Whether you believe it or not, if you ever want to buy only one piece of exercise equipment in your life, it should be a set of resistance bands. I have used them over and over, and I have recommended them to a wide variety of people because I wholeheartedly believe in their powers. I have a set at home, and I also keep a set at my desk. Whether I am traveling by car, train, or plane, I always take them with me. That’s how effective they can be!
Yes, kettlebells, dumbbells, and other various free weights are excellent workout tools you can smartly build a little home gym with. But having a set of resistance bands is another great decision you can make, especially if you are trying to save space in your home. This is because a resistance band will practically take no space and weigh next to nothing. You can use it to strengthen and tone every part of your body. Additionally, they come with varying resistance levels, making it perfect for everyone regardless of their fitness levels.
However, if you’re still not sure if you should get a resistance band to spice up your strength training, this article has put together some top reasons everyone should have a set of resistance bands. It’s really an investment worth making!
How Do Resistance Bands Work?
Resistance bands work in a similar way as free weights except for a few key differences. Like barbells, dumbbells, and other free weights, resistance bands provide external resistance for your muscles to work against. However, it doesn’t rely on gravity the way free weights do. Instead, you are working against the force of just the band.
Even though that might sound easier, the true meaning of this is that you will be working against resistance throughout the entire range of an exercise, and not just during the portion where you are moving against gravity.
Top 10 Reasons You Should Have A Set of Resistance Bands
#1: Resistance Bands Are Incredibly Cheap
Resistance bands are one of the most cost-effective pieces of exercise equipment you can get; you can purchase one for less than $10. You can even find more extensive kits that include DVDs and other exercise accessories for less than $40.
#2: Perfect for Full-Body Exercise
Resistance bands are perfect for a comprehensive, full-body workout that keeps virtually every major muscle group in your body challenged.
#3: Adaptable for Multiple Fitness Levels
Regardless of your fitness levels, whether an expert or just a beginner, resistance bands are perfect for you. They come with various resistances ranging from light, medium, to heavy and you can also adjust the intensity of your workout by either increasing or reducing the flaccidity of the band. If you also feel like spicing things up, you can use multiple bands at once to further challenge your muscles.
#4: Requires No Space for Storage
Unlike other free weights, resistance bands require virtually no storage space, which makes them perfect for people who intend to stay fit but have little extra space in their homes. When you are done with your workout, you only need to stash them in your drawer until your next workout session.
#5: Ideal for Monotonous Workouts
What this means is that you can use your resistance bands for familiar strength training moves. That way, you don’t need to go learn any complicated, new routine. For example, resistance bands are perfect for replacing the weights you use for biceps curls, or use it to increase the intensity of your push-ups.
#6: Ideal for Travelling
Resistance bands are very portable as well as lightweight. You can stash them in your bag when you travel and make use of them to get a good workout right in your hotel room. It provides an avenue to stay fit even when you are far away from home.
#7: Easy to Use Alone
Lifting heavy weights like dumbbells is not a good idea without the help of your friend or trainer, but you can safely use resistance bands on your own without assistance. They are ideal for exercising anytime or anywhere, including at the park.
#8: Provide Variety
Variety is not only essential for life; it is also the determinant of your success when it comes to working out. Your muscles adapt quickly to your routine exercises, and that is the reason you need to include variety to constantly challenging those muscles. Resistance bands can be used alternatively with kettlebells, dumbbells, and other exercise machines to provide ongoing variety.
#9: You Can Combine Them with Other Equipment
The versatility of resistance bands makes it possible to combine them with other exercise equipment like the free weights to enjoy the benefits of two types of exercise at the same time.
#10: They Provide an Effective Workout
These bands are incredibly simple but are also very effective for working your various muscles. Resistance band training can also boost flexibility, stamina, range of motion, and more as an added advantage.
What Exercises Can You Perform with Resistance Bands?
You can incorporate resistance bands into your fitness routines, but they are particularly useful for toning the body and for strength training.
The benefits of using resistance bands for strength training are endless. It allows you to work every major muscle group in your body while it also helps increase your flexibility, range of motion, and muscular endurance.
There are a huge variety of exercises you can perform with resistance bands, including assisted pull-ups, bicep curls, chest press, and triceps extensions. Some other great exercises also include pull-ups and retraction pulls for upper body, and glute bridges, clams, squats, and lateral kicks or walks for lower body.
Wrapping Up
Still don’t have a set of resistance bands? Now that you’re aware of all the benefits, what are you waiting for?!
To ensure an ideal workout experience, don’t buy any equipment before you familiarize yourself with the top offerings. Read full reviews of the best resistance bands here.
