Resistance bands have become a popular alternative to traditional iron weights. Bodybuilders and personal trainers use them effectively for a complete workout. Older people and people rehabbing from injuries also use resistance bands to improve their fitness. Why would one choose to use them over traditional free weights?
Safe
If you drop a resistance band on your toe, the toe is not likely to break. They are lightweight, easy to move, and safe to use. Dumbbells are heavy, uncomfortable, and can be dangerous. If one maxes out with a rubber band, you simply need to release the tension on the band. In comparison, maximizing the weight with a dumbbell can cause injury. Without a doubt, training with exercise bands is safer than training with free weights.
Laptop
They are light and compact. Frequent travelers can get a full workout in by storing their resistance bands in the corner of their suitcase. Exercise bands can be stored in a drawer or under the bed. Free weights can take up an entire room or closet. In addition to their compact size, exercise bands are much cheaper than free weights.
Effective
Since they are elastic, they do not depend on gravity to provide resistance. Therefore, exercise bands can be used in more ways than free weights. The resistance tube becomes tighter as the band is stretched, creating a heavier load on the band. When one pulls on a tight 10 pound belt, the load on the belt could change to 30 pounds. The elastic nature of the band allows the user to challenge the capacity of their muscles in a single exercise. In contrast, a 10 pound free weight will always be 10 pounds. Also, as the band tightens, it creates kinetic energy known as kickback. The kickback of the band engages the muscles both up and down. The kickback effect is unique to exercise bands and works the muscle more thoroughly than with free weights.
They improve fitness on many levels. They are safe, easy to use and inexpensive. Exercise bands are small and can easily fit in a suitcase or drawer. Since resistance bands don’t rely on gravity for resistance, someone using resistance bands has more exercises to choose from than someone using free weights. Time and time again, using resistance bands for strength training has been shown to be an effective way to build muscle.
