Resistance training is an important part of any fitness program. This type of exercise can be performed on weight-training equipment, with cable machines or by using dumbbells and barbells. When this equipment is not available, some people use resistance bands for home exercise and for taking their workouts on the road.
History
An article by Jan Todd, Ph.D. is a professor of sport history at the University of Texas at Austin was published in the April, 1995 edition of the LA84 journal. Todd, like many sport historians, traces the history of weightlifting back to Milo of Croton in the sixth century B.C. This legendary Greek wrestler supposedly carried a newborn calf on his shoulders. As the calf grew larger, his strength increased. These are the basic principles of progressive resistance training.
Later, in the second century A.D., Greek physician Galen described the use of halteres, which was an early version of the dumbbell. The barbell joined the dumbbell in the latter part of the 19th century. Weight training was primarily a competitive sport until the mid-20th century. When researchers began to discover links between strength training and overall health, the general population embraced the concept.
Elastic Band Time Frame
The Thera-Band was the first elastic resistance product. It was developed the Hygienic Corporation, an Akron, Ohio-based company that specializes in synthetic rubber sheeting and tubing products. The Thera-Band was first developed as a tool for physical therapists. It worked its way into the fitness industry in the late 1980s. As elastic resistance training workshops became featured at professional fitness conferences, other manufacturers jumped on the resistance bandwagon.
Significance
The growing interest in free weights and elastic workout bands represents two significant trends in the fitness industry: functional training and core exercise. Core exercise refers to workouts that engage the deeper abdominal muscles, which are responsible for posture and alignment. The American Council on Exercise defines functional training as methods that focus on movement patterns as opposed to muscle isolation. These patterns simulate movements used in daily activities or in sport.
Weight machine training often uses devices such as seat belts, which are designed to stabilize the body. These artificial stabilizers eliminate the need for core activation. Furthermore, machines usually involve muscle isolation. Both free weights and bands require core engagement. They enable functional movement patterns in all planes of motion.
Benefits Compared
Free weights and elastic resistance bands each have their own distinct benefits. With free weights, you know exactly how much weight you are lifting. Elastic resistance bands are color-coded according to their level of resistance. These codes vary by manufacturer. Furthermore, the coding is only an estimate of how much weight you are lifting. The bands, however, have some distinctive benefits. They supply resistance in both the lifting and return phase of the movement, and they offer a variety of movement choices. For example, you can attach an ankle resistance band around your ankles and take side steps across the room. This is an effective exercise for the outer thigh. Free weights would not provide the same type of resistance.
Solution
Both types of training are efficient and effective. Use weight training to develop absolute strength, and resistance bands for exercises that require a greater range of motion. Consider using both types of equipment simultaneously. For example, you can perform standing leg curls using an ankle band while performing biceps curls with free weights.
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