Are you struggling what to choose - resistance bands or weights for your workouts? Let's help you decide which to use.
What's the difference between resistance bands and weights?
First, what’s the difference in strength training with resistance bands versus weights?
If you grab a 15-pound dumbbell, the resistance of that 15 pounds stays consistent throughout the entire contraction, that’s known as an isotonic contraction. And then there's isokinetic, which is what we get from the resistance bands, and that's where the resistance changes as you move. When you grab that resistance band to do a bicep curl towards yourself, that resistance is going to get harder on the top and easier as you bring your hand back down. The more we are going through the motion, the resistance actually changes. So it just strengthens the muscles a little bit differently.
Benefits of Resistance Bands
1. You can take them everywhere you go
Bands are portable and take up virtually no space. They can stow away in a bag, drawer or closet. They pack easily for travel and you can use them anywhere.
Basically, you have a whole fitness in your bag. You can use bands for most movements that you usually perform with free weights, including squats, lateral raises, rows, triceps extensions and biceps curls.
2. They Can Build Strength
Various bands come in different levels of resistance. Power resistance bands are extremely effective for athletic training due to the increased load, variable resistance, and instability.
Research also shows that using bands with weights improves neuromuscular performance and strength more than weight training alone. These bands can also be used for speed and agility drills for various athletic purposes.
3. More mobility
Any type of tube or flat band is great for both post-workout stretches, as well as pre-workout mobility work. Typically, you are limited during stretches by your level of flexibility and range of motion, and many effective stretches even require another person to provide pressure to the muscle.
Instead, you can use bands to assist with stretching to extend your reach and provide pressure, such as with lying down hamstring stretches. Power bands are also excellent for mobility work when wrapped around sturdy object, such as improving ankle and hip mobility for squats.
Personal choice
For me, calisthenics, combined with resistance bands are the best choice for building lean muscles, gaining strength and bringing more mobility. Bands can be used not only as better weights, but also as contra weight, helping you to get used to do pull ups, dips or other exercises as you begining your trainign journey.
Keep pulling 💪
