Thread: Trying to get fit for the new year, thoughts on resistance band training?

I don't have any experience with these bands in particular. I will say that having the bands available for when you're traveling is great. Nonetheless, I still suggest getting a gym membership and performing more traditional exercises using barbells and dumbbells will be more effective overall. It is easier to gradually increase the loading and keep things consistent. Additionally, loading the end range of motion at the expense of the the most mechanically inefficient position in the lift is not always optimal. Keep the bands for some minor accessory work, and as a substitution for exercises in your normal routine when you have to adjust for work trips.

That sounds like great advice! Thanks!

They look pretty good. I take resistance bands with me on trips as well just to bust out some exercises when im confined to my hotel room. If your able to get a list of exercises to bring with you(that you can do w/ resistance bands) thats even better.

look for a gym that is nationwide or at least reciprocates with other gyms nationally. you can't do squats or deads with resistance bands and neglecting these basic exercises is the biggest mistake almost everyone makes.

outside of that bands are prob a waste. Stick to push ups, pull ups, rows (broom handle between two chairs), dips if you want to just mess around at home or in the hotel room.

Originally Posted by banker23

look for a gym that is nationwide or at least reciprocates with other gyms nationally. you can't do squats or deads with resistance bands and neglecting these basic exercises is the biggest mistake almost everyone makes.

outside of that bands are prob a waste. Stick to push ups, pull ups, rows (broom handle between two chairs), dips if you want to just mess around at home or in the hotel room.

You actually can do squats and good mornings with bands, at least the powerlifter style bands that I have. They're basically like very large rubber bands; no handles or anything.

Are we taling about resistance bands as primary source of restistance training? I like to use them in addition to free weights to mix up how the muscle group is hit. Restistance bands and chains add a different dimension for me. I also use them for high rep warms to get the blood going. That's just me.

You just want to increase your strength, or are you looking for muscle mass, or muscle strength?

Resistance bands are really good - something close to an isometric contraction, , but I wouldn't be using them on their own - you want variety. Using different equipment will make you more capable. Equipment, for example could be free weights, medicine ball, swiss ball, kettlebell.

If you're looking to seriously improve your fitness, a great way can be full body compound exercises, high intesity to get the cardio effect (much better than running, treadmill, etc) You will also build your muscle at the same time, and therefore burn more calories (hence this being effective) You could do this with resistance bands, but wouldn't be as effective as with free weights.

Originally Posted by NewFitJames

Hi,

Like many other people I am trying to get into a fitness regime for the new year. Just got married, and am hitting that age where the physical effects of being out of shape become more and more apparent. I have been doing research on multiple programs for weight loss as well as the tools to I would need. I am leaning towards resistance bands because how compact, portable and versatile they are (I travel a lot for work so portability is key). After doing some research I am thinking about resistance bands from this company:

Prosource

Particularly one of these 3 sets
http://prosourcebands.com/categories/re ... tubes.html
http://prosourcebands.com/categories/re ... d-set.html
http://prosourcebands.com/categories/re ... -of-3.html

They seem to have pretty great reviews on Amazon, which is why I gravitated to them. Do any of you have experience with these ProSource Bands? If so what are your opinions on them? Which of these sets, or combination thereof, do you think would be the best? Is there another brand of resistance bands that would be better? Do you think there are other accessories that would be better for me than resistance bands based on my needs (easy to use, compact, portable)? Thanks in advance for all your help! Looking forward a fruitful experience with this community

Hi James,

I LIKE these bands, but DON'T like this particular seller. If you can find these bands from a different seller, I think you would be well-served by these bands. I had originally thought I would order the Bodylastics MMA set of resistance bands (MMA Training System by Bodylastics), but when I found they were temporarily out-of-stock, I Google'd and found these ProSource bands from the seller you listed. Since I needed the bands for an immediate trip out-of-town, I ordered the bands with expedited shipping.

Long (tragic) story, short... seller promised delivery by 2nd-day air, and then couldn't/didn't deliver on-time. I had to refuse delivery and fight the company for a full refund (which was awarded by PayPal). I ended up ordering the MMA set from Bodylastics when they came back in stock.

So... keep in mind that, unlike Bodylastics, the seller mentioned here is NOT the manufacturer, only an online retailer, and you should be able to find these bands from another seller.

Keep up the good work, and best of luck in your workout/weight-loss success!