What are resistance bands?
A resistance band is a lightweight elastic band used to help loosen muscles. This contraction movement builds muscle strength. These bands have also been used since early 20th century for rehab in people with muscle damage and more.
There are six main types of resistance bands and five colors that show how much resistance they offer.
What are the types of resistance bands?
Resistance bands differ not just in color but also in size, shape, handles, and other variations.
1 - Therapy bands:
They’re always used for rehab like the name says, but they don’t have handles and are gentle on the body and lightweight. They have a flat surface, not a tube shape, and help with physical and mental rehab too.
2 - Tubular resistance band with handles:
The tubular resistance band is about 4 feet long with plastic handles on both ends. It can be used in many ways for training upper body, arms, and also lower body.
3 - Small resistance bands:
Looks like circular flat therapy bands. It's best for strengthening the lower body like glutes, legs, and so on.
4 - Figure 8 resistance bands:
These have two plastic handles connected by a plastic tube in a figure 8 shape. They're usually short and their double handles make them great for building upper body strength, especially arms.
5 - Resistance band loops:
Loop resistance bands are small single loops with two soft handles attached on the sides. The handles aren't hard plastic. These suits lower body workouts best but need different exercises than normal loop bands or tubular resistance bands.
6 - Lateral resistance bands:
Instead of typical handles, the lateral resistance band has velcro cuffs on both ends. These cuffs are usually wrapped around each ankle to help train the lower body, especially hips and thighs.
7 - Pull-up bands:
These are special resistance bands designed to help people who do pull-ups. Since pull-ups are hard for many, even experienced athletes can struggle if they lack enough strength. It's often tough to do many sets and reps, so these bands are made to assist doing the exercise properly.
What do resistance band colors mean?
Resistance bands come in different colors to show their resistance level. Some have more resistance than others. Generally, the color code below applies to most resistance levels no matter the brand. But some brands have their own color code, especially for therapy bands.
1 - The red resistance band:
This color is the lightest and most stretchable band. It's perfect for beginners starting resistance training, but you'll still see it used by people in all fields. The lightness helps target muscle groups that don't need much resistance to keep working. For example, you can use the red band to train leg or shoulder muscles.
- Resistance level: Light
- Suggested muscles: Legs and shoulders
2 - Black resistance band:
Black resistance bands aren’t as stretchy as red ones. Generally, they give higher resistance. So, they’re a good choice for medium resistance and target certain muscle groups that do well under medium resistance, like arm muscles.
- Resistance level: Medium
- Suggested muscles: Arm muscles
3 - Purple resistance band:
Purple resistance bands are the next higher level. They’re meant for people who already have a lot of muscle strength or who want to focus on big muscle groups instead of just single muscles. For example, you can use a resistance band on your legs.
- Resistance level: Medium to heavy
- Target muscles: Legs, chest, and back
4 - Green resistance band:
Green resistance bands are firm and steady like the purple ones and should only be used with big muscle groups
- Resistance level: Heavy
- Suggested muscles: Legs, chest, and back
5 - Blue resistance band:
Blue resistance bands are the hardest to use. They are very stiff and don’t stretch easily. You need to build your strength before trying these because they are tough to stretch. Blue bands are great for partner exercises where you and someone else pull the band together.
- Resistance level: heavy
- Target muscles: legs
Different uses for resistance bands:
There are two main uses of resistance bands for general fitness and physical therapy:
Resistance bands for fitness and sports training:
Many athletes use resistance bands to build specific muscles they need to strengthen for their sport. For example, martial artists use them to improve hand grip and skaters to build leg and thigh muscles, helping them skate better.
They are also used for body sculpting:
Resistance bands are one of the best ways to sculpt the body since they can target specific areas better than weights or machines. If you want a certain look - balanced arms, sculpted abs, etc. - a resistance band is one of the best workout tools.
For dancing purposes:
Many dancers use resistance bands to strengthen their calf, knees, and thighs, and to improve their balance. There are specific resistance exercises that let ballet dancers and others work on building their leg muscles.
Resistance bands for physical therapy:
As the name suggests, they’re used in physical therapy clinics to help muscle and bone patients move their bodies and limbs more efficiently.
Resistance bands are often used in physical therapy because of their qualities when a muscle is injured. When a muscle gets hurt, other muscles gather around it to make up for the loss. But this can sometimes backfire since the muscle might not fully rebuild its strength. Resistance bands help physiotherapists make sure the exact injured muscles regain strength, not just the surrounding ones.
General benefits of resistance training
There’s no complete workout routine without some form of resistance training. Working your muscles against something else has great benefits for your body and some for your mind.
Resistance training helps with weight loss
Even though resistance exercises don't burn as many calories at once like cardio, they still help with weight loss because they build muscle. More muscle means you burn more calories since muscles burn way more calories than fat when resting. So if your body has less fat, that means you're burning calories faster.
Resistance training helps heal joint inflammation.
Many physical therapists use resistance training to help treat arthritis because extra muscle mass gives better hand control.
Resistance training helps prevent injury.
Resistance training builds muscle and strengthens overall bone density. That means you're less likely to break something, your bones will be stronger and have more protection around them. It also means you're less likely to fall and break bones because of the muscle strength this training gives you.
Resistance workouts put you in a better mood.
When you work your muscles during resistance training, your brain releases more endorphins than usual. Endorphins don’t just boost you during the workout, they have lasting effects too. With regular resistance training, you'll sleep better and have less chance of depression.
Resistance training prevents decline.
Once the body has fully grown, it starts losing about 1% of its strength each year, which applies to both bones and muscles. The best way to prevent this loss is to keep building bone and muscle density steadily to make up for what the body naturally loses.
Comparison between resistance bands and weights
The list above covers the general benefits of resistance training, which can be done with weights, resistance bands, bodyweight, or other methods. The following list talks about the advantages of using resistance bands over weights.
Easy to move when traveling
Resistance bands are easier to carry from place to place than weights. They are great for vacations if you don't want to miss your favorite workouts. They're also much lighter , carrying one in your bag won't add extra weight.
Affordable
Resistance bands are one of the most cost-effective ways to get a full workout. Many resistance sets cost less than 10 dollars compared to the price of weights.
Easy to store
No matter what you buy, you’ll hardly need any storage space for them. You can just roll each one up to save max space.
Varied
If you already like weights or machines, you might feel resistance bands are not needed. But adding this variety really helps the workout. Your muscles get used to the same moves and adapt, so adding new stuff can boost your progress.
You can use them for workouts you already know
One of the coolest things about resistance bands is how you can add them to workouts you already know and even combine two or more moves into one exercise
Multi-use
You can not only use resistance bands instead of weights but also with weights. This adds extra challenge for balance and coordination, making the workout tougher.
They’re great to use on your own
Using advanced weights is very hard. If you need to do strength training alone, resistance bands are a great option. You can use them safely even as you get to higher levels, and you won’t always need to rely on a workout partner.
