When determining which tools to use to get the best results, it all comes down to what your goals are. Subscribe to our newsletter. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. Resistance bands are the polar opposite: They're lightweight, travel-friendly, and barely require much storage space in your home or gym bag. And both the barbell curl and EZ bar were found to be superior to the dumbbell curl for activating these two muscles.. Working the largest muscles of the body like the chest, back, glutes and legs, will allow you to see results much quicker as opposed to working smaller muscles like biceps and triceps. So when it comes to the benefits of using resistance bands vs dumbbells, knowing what you’re goals are will be key to making a decision. Winner: Resistance Bands. The great thing about using dumbbells is that they offer a variety of resistance levels to help you get stronger. Dumbbell training has its limitations due to it being Gravity Dependent. But it still may be possible to get that nice toned look you’re looking for. Compared to resistance bands, this can be difficult since there is no accurate way to really measure your strength with. On the other hand, dumbells … The unnatural position … Though dumbbells naturally were where people looked first, there's always been a more effective, cost-efficient alternative hiding in plain sight: resistance bands. Resistance bands can be used to enhance your cardio training, as well. Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get more of it. the budget) to finance a deluxe home gym — and this is before we even talk about the amount of space that's required. Subscriber It's not something people think about often, but balance training is one of the main pillars of fitness. TheraBand caters to all fitness levels, so whether you're a beginner or a fitness fanatic, these bands can be beneficial to your goals. Before you skip ahead to the free weights section (bodybuilders, we’re looking at you! They're also excellent at working your core. To find out just how multifaceted these elastic bands can be, and why you should add a set or two to your at-home collection, we reached out to a few personal trainers who swear by resistance bands both in and out of the gym. Therefore the gravity put on the weights can cause stress on the joints if the exercise is not performed correctly. With that, it is important to make sure you’re buying good’ resistance bands… Nature of resistance –. The general consensus among fitness enthusiasts was, "No gym? So when it comes to tracking progress, it’s not something you can put an actual number on. If you’re goal is to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime, you may find yourself a bit disappointed. They all provide fixed resistance value throughout … You need to be a resistance band expert to hit every muscle group with just a band. At the same, this type of resistance can be risky in terms of injury potential. Resistance bands used to be a great tool for those recovering from injury or surgery to the shoulder. When it comes to free weights vs resistance bands… Both resistance bandsand free weights offer progressive resistance training. There’s really no convenient way to take them with you when traveling unless it is by car. But I will mention the key exercises that help you build muscles the quickest. When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Brace your core and then curl the dumbbells up until they reach about shoulder level. Resistance Bands Or Dumbbells: Which Is Better? But some of the reasons could be: Now that you see some of the reasons why one would use resistance bands, let’s go over some of the difference between resistance bands and dumbbells. Many of these reasons I plan on going over in detail soon. You never know, it could come with some surprises that help you out in your own training… ), you might want to give this a read. A big reason for this is the body needs to be in a fixed position in order to perform certain movements. The bands are color-coded by resistance level, in which blue bands are 5.8 - 8.5lbs., black bands are-7.3-10.2lbs., and silver is 10.2-15.3lbs. But now with adjustable dumbbells, you can easily adjust the desired weight level with just the turn of a dial. According to Centr trainer, Luke Zocchi, resistance bands are one of, if not the most versatile piece of exercise equipment. First, resistance bands are a more versatile piece of workout gear capable of providing tension throughout the entirety of whatever routine or lift you're doing (something a set of dumbbells can't do). And because resistance bands naturally limit your range of motion, overextension of the joints is also less likely. The no-money banded curl creates resistance through flexion and external rotation as you pull the band apart, while the banded drag curl shifts focus to the long-head of the bicep. You can pretty much get a total body workout that will help burn more calories, which is key to effective weight loss. Resistance Bands Vs Dumbbells: Which is Better. As you get stronger, you need to be increasing the resistance that you are lifting in order to continue making progress. Resistance bands are no different, and it’s this aspect of resistance that happens to be the most beneficial when gaining muscle with resistance band training. There are probably too many exercises to mention here in this article that you can do with resistance bands. Spider Curls. Although there is always concern for breakage as wear and tear develops, you can expect the length of use to last for quite a while. Not everyone is a fan of using free weights. This is in contrast with resistance band training which is … Bands can be a bit limited when it comes to creating enough resistance against the muscles. They're also incredibly convenient, able to be stored just about anywhere while also taking up a relatively small footprint. Resistance band curls. Even better is the range of motion that is allowed when using resistance bands. Money-wise, resistance bands are far more affordable than a set of dumbbells and have proven to be more widely available, too. Both tools have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to helping build muscles. Black Mountain Products also make a Resistance Band set that’s on Amazon for $27, and includes 5 bands, ranging in resistance from 2.5 pounds to 30, with instructions on how to increase total resistance weight. While during cable curls … If you’re trying to maximize the amount of muscle you can build, dumbbells will help you do just that. Whether you are working on speed, power or strength, bands allow you to do this with ease. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Although resistance bands can assist in the development of strength and muscle mass, but it is restricted in certain areas. Increasing resistance used to be one of the biggest negatives when it came to resistance bands. Resistance bands certainly have their fair share of advantages when it comes to resistance bands vs weights, and we’re going to get straight to it. If you’ve ever been in a gym, then you know you can find weight levels anywhere from 5 to 130 pounds. Best Adjustable Dumbbells – A Buyer’s Guide. Resistance bands are a highly underrated piece of workout equipment, and something everyone should consider — even when dumbbells inevitably restock. This can make it difficult for those that like to track their progress on paper. Before an individual can perform basic barbell lifts, I want to see a foundation of strength built through calisthenics, resistance-band work, sled work, dumbbells… So, if your goal is to achieve maximum hypertrophy and place your muscles under as much tension as possible on each exercise you perform in the gym, these are the 7 common free weight exercises that are actually best performed using cables: #1: Dumbbell … Looking for smart ways to get more from life? EZ bar curl. You pretty much have to work with whatever resistance band kit you decide to purchase. Below you will find the differences of using resistance bands compared to dumbbells. Depending on how heavy the weights are and the level of experience you have with using dumbbells, there can be a very high risk of injury. But what are some of the benefits of using resistance bands vs … Allowing for more durability during each workout. The happy medium is to invest in affordable, versatile gym equipment that's able to stand in for the standard modern machinery or weight racks you'd find at your local 24-Hour Fitness. Spider curls are incredible for building huge biceps. Learn more. "[Resistance bands] can be used to add resistance to any bodyweight exercises, especially upper body workouts like bicep curls or lateral raises, and lower body/glute moves like squats, glute bridges, etc.," Zocchi told Insider. A lot of … The beginning is fairly easy and then the band … So which fitness tool do you prefer? Now with advancement in technology, instead of the rubber made bands many are used to seeing, they are now made of a cord like structure. Many kits have color coded bands so you can identify the bands with the stronger tension level. The brand's patent-pending design includes an adjustable connection for consistent tension, meaning you can adjust the length of your bands to meet your individual needs. You may not be able to build the same type of muscles you would using dumbbells, but you can still get great results. Tracking your progress is made simple since dumbbells are measured by a weighted number. "They're also a great rehab tool for people coming back from an injury who need to focus on rebuilding strength.". There are many reasons why someone would prefer using resistance bands to other fitness tools. The TB12 At-Home Looped Band Kit is an excellent starter pack for anyone purchasing their first set of resistance bands and who wants a variety of tensions right away. Which would cause you to have to purchase a new set. The weight of dumbbells can make bringing your workout on the go very difficult. No matter if I needed to do curls, standing row, banded push-ups, or even mock dead-lifts, these were all I needed. Stand on the middle of a looped resistance band. I've used this set for most of 2020 and can't speak enough about its versatility. 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