Resistance bands - any of these brands better than others?

tomatoey
tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
edited December 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
These have decent reviews on Amazon Canada, but given that these are resistance bands we're talking about, I'm betting more than half of the reviewers are completely new to exercise and/or have used them for less than a month. (Some of the positive reviews come from people who are just happy they were delivered on time, which I guess is fair enough, since we're talking about Canadian postal delivery.)

- Black Mountain
- NeeBooFit
- WOD
- Bodylastics
- Ohuhu

And what should I be looking for in resistance bands? Right now I'm at "won't snap" - that's happened to me with Therabands - and "company offers a poundage estimate".

Replies

  • jacklifts
    jacklifts Posts: 396 Member
    edited December 2015
    Iron Woody bands are supposed to be the best. Personally I have the Onyx Bands from EliteFTS

    http://ironwoodyfitness.com/collections/iron-woody-bands
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    This is the set that I have...I am please with them.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O09M4K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

    I do recommend getting multiple bands since you can progress with the tension much as you would free weights. Sometimes I use 2 at a time to give me the resistance I am looking for.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited December 2015
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    This is the set that I have...I am please with them.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O09M4K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

    I do recommend getting multiple bands since you can progress with the tension much as you would free weights. Sometimes I use 2 at a time to give me the resistance I am looking for.

    Those look great! I might get a set for snow days like today.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited December 2015
    jacklifts wrote: »
    Iron Woody bands are supposed to be the best. Personally I have the Onyx Bands from EliteFTS

    http://ironwoodyfitness.com/collections/iron-woody-bands

    Ah right, thanks! I think they're a US company, which means $$$ for shipping, but it's good to know, maybe I can find a Canadian distributor. Amazon gives me "Functional Fitness" on a search for Iron Woody, hmm, maybe it's a rebrand?
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    This is the set that I have...I am please with them.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O09M4K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

    I do recommend getting multiple bands since you can progress with the tension much as you would free weights. Sometimes I use 2 at a time to give me the resistance I am looking for.

    Those look great! I might get a set for snow days like today.

    They have a web site with exercises but youtube has tons of demos that you can watch plus they send you a chart with all of the exercises listed. I have used mine a lot since I broke my arm and had surgery. I feel safer using them verses using a dumbbell and not having much strength in my hand yet.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    This is the set that I have...I am please with them.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O09M4K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

    I do recommend getting multiple bands since you can progress with the tension much as you would free weights. Sometimes I use 2 at a time to give me the resistance I am looking for.

    Thank you, Annie! It's good to have that flexibility for both rehabbing and progression, definitely. I like those - I could hook them up to a door and use them like a cable machine for kickbacks and ad/abductions.

    I think I'm also going to get a couple of pull-up bands for squats (bc of wrist problems; gripping is painful, will loop over shoulders) and some smaller loop bands as well. The WOD Nation pull up bands look like they might not snap :/
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    This is the set that I have...I am please with them.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006O09M4K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

    I do recommend getting multiple bands since you can progress with the tension much as you would free weights. Sometimes I use 2 at a time to give me the resistance I am looking for.

    Those look great! I might get a set for snow days like today.

    They have a web site with exercises but youtube has tons of demos that you can watch plus they send you a chart with all of the exercises listed. I have used mine a lot since I broke my arm and had surgery. I feel safer using them verses using a dumbbell and not having much strength in my hand yet.

    Totally get you!

    Have you seen this for ideas?
    http://bretcontreras.com/band-glute-exercises-for-the-win-erin-mccombs-intriguing-training-methods/#comment-1330036
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited December 2015
    Although! With a cable machine, the tension is (I think, roughly) constant throughout the movement. With bands, I imagine there's slack until you start extending the band past its relaxed length (so with a 4-foot band, you'd only get tension at 4+ feet). So you'd only get the resistance within a certain range of movement, and would need to stand a certain distance from the anchoring point, or wrap them around twice (or buy different lengths) to get more variety that way. Or well ok, I can use a chair for balance if I need it, ha.

    (I've only used those flat Therabands so far, & have tied them at different lengths for different ROM and resistance. Which is maybe why they're snapping :/ I've loved the cable machine at the gym, because it's so easy to use to work around anything, but it's hard to justify the fees just for that and the treadmill when I can walk outside.)
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    jacklifts wrote: »
    Iron Woody bands are supposed to be the best. Personally I have the Onyx Bands from EliteFTS

    http://ironwoodyfitness.com/collections/iron-woody-bands

    These look good. A lot of coaches whose opinions I value also recommend Sorinex bands.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Sorry @tomatoey I had to laugh at the Canada Post dig. I was looking at buying a pair of boots on line today- estimated delivery 12 February. Winter would be close to over.

    Following for band info.

    Cheers, h.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Sorry @tomatoey I had to laugh at the Canada Post dig. I was looking at buying a pair of boots on line today- estimated delivery 12 February. Winter would be close to over.

    Following for band info.

    Cheers, h.

    Ha! 12th Feb! That's a long wait, even by Canadian standards! Shame on them. I hope you find some boots closer to home :)
    Azdak wrote: »
    jacklifts wrote: »
    Iron Woody bands are supposed to be the best. Personally I have the Onyx Bands from EliteFTS

    http://ironwoodyfitness.com/collections/iron-woody-bands

    These look good. A lot of coaches whose opinions I value also recommend Sorinex bands.

    Thank you, Azdak! Rubber stamped as far as I'm concerned :) Let's see if either are available in this kooky country.
  • KathleenKP
    KathleenKP Posts: 580 Member
    I like Perfect Bands and have a LOT of them. I have been able to modify some of my weight room routines to use the bands to get very effective workouts. They used to be carried at Big5 here in the US, but now I order them from Amazon. I am not a body builder or strength trainer, but love working out in the weight room and with very few exceptions over several decades, am usually the strongest female in the weight room. Most bands I've seen in the stores are pretty wimpy.

    You can get a kit that has several bands plus handles and a door frame anchor. I have about three of those sets (I don't like changing things around b/c when I do bands, it's usually b/c I am very time pressed). I would recommend getting a kit, and if you are fairly strong, also getting a gray and/or black band that doesn't come in the kit.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,988 Member
    If you can, just run down to a couple of sporting goods stores and check out their bands. Basically, I look at the handles and how the band is connected to it because the reality is, no matter how great the elastic band is, if you can't grip it as needed with the handle snapping off, it's useless.
    Also, from continuous use, most bands (depending on weather) will last a couple of years before noticeable reduction in elasticity. So don't overspend either.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    If you can, just run down to a couple of sporting goods stores and check out their bands. Basically, I look at the handles and how the band is connected to it because the reality is, no matter how great the elastic band is, if you can't grip it as needed with the handle snapping off, it's useless.
    Also, from continuous use, most bands (depending on weather) will last a couple of years before noticeable reduction in elasticity. So don't overspend either.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    That's really helpful to know! Thank you, ninerbuff! (I can accept that they will eventually die at some point, I just hope it's not while whacking me in the face. No way to know, though, I guess.) There aren't any serious sporting goods stores within a handy distance, but I might see if I can trek out to one on the weekend. Thanks!
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    KathleenKP wrote: »
    I like Perfect Bands and have a LOT of them. I have been able to modify some of my weight room routines to use the bands to get very effective workouts. They used to be carried at Big5 here in the US, but now I order them from Amazon. I am not a body builder or strength trainer, but love working out in the weight room and with very few exceptions over several decades, am usually the strongest female in the weight room. Most bands I've seen in the stores are pretty wimpy.

    You can get a kit that has several bands plus handles and a door frame anchor. I have about three of those sets (I don't like changing things around b/c when I do bands, it's usually b/c I am very time pressed). I would recommend getting a kit, and if you are fairly strong, also getting a gray and/or black band that doesn't come in the kit.

    Awesome! Glad to hear you've seen results with bands! I think a kit might be likely, for sure, and I'll look out for a heavier band as well. Thanks!
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Read some great tips here... thanks for all the links and personal suggestions. :)

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