reasons Why Resistance Bands are Better Than Weights
Portability For Easy Storage
Resistance bands are extremely portable and some even comes in a carrying case. These bands can literally fit anywhere, allowing you to train at home, inside or outside or taking with you to the gym.
Resistance bands can fit in your backpack or briefcase, and they are not as heavy as their weight counterpart— Unlike weights, resistance bands can be taken along while traveling, you can also take them to the office to train at the office between breaks.
You may be wondering if you can choose between different resistance levels and the answer is yes, you can get resistance bands ranging from extra-small to extra-heavy, you even pack multiple resistance bands on each hand to add more resistance.
Convenience For Home Use
We all have different reasons to workout at home, maybe you want tone your body, increase strength and lose weight. Whatever your goal, resistance bands can help you get there from the comfort of your home.
If you are a beginner and are not considering an instructor to assist you, get a resistance band set that also includes workout training to help you get started.
Resistance bands are so convenient to use because they expand and exert a force based on the force applied to them, unlike the traditional weights that have a fixed force. With this also comes less risk of injury.
Resistance Bands are Friendly with Your Joints and thereby reducing the risk of injury during workouts. Whether you are a fitness aficionado, needing rehab, or new to the field of working out in general, you can apply resistance bands in your workout routine and still get your desired result.
With a few guidelines and examples, anybody can start using resistance bands. And when used effectively, the results are amazing.
Versatility to Perform Multiple Exercises
Resistance bands are also known to be versatile. A group of resistance bands can be used to perform more varieties of exercise than a set of dumbbells or barbells.
For example, to increase resistance with the resistance band you can combine more bands. This is similar to adding more weight. Resistance bands can also be integrated into various workout types and make them more tasking and fun—an example is using a resistance band to make squatting more challenging.
Favorite of Beginners, Seniors, and Those in Rehabilitating Conditions
Resistance bands are user-friendly workout equipment for beginners and seniors since they are light, easy to use, and affordable. In fact, studies show that it helps adults with chronic low back pain.
These types of tools are equipped with varying resistance levels, which are relatively easy to interchange, depending on one’s capability.
For elders, they don’t need any aid when moving the resistance bands to work out from various areas in the house since the resistance bands are portable. Note that some resistance bands are specifically designed for seniors since they can accommodate their bodies.
Just check out some resistance bands for seniors online to find the most comfortable model to workout with.
As said earlier, resistance bands are friendly on the joints and only exert the same force exerted on it.
The limited expansion of resistance bands makes it safer for seniors who just want to get the necessary bit of workout required.
If you are in rehabilitation after surgeries or injuries you will enjoy the use of resistance bands as there is the assurance that it wouldn’t cause further injuries to joints, muscles and ligaments.
Inexpensive and Safe to Use
We all know that safety should be the number one consideration when getting gym equipment.
Resistance bands are safer than weights while doing the same work. If you work out with weights you probably know that muscle injuries can be excruciating and that a simple thing like the weight slipping from your hand could be devastating. Some resistance bands are designed to encourage good posture while exercising too. Training with bands reduces this risk so why not train safer?
Here is where resistance bands show their beauty, they are safer to use by individuals at any age.
Besides safety, they are very cost-friendly, no matter the variety you decide to get, it is always affordable.
Unlike their weight counterparts, resistance bands allow you to save some money since you do not need to buy benches or any other gym equipment to effective workout to improve strength or bodybuilding.
Who Can Take Advantage of Resistance Bands?
Unless you are planning to build massive muscle mass, resistance bands are one of the best home gym equipment for you to reach your fitness goals. Resistance bands are a must-have at home for an effective strength training workout.
If you want to lose weight, easy peasy for the resistance band, and for those who only want to tone and build their muscles, resistance bands are still the best bet.
However, when getting a resistance band caution should be taken. The elasticity and durability of the band should be taken into consideration as we would not want a band to cut loose while working out, which might lead to serious injury.
5 Benefits of Resistance Bands and What to Expect From it
1. Increase workout resistance
If standard squats and lunges do not give noticeable or faster results than what you expected, the resistance band is an excellent equipment to incorporate to create resistance for better workout results. As mentioned earlier, resistance bands work just like dumbbells in helping to increase the resistance level.
2. Offers full-body workout
The other benefits of investing in resistance bands are that you will always get full body workout results, which are not common with other workout equipment. This is because the resistance band requires one to engage both upper and lower body muscles when working out, which results in working out both body areas.
3. Great for Toning and building muscles
Constant working out with the resistance bands assures great toning and muscle building on both lower and upper body parts. The more resistance you employ on the band, the more toning and muscle building will occur.
4. Promote weight Loss
The resistance bands do work when it comes to bodyweight loss. Although the resistance bands are mainly recommended for toning and building muscles, and as you know the whole workout process involves burning body fat stored and build muscles. This means that toning of the body and creating of muscles goes hand in hand with weight loss. You need to burn fat stored in your body for the muscles to appear on the surface, and this, in return, facilitates weight loss.
5. Excellent For a body stretching Workout
If you are recovering from an injury or surgery, a resistance band is one of the best stretching equipment to facilitate quick recovery. Considering that resistance bands provide some level of resistance interval, there are high chances of recuperating the injured area since they help strengthen and stretch the muscles. They are also recommended for building muscles on the injured body part.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Resistance Band
The Resistance Levels
For significant workout results, you need a resistance band that offers varying intervals of resistance. When choosing any model, understand the resistance levels; it has to make sure it will fit your workout needs. This depends on the kind of body results you want to achieve or your age. This is because an older adult may not need a resistance band with high resistance levels compared to a young person who wants to lose weight or build body muscles.
Reputable Brand
There are multiple brands of resistance bands on the market, making it hard to determine the right model for home or gym use. Apart from achieving the right workout results, you also need a resistance band that you can trust and rely on and that will last for a long time. In this case, always go for brands that are highly rated by its users.
Quality Materials
The materials of the resistance bands determine the durability and stretching mode. The resistance bands with latex materials are quite reliable when working out since they are easy to stretch while still giving great workout results. Also, choose a resistance band made of natural and eco-friendly materials.
Lightweight
When exercising at home you can workout in any area. Some people prefer working out outdoors and others indoors. Therefore, a lightweight resistance band that you can comfortably carry to work from various places is a win for home use.
Foldable Base
Unlike a gym, you will need to store away the resistance band until the next workout. Some resistance bands come with a base to hang the bands. So, choose a model that the base is foldable for easy storing away after use. A foldable resistance band is a space saver since it does not take up considerable space in the storage area.
Final Thought
There are multiple benefits for exercising with resistance bands either at the gym or at home. This is one of the most flexible workout equipment that you can use alone or with other gym equipment. The resistance bands come in varying styles and designs suitable for home and gym use. If you are planning to buy one, see my #1 Recommendation for resistance band including a FREE 3-week plan for strength training.
Home Gym resistance bands are designed just like weight equipment, whereby they help build up muscles and tone the body. Resistance bands are also used by trainers when assisting people with injuries as they improve mobility and coordination. Still, the resistance bands are used in other weight equipment like dumbbells to increase resistance when performing cardio and bodybuilding exercises.
Resistance bands are not only good for home use but can be used in the gym as well and can be combined with other gym equipment to make your workout experience more interesting and effective.