Good Alternative to Weights
Resistance bands are a good alternative to lifting weights. The bands build muscles the same way that weight training does, says David K. Spierer, assistant professor of sports sciences for Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus.
“You can use a 2-liter bottle of water, a dumbbell or a resistance band,” he says. “If you exceed the muscle’s ability, it will respond by get stronger. It doesn’t matter if is a book, a weight, a band or a dumbbell.”
What Your Muscle Does
Basically, when a muscle encounters resistance, the nervous system reacts by sending more information to the muscle, allowing that muscle to fire more quickly. This leads to an improvement in strength.
“The bottom line is the way you create muscle with resist bands is by introducing a ‘weight,’ or an effort, that is more than what muscle used to. The muscle will adapt,” he says.
Benefits
The nice thing about resist bands, he says, is they travel easy, are inexpensive and come in progressive resistance levels so you can keep challenging your muscles.
“You can take them anywhere,” Spierer says.
Bands also are great for the elderly or people with balance problems or other physical challenges, as well as for people who are not comfortable with dumbbells.
“They’re not intimidating,” he says,"and the safety factor is huge. They’re very, very safe to use.”
Types
There are different kinds of bands. Some are just the band that needs to be cut into a usable length.
“Usually 6 feet is appropriate. You can use that for overhead presses and triceps extensions,” Spierer says. You can also double these up to get more resistance. These bands usually are used for lower body work.
Another type comes with handle on it.
“That gives you the feeling of using some kind of weight apparatus because now you have a handle,” he says. This can be more comfortable for doing moves like bicep curls. Bands with handles typically are used for upper-body work.
Keep the Momentum Going
People need to keep using bands with more and more resistance if they want to continue to build strength, or muscle. In contrast, people can add repetitions of a movement, like a bicep curl, to build endurance.
References
- David K. Spierer, assistant professor of sports sciences, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
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