Are Resistance Bands Effective? Yes - Better Than Free-Weights - Here's Why:

 

Resistance bands are perfect for building muscle size (hypertrophy) and strength and achieving your overall muscle-centric fitness goals. 

_________________________________________________

Listen to This Post via Short Podcast 

________________________________________________

For example, a significant 2019 meta-analysis examining the results of several high-quality studies asked this question. 

The study found that training with elastic resistance band training promotes similar strength gains to conventional resistance training, that is, training with free weights. 

This means that whether you're young or old, just starting out, or a seasoned pro, resistance bands can help you achieve the results you're looking for. Not only that, but resistance bands are also portable, easy to store, and cost-effective. 

The Extraordinary Power of Variable Resistance - Totally Lacking in Free-Weights

Of the many reasons that building muscle with resistance bands is superior to using free weights, one of the most important is that it offers "variable resistance." 

With traditional weightlifting, the resistance remains constant throughout the entire range of motion. This can lead to imbalances in strength, putting unnecessary stress on your joints where you are weaker and insufficient resistance at the strongest points of your range of motion. 

With resistance bands, the resistance changes as the bands are stretched or contracted, providing a more balanced range of motion-point, targeted muscle stimulation. At the same time, muscle activation and total time under tension from the heavier part of the lift are maintained. 

This can help you build muscle more rapidly and efficiently, significantly reduce your risk of injuries, and allow you to work out with greater frequency and intensity over time.

The science behind variable resistance training is rooted partly in the principle of muscle activation. When you use constant resistance, certain muscle fibers may not be fully activated as fully or effectively during your drop-set-not-failure training (see more below). 

Put yet another way, in variable resistance training, your muscles work harder to overcome the changing resistance, leading to more complete muscle activation and a more muscular, developed physique. 

Not only that, but stimulating the muscle with less resistance in the weakest part of the range of motion (in most resistance-band exercises) can make it much easier to keep proper form while increasing time under tension during complex exercises like the squat and deadlift. 

The primary goal for every workout is constantly challenging your muscles to work smarter, not harder, and reach new heights of strength and hypertrophy. 

Resistance-Bands -  The Ultimate Drop-Set Training Tool!

Drop-set training is an efficient weight training technique that can help you achieve a new fitness level. The drop-set method involves performing a set of reps with heavy resistance, then shifting into that part of the movement where there is less resistance with each resistance band drop-set; you continue to perform more reps, resulting in increased muscle stimulation and growth. 

However, with traditional weights like dumbbells, this is a tedious process. Stopping to change weights can break your flow and momentum, making it challenging to maximize the effectiveness of your workout. It also causes a break in your time under tension and results in much longer exercise sessions. 

You can eliminate the need to stop and change weights during your drop-set training with resistance bands. 

Why? 

Because bands offer the ability to shift into that part of the movement where there is less resistance, allowing you to smoothly transition from heavy to lightweight and maintain a steady pace and constant time under tension throughout your drop set workout. 

And it's incredible how many more reps you can get in per drop-set with less resistance in the weaker part of the range of motion, enabling you to really focus on slowing the eccentric (muscle lengthening) part of the movement (with a slight burst in the concentric to maximize speed-strength gains) and if you're really advanced - successively, not to failure, in each drop set!   

In summary, resistance-band training has been proven to build lean muscle, burn fat, and increase overall muscle-centric fitness levels. Several studies have shown them to be at least as effective as free weights and machines. They are arguably more effective when the correct handful of basic training principles are sequenced and applied. 

With resistance band training, you can achieve the same (if not superior) results as traditional weightlifting but with less injury risk and better balance and symmetry. 

The Extraordinary Cost and Times Savings of Resistance Bands 

You can save hours per week in travel time to and from the gym by working out at home or even at work or school; - because they're so easy to carry. And you can save even more time by doing drop-set training- completing as many as 3 or 4 successive drop sets in one continuous short exercise bout.

For as little as $10-$30, you can enjoy all the benefits of resistance training, including improved cardiovascular health, cognitive function, increased sleep quality, and longevity. 

So, if you want to achieve your fitness goals and improve your overall health and well-being, resistance bands are a fantastic place to start. This small investment's ROI (return on investment) is potentially beyond measure. What ROI value would you assign to sustainable health optimization?