Resistance bands are gaining in popularity as a great way to keep fit and lose weight at the same time. That’s because you can use them at home, eliminating the need to go to a gym. Plus, they’re widely available at sport good stores and online.
If you’re new to exercise or want to exercise more at home, resistance bands are an excellent way to develop strength and build muscle. In fact, they have some added “perks” that dumbbells don’t have. Let’s look at why dumbbells are a great investment for your home workouts and why they offer advantages that weights don’t.
They Build Muscle as Well as Dumbbells Do
Some would argue that working with weights is the “real” way to strength train. There is truth to that, but weights aren’t the only way to hypertrophy your muscles. Research shows that resistance bands are as effective as dumbbells for building muscle and strength.
One reason resistance bands are so effective is they maintain constant tension on your muscles throughout an exercise. With weights, the force on the muscle drops off at the top of the movement and your muscles get a break. Resistance bands maintain tension from start to finish. So, your muscles must work harder to work against the constant tension.
It’s also harder to use momentum with resistance bands. Momentum is where you move the weight quickly or toss it so that the added momentum makes the movement easier. You can’t use momentum with resistance bands. Your muscles must exert force throughout the movement and can’t slack off.
Studies show that muscle and strength gains are similar between weights and resistance bands. Therefore, you don’t have to sacrifice strength and muscle gains by using resistance bands. They’re just another form of resistance that can help your muscles grow. Plus, the constant tension on your muscles when you train makes them an effective tool for muscle and strength gains.
Resistance Bands Allow You to Do Lots of Exercises
Most people aren’t aware of how many exercises you can do with bands. They do them for the most common exercises, but you can do almost any strength-training exercises you can do with weights but also ones that you can’t do with weights. You can even use resistance bands to make bodyweight exercises harder too. For example, use the bands to make push-ups more challenging. You can even change the focus of a push-up with resistance bands.
They’re Safer Than Weights
It’s easier to get injured with weights than it is resistance bands. If a resistance band falls on your foot, you’ll barely feel it. Not so with a heavy weight! If a barbell or dumbbell falls on your foot, you’ll be limping around for weeks or may even end up in a cast. Plus, it’s easier to learn to do resistance exercises with bands rather than weights. They’re more forgiving.
Resistance Bands Are Portable
Who doesn’t want a portable gym that travels? Resistance bands are as close as it comes. They’re lightweight and you can fit a whole set into a suitcase. Try that with a barbell! You might not have space or the money to build a deluxe home gym, but with resistance bands, you have a go-anywhere portable workout station. Take them on vacation or even to work and use them during a break or lunch hour to get a short workout. Then toss them in your car and take them back home. You can even buy miniature resistance bands that fit into a compartment in your car or a satchel. Take them anywhere.
They’re Inexpensive
Compare the cost of resistance bands to dumbbells and barbells and you’ll quickly see how much money you can save by investing in bands. You can choose from bands with varying degrees of tension ranging from light to extra-heavy. The bands are color-coded so you can easily identify how much tension a band creates and upgrade as you progress. If you’re just starting out, the lightest tension is best, but even when it’s time to upgrade, you won’t be outlaying a lot of money. That’s not true of weights and barbells. When you consider all the exercises you can do, resistance bands are a great investment that won’t break the bank.
The Bottom Line
Resistance bands are an ideal tool for building strength and muscle endurance, and they also allow you to get a full body workout at home. Plus, they assist with other health goals, such as improving balance, preventing falls, and relieving stress. Be sure to take advantage of the many exercises you can do with bands and don’t limit yourself to a few exercises. Take advantage of the flexibility and advantages of using resistance bands and start building muscle!
References:
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- Lopes JSS, Machado AF, Micheletti JK, de Almeida AC, Cavina AP, Pastre CM. Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis [published correction appears in SAGE Open Med. 2020 Sep 9;8:2050312120961220]. SAGE Open Med. 2019;7:2050312119831116. Published 2019 Feb 19. doi:10.1177/2050312119831116
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- Schoenfeld BJ, Contreras B, Krieger J, Grgic J, Delcastillo K, Belliard R, Alto A. Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019 Jan;51(1):94-103. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001764. PMID: 30153194; PMCID: PMC6303131.
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