Resistance Bands vs Free Weights as you age & back pain

acmworkholdings

Hi there,
Sorry if this has been asked before, but i've been reading a bunch on the benefits of free weights vs resistance bands - but have not found much on if one is preferred as you age, and for dealing with back/joint pain. Most articles I see is the question if you can bulk using bands - which isn't a concern for me.

I'm getting into my late 30s and am overweight, but realize this is primarily a diet issue. I do enjoy doing free weights, but am considering a switch to resistance bands and am curious if others have found them to help from a back/joint perspective.

My goals are to lose the weight (more focused on diet) and look leaner, and be able to move easier without getting so tried/sore. I find that free weights that i'll pull something eventually (probably due to bad form) and as I age i'm getting more worried about it .

Anyway just curious if resistance bands might be useful for me and a better option than free weights.

Thanks!

claireychn074

I use both but for different purposes. I’m in my mid 40s and actually I’d suggest it’s more important to use weights as you get older (to keep your bones strong and prevent sarcopenia). You can still injure yourself with bands if your form isn’t right, so is there any way you could see a PT to get a form check? Age is definitely no barrier to weights - there are some lifters here in their 70s who could whip my *kitten*!

Dogmom1978

I recommend working on your form to avoid injury. I’m older than you and use free weights and there are people here who are over 60 and still use free weights. Plenty of people also get injured with resistance bands, so I doubt they would fix your problem if it’s form related. Bad form with a resistance band can still cause injury.

zebasschick

i found i had more injuries using resistance bands than free weights, as the resistance keeps getting heavier often after your point of no return. it's hard to be sure when / if to stop in mid rep. a 25 pound weight is 25 pounds throughout the motion, so you won't overdo on the resistance.

i've had only one injury using free weights, and it was the heaviest i had ever done lat pulldowns at that time. what i learned from that is not to rush to lift heavier - i take my time and let everything adapt before increasing the weight.

briscogun

Never used bands, but I use dumbbells/kettlebells and bodyweight exercises now since I hurt my back a few years ago. You don't have to use huge weights depending on your goals. I can't use big weights or compromise my back or else, so I just found ways to adapt.

There's no one right way, you just have to find YOUR way! And nothing wrong with doing BOTH! Use some weights, then mix it up and use some bands. Keep it fresh!

And I'm like 20 years older than you so please stop talking about how old you are in your 30's. Geesh...

JBanx256

I'm in my late 30's and predominately use free weights (as someone else mentioned - you don't have to pick one and stick to it strictly - you can use a combination. More tools in the toolbox). If you're injuring yourself due to bad form and/or load management, then you need to correct that first & foremost. You can hurt yourself with bands too. I mean...if you drive a Honda Civic and you run a red light & crash, you don't assume that running red lights in a Toyota Camry is gonna have a better outcome. You need to fix the actual problem.

kshama2001

acmworkholdings wrote: »

Hi there,
Sorry if this has been asked before, but i've been reading a bunch on the benefits of free weights vs resistance bands - but have not found much on if one is preferred as you age, and for dealing with back/joint pain. Most articles I see is the question if you can bulk using bands - which isn't a concern for me.

I'm getting into my late 30s and am overweight, but realize this is primarily a diet issue. I do enjoy doing free weights, but am considering a switch to resistance bands and am curious if others have found them to help from a back/joint perspective.

My goals are to lose the weight (more focused on diet) and look leaner, and be able to move easier without getting so tried/sore. I find that free weights that i'll pull something eventually (probably due to bad form) and as I age i'm getting more worried about it .

Anyway just curious if resistance bands might be useful for me and a better option than free weights.

Thanks!

My usual recommendation for form is to work with a trainer. Not sure if this is an option for you due to the coronavirus.

My mom's osteoporosis doctor encouraged her to start strength training. She has had various well-qualified trainers and they've all used weights rather than bands. She started this in her late 70's and is now 82.

Another octogenarian, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, also uses free weights. She's 85 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSRTx3jg4RA&ab_channel=WashingtonPost

AnnPT77

In most contexts, I think "as you age" is a red herring. Age per se is not (mostly) what makes a difference.

If your form is bad, fix it. If you can't do it on your own, or with video corrections (someplace like here or another social networking place where there are experts willing to comment), or something like that, hire a personal trainer. If you have physical issues that have already developed (like the back problems), get a physical therapist referral and learn how to fix, work around, and/or avoid aggravating them. Make intelligent use of doctors (including D.O.s that do manipulation, IMO), massage therapists, physical therapists, trainers, and other professionals, if you can afford them.

I'm 64. I use freeweights. (And I'm far from the only one around here doing so, at this kind of age.) There are things I've personally figured out I shouldn't do, because of personal, individual body issues, so I do different things. (I didn't start being routinely active until my mid-40s. That was a strategic error, frankly.) One of my friends has been lifting consistently since her 30s (coincidentally, around your age, eh?), and it's been freeweights almost all the way. (She's been using some machines during the pandemic because of gym closures, otherwise freeweights). She's now 74. (Her body looks *at least* 25 years younger, and her strength is better than women multiple decades younger.) Her husband, same age, has been lifting even longer.

I doubt you save yourself anything in terms of injury by using bands. If there's challenge, presumably you can make progress with bands. But bad form, or tendencies to cumulative-stress injuries (whether from genetics or past injury) can still cause problems for you. The idea that age per se is a problem for you in your late 30s? From the perspective of 64, I find that kind of short-sighted. You may need to modify what you do, because of personal factors, but IMO not because of age as such.

Don't let yourself fall into low expectations of yourself because of age. Be cautious, sensible, learn/use good form, use professional services if you can afford them and need them.

acmworkholdings

Thanks all! This has really helped me decide to stick with what I have now (i.e .free weights). I do agree that I probably need to fix the form. I'm not 100% sure that is the issue, but I just find my back always has issues eventually.

With respect to how much people are lifting, I was thinking it's quite possible when i'm trying to get a few last reps in that I might try to swing or lose posture especially for the heavier exercises. Would it be better if I lightened the weight and try to complete those reps with proper form first before moving forward and increasing weight? I guess I get a bit competitive with myself and try to improve too fast .

Thanks again!

Dogmom1978

acmworkholdings wrote: »

Thanks all! This has really helped me decide to stick with what I have now (i.e .free weights). I do agree that I probably need to fix the form. I'm not 100% sure that is the issue, but I just find my back always has issues eventually.

With respect to how much people are lifting, I was thinking it's quite possible when i'm trying to get a few last reps in that I might try to swing or lose posture especially for the heavier exercises. Would it be better if I lightened the weight and try to complete those reps with proper form first before moving forward and increasing weight? I guess I get a bit competitive with myself and try to improve too fast .

Thanks again!

Focus on form first and increasing weight later. You can SERIOUSLY hurt yourself doing certain exercises if your form is really bad and considering you are already having back pain don’t cause it to continue getting worse.