dumbbells versus bands versus machines - confused!

lisajorudy

maybe someone here can help me understand this.

I have a set of bands with handles that I shut into the hinges of the door so I can pull them. The lowest weight is ten pounds, the highest is 40, and I am currently able to pull ten plus 40 (clipped together), doing bicep curls and a couple of other big muscle exercises. In other words, I'm pulling 50 pounds.

At the gym, most machines start with 10 pounds, and I can usually manage 30 - 40 or more pounds on large muscle upper body machines.

I also have some dumbbells. I am using 6 pound weights for bicep curls and kickbacks and 4-5 pounds for smaller upper body muscles — and that's all I can manage.

Seems like I'm using the same muscles, but at completely different weights!

How is this possible? Is one type of exercise more effective than the other? Like… am I doing "more" with the bands or machines than with the dumbbells?

Thanks!

yirara

Bands are tricky, really. The more you stretch them the higher the resistance. A dumbbell of 10lbs is always a dumbbell of 10lbs.

Retroguy2000

The advertised "weight" of bands is almost meaningless. For one thing, that (if it's even accurate) refers to the resistance at max stretch, which you're probably not doing. That's not your fault, it's just a comment about how far they can stretch. Consider how much harder an exercise is depending whether you grab the bands in a slack state and do your exercise, vs grabbing them then moving away from the anchor point by a foot or two, before starting the exercise. That's much harder.

Machines for the same weight will be easier than dumbbells, because you don't have to stabilize as much.

Tricep kickbacks are one of the worst tricep options. Do an overhead extension instead. One arm straight overhead, bend at elbow to behind your upper back, while avoiding elbow flaring out. Or use bands with high anchor, face away, grab bands above your head and push them forwards with elbow flexion.

One issue with bands for muscle development is that research is showing us the most hypertrophy happens when the muscle is loaded in a stretched position. For many bands exercises, the opposite happens, the greatest resistance is during the contraction. For example, bands bicep curl, there's almost no resistance when your arm is locked out. In a dumbbell curl, especially something like a preacher curl, the bicep is being stretched under load.

four_bumblebees

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48524190#Comment_48524190

Just curious, why don't you like tricep kick backs?

Retroguy2000

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48524408#Comment_48524408

1. It's such a low weight to do them well, that it's hard to progressive overload.
2. There's no load on the muscle in the stretched position, because your lower arm is vertical with a relaxed triceps. As mentioned, research shows this is sub-optimal. That might be mitigated with heavy weight, but see first point above.
3. You're probably doing one arm at a time, which means it takes more time than other alternatives.
4. I just prefer others anyway, such as JM press into close grip press, db skullcrusher. I would do more db overhead extension but one of my elbows isn't a fan of that.

four_bumblebees

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48524437#Comment_48524437

All good points that I agree with! I think its biggest (though still not very big) selling point is that it's one of the easiest ways to get the line of resistance perpendicular to the lever arm with the triceps in a shortened position. Not the best for hypertrophy maybe, but it's still good for strengthening in that range. I work more on the rehab side of things so I use it every once in a while to help with functional activities like weight bearing through an assistive device or pushing yourself up from a chair.