Do resistance bands construct muscle? Stroll into most gyms and also you’ll see health lovers swarming the free weights part, however you’ll doubtless see fewer individuals utilizing resistance bands of their exercise. This may result in the misunderstanding that resistance bands aren’t as efficient as weights in constructing muscle when, in some circumstances, they might provide a bonus over different approaches.
Earlier than you head over to seek for the finest resistance bands (opens in new tab), learn on and we’ll stretch your thoughts with professional recommendation as to why resistance bands will be the proper software to develop your health regime.
Table of Contents
Can resistance bands construct muscle?
Can resistance bands construct muscle? “Sure!” solutions Gina Reinge, a sports activities therapist who has spent years working with skilled athletes. Although with the precept that underpins using resistance bands being nearly equivalent to that of free weights, it ought to maybe come as no shock.
“Resistance bands can construct muscle in the identical method as utilizing weights can,” says Reinge. “Research, comparable to one within the Journal of Medical Nursing (opens in new tab), have proven that when performing resistance workout routines with bands there isn’t any statistical distinction to the beneficial properties discovered with a band to a weight.”
Gina Reinge MSc, BSc, is an skilled sports activities therapist who has spent years working with skilled athletes, together with having spent 4 years working on the Excessive Efficiency centre in Tub, UK with worldwide elite-level judo gamers. Alongside together with her husband, she runs a multidisciplinary clinic in Portishead, UK.
In actual fact, in case you are an older grownup there’s a good cause to make use of them. “They’re particularly helpful for older adults the place there’s good proof of power beneficial properties,” says Reinge.
Resistance coaching is especially vital for older adults because it helps to offset the pure lack of bone density (opens in new tab) and muscle that comes with growing old. Moreover, resistance bands provide benefits over free weights as they price much less, are simpler to retailer and are extra transportable, making them particularly helpful for dwelling or open area exercises.
How do they evaluate with free weights?
Resistance bands make for a worthy different to free weights, however must you be lucky sufficient to have a alternative between the 2, during which particular cases would possibly you go for the bands?
Reinge factors to a research within the Journal of Energy and Conditioning Analysis (opens in new tab) as only one that has proven beneficial properties “in higher physique power, velocity and energy utilizing resistance bands over free weights, with a consensus forming that begins to help this concept.”
With regard to specifics, she says: “They’ve been proven to be notably helpful for some multi-joint workout routines as properly, such because the lateral row and lat pulldowns and presumably even the stiff-legged deadlift.”
Workouts which might be much less efficient with resistance bands are usually those which might be trickier to use fixed pressure to, such because the squat, says Reinge, including: “with power beneficial properties solely displaying up on the finish of vary as soon as the band is tight.”
Therein lies the chief drawback of resistance bands in contrast with free weights – being that they provide variable resistance in contrast with fixed resistance. In the end, the latter makes for a more difficult exercise, however it will depend on the particular actions throughout the train as as to if this is applicable.
Methods to effectively construct muscle with resistance bands
The important thing basic to construct muscle is progressive overload (opens in new tab). As Reinge explains: “The vital factor is to make sure you are ‘overloading’ the muscle. A muscle that performs a motion simply won’t acquire mass enhancements. You possibly can overload a muscle by rising the resistance or by slowing a motion down, or each.”
On this sense, resistance bands are wonderful for constructing beginner-level power and activating smaller muscle tissue. Nonetheless, if you happen to’re trying to recruit bigger muscle teams, or are coaching in direction of greater ranges of power, then you might need to decide free of charge weights. Whichever choice you choose, Reinge says: “The vital ingredient is that you’re coaching the muscle that you just need to, good type is vital, as is beginning at a degree the muscle can tolerate. If you’re ranging from a weak level you could have to make use of a light-weight band initially. As soon as simple, enhance the band resistance, full extra reps or sluggish the motion down.”
It will depend on your particular targets as as to if resistance bands are the fitting software for you. Nonetheless, they combine properly into nearly any health programme, whether or not that’s as a part of a warm-up, as a software throughout the primary exercise, or as a supplemental piece of equipment to help body weight workout routines (opens in new tab), comparable to chin-ups and pull-ups. In the end, it’s their vary of makes use of that makes them a must have in any fitness center and a key piece of kit to think about for dwelling exercises.