Resistance bands superior to weights

Julian5656 · October 2018

Ok so the title was clickbait, but I've been experimenting with these "super bands" and they're just awesome!
I can do every exercise I could do at the gym in the comfort of my own home. It's cheaper than gym memberships or conventional equipment, you can get some super heavy ones so theres no saying that they're too light. They give you a crazy burn, way more than I've had with weights..I'm pretty sure you can do a full body building routine with these bands alone..guys like James Grage have done a whole series on them on YouTube.
Has anybody else tried a bodybuilding routine with bands alone? Does anybody use them regularly?
Also if you're a full on traditionalist bodybuilder who swears there is no alternative to weights and would like to kill me, my address is....

sardelsa · October 2018

Bands are great, I incorporate them regularly in my routine. But I wouldn't equate feeling a burn with progress. In the end you want some type of progressive overload and tension on the muscles, which you can do with bands but it can be more difficult to measure with time, and eventually you would reach a limit unless you add more bands or weights.

Julian5656 · October 2018

@sardelsa , yea that's the one down side I've found. Because the resistance is not linear (it gets heavier the more you stretch the band) measuring the resistance can be difficult. But still doable I think. You could move up in band strength as apposed to moving up in weight. Some of these bands can equate to a weight of 100kg, so there's room for progressive overload.
For somebody who doesnt have access to a gym, this is a great alternative.

moogie_fit · October 2018

Very hard to measure progressive overload with bands

ninerbuff · October 2018

Bands were initially designed for rehab, but like many functional and rehab exercises, found their way into the world of fitness for average gym goers. What is lacking here is the "eccentric" phase of resistance training. The "concentric" is progressive, but it's the eccentric phase that tears down muscle.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4620252/

Personally I feel a suspension trainer is much more effective than bands for home equipment.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Resistance bands superior to weights

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