Do resistance bands actually do anything?

NadNight

I want to tone up. I'm joining my universities swim team but wanted to do some exercises to strengthen and tone muscles on land too.

I considered joining a gym but on top of swim fees that's very expensive. Of my two local gyms, one only offers 12 month memberships which are pricey and the other does give the option to pay as you go but if I went once a week it would work out to be as expensive as the membership!

The other thing I thought was working out at home. I've been looking at hand weights and resistance bands but I'm wondering if resistance bands and handweights (3 kg) will actually do anything significant. I don't want to get body builder style super ripped but do want to be visibly toned. Any thoughts or suggestions I haven't thought of?

Ironandwine69

Only if you do it very often, like everyday.
That toned look you are going for comes from heavy lifting and moderate body fat. I still have to meet a person that got "toned" with bands only.

estherdragonbat

They do work, but the problem is, it's hard to know how much. The websites give you a range (i.e. doing biceps curls with a light resistance band is equivalent to doing them with an X to Y-lb dumbbell. With a medium is equivalent to Y to Z lbs, etc.) The problem is, you have no real way of knowing whether your biceps curls are closer to Xlbs or Ylbs. And over time, wear, and tear, it will require less effort to stretch them.

However, they're how I got started and I did notice results, not the least of which was that when I made the leap to dumbbells, I found that I could start biceps curls with 10lbs in each hand, instead of the 5 that my book suggested for newbies.

Plus, if you're traveling by plane or train, bands and tubes weigh barely nothing and fit into your bag pretty easily. I can't say that for dumbbells. (And when I take the train, on the cheapest fare available, the weight limit on checked baggage is 40lbs. No issues with tubes. LOADS if I'd tried bringing free weights.)

I use a resistance band in my warmups these days.

Here's the upper body workout I was doing, and probably will do again the next time I travel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou0n5aO_K9Y&index=4&list=PLI3qjG5jMFlIR-pdkHHTlGJbODQiEitYp&t=1s

And here's something on bands vs weights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msEl6RO7OT8

dustinjbrock

I'm with these other 2. I believe they work but cannot verify it. I am a truck driver and have some that I use often, I also walk and am on a keto diet and go to the gym for heavy weights whenever I am able to so it's hard to say how much the bands do.

One of my drivers was a jacked up little Frenchman, amazing shape and he swore up and down that all he ever did for workouts was walmart bands each night before bed.

J72FIT

Of course they work. Just make sure you are being challenged during your workouts...

sardelsa

Yes definitely. But if that is the main part of your workout, you want to make sure you are progressing each time.. more reps, sets, higher resistance etc. Sometimes it is hard to tell, but what I do is keep a detailed record of what I did for certain exercises. I did a lot of bodyweight, light weight and resistance band work while I was pregnant. Obviously I didn't tone up or anything, but it definitely helped maintain my muscle and strength.

Ps. you won't get a bodybuilder style body just from lifting heavy weights vs. light weights. It doesn't work that way and isn't that easy.

Packerjohn

You build muscle by working the body with progressive resistance. Your muscles don't know if that resistance is provided by your own body, free weights, weight machines or bands.

Plus "visibly toned" is made mainly with 2 very specific exercises, table push-aways and fork put downs.

sardelsa

Packerjohn wrote: »

You build muscle by working the body with progressive resistance. Your muscles don't know if that resistance is provided by your own body, free weights, weight machines or bands.

Plus "visibly toned" is made mainly with 2 very specific exercises, table push-aways and fork put downs.

While this is typically true in individuals carrying excess weight, it may not always be the way to go if someone is at a good weight for their height or underweight.

NorthCascades

I made good progress using resistance bands but it's a pain. You need several sets to "lift" heavy enough. They handles break, you'll have to rebuild them using stronger materials. You wind up standing in like half a dozen bands and it's awkward. But, it works.

angmarie28

yes, I did those and free weights and had pretty good results. most my back workouts were with resistance bands, and I had a nice toned back

Meghanebk

Have you asked your school/swim coach about fitness facility access? If you have a swim team it's likely there's a gym/weight workout area you can get free access to, especially if you're on a team. Even if it's really basic and in a basement somewhere it might help.

lorrpb

You could consider TRX straps. They cost about $150 on sale, which is often, and can be used for an infinite variety of strengthening exercises. Invented by a couple of Navy Seals looking to train in the middle of nowhere while waiting for a mission to start. They are very portable and can be used with a door anchor.

Cat3141

Resistance bands come in a variety of weights. They can be used for an effective workout assuming the tension produced is sufficient to challenge your muscles. If you want to work large, generally strong muscles, you're going to need a heavy band; if you want to work small muscles in isolation, a much lighter band is appropriate. That said, you can probably achieve much of what you want to achieve, or at least a good start, with body weight exercises. A pull up bar (or some monkey bars) could also be useful.

SonyaCele

resistance bands are great, i use them every day. i have them in my workout bag. If you have weights and bands, you can use the two together at the same time, for even more of a challenge.

Chieflrg

Ironandwine69 wrote: »

Only if you do it very often, like everyday.
That toned look you are going for comes from heavy lifting and moderate body fat. I still have to meet a person that got "toned" with bands only.

This.

They are sub optimal at best for your goal.

sardelsa

Obviously not the "look" you are going for, and while it can be done, I would imagine results are not typical. She did use some extra equipment but mostly stuck to bands.

https://bretcontreras.com/band-glute-exercises-for-the-win-erin-mccombs-intriguing-training-methods/

Here is the key to all of it :" I did band progressive overload, I always sought more reps or an extra set or a bonus band to keep my body from getting adjusted"

EatingAndKnitting

Are you in the US? If you are, do you have health insurance? You mentioned university, are you by chance on your parents insurance if you're in the US? You might call them, if this applies to you, and ask if they offer gym membership subizidation.

My insurer offers a program that for $25 a month I get access to a whole bunch of gyms nationwide. Nice gyms too. Not just Planet Fitness (a fine gym I'm sure, but I know it's reputation).

Also do look into your school's gyms, my schools both offered full access to the gym as long as class wasn't in session as a perk to students. (I was at smaller schools, no idea for larger schools, although my husband works for a large state university, I belive he can get access to the gym there as a perk, but there's may be a fee)

bingo_007

I think they work I used it for building muscle after injury recover however as it was part of physio I did about 30 to 45 mins 2 to 3 times a day. This was at a point in which I could not yet use weights to strengthen my arm and even bodyweight for push ups was too much for my arm to handle