Training with elastic bands can be as good as weight training

​Not long ago, I impulsively bought a set of small elastic bands for exercise — thick rubber circles designed to wrap around your muscles as you stretch them. I was seduced by ads that promised to improve my posture, which is terrible after years of hunched over a computer. They claimed that a handful of quick exercises would loosen up my shoulders while I “toned my muscles” and “sculpted my physique.”

Doing a full-body workout with a $20 set of rubber bands was appealing, as I don’t have the budget or space for fancy gym equipment.

The benefits of resistance training – exercises that build strength and muscle – are well known. They reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. With more muscle, you burn more calories and are less prone to injury. This has also been shown to strengthen bones and reduce age-related muscle mass decline.

Can resistance bands, which are relatively inexpensive, portable and easy to use, be a valid alternative to a gym?

Bands increase strength and endurance

The idea of ​​elastic bands in training is over a hundred years old. Some are long, thin tubes; others, like mine, are thick, flat links with colors that indicate resistance levels. And they resurfaced recently during the pandemic, with the “home fitness” boom.

Like weights, exercise bands apply tension to the muscle, which over time causes the muscle to adapt and get stronger. The more you stretch the band, the greater the resistance.

There are, however, some important differences. The bands don’t use gravity, so people can’t use momentum to get the weight into position, which can strain joints and ultimately exercise muscles less, according to David Behm, a professor and exercise scientist at the School of Human Kinetics. and Recreation at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Bands also allow movement in several different planes and axes, he said, while free weights limit movement primarily up and down.

Bands can engage the body’s major muscles as well as weights, providing a full-body strength and endurance workout, said Todd Ellenbecker, a physical therapist at Rehab Plus Sports Therapy in Scottsdale, Arizona, and author of “Strength Band Training.” “.

Research confirms this. A study of middle-aged women compared ten weeks of twice-weekly training sessions using elastic bands to a similar program using weight machines.

The women were tested for upper and lower body strength before and after the program, and the results showed that muscle mass, strength and endurance improved at a similar rate in both groups. A systematic review of 18 studies also found no significant difference in muscle activation levels between people who used elastic bands and those who used free weights.

Ellenbecker said she works with athletes of all levels who exclusively use bands for resistance training, “and they’re successful and they’re not injured.” But as with any exercise, you need to be constant, she added. American College of Sports Medicine guidelines call for strength training at least twice a week, with multiple exercises and multiple repetitions.

And don’t overdo it, he said. “People tend to be drawn to bands that are too strong or stretch too far. It never hurts to start light and build up your muscles.”

A well-placed belt can improve your fitness

Gerard Burley, founder and owner of a gym in Washington DC called Sweat DC, said belts can be the best option for people new to strength training and can help master good technique. For example, a common problem when doing a squat is that the knees bend inward.

“The body is lazy and likes to take the easy way out,” said Burley, who goes by Coach G. A mini-band around the legs just above the knees helps prevent that. When squatting, focus on pressing your knees out to prevent the band from slipping, keeping your head and chest up.

Advanced athletes use it too. For example, tennis players often anchor a strip to a wall or pole and wrap the other side around the racquet’s throat to add resistance and improve the power of their right, left or serve hit, Behm said.

They help with the fixed bar

Resistance bands also offer help with exercises that are difficult to master, such as the pull-up bar, said Vanessa Liu, an online fitness coach and nutritionist who uses them regularly with clients. In fact, certain bands are designed to wrap around a pull-up bar to serve as extra support.

But don’t get too dependent on them. “Over time, you’ll want to take the belt off and do it yourself,” Liu said.

Use them to deepen the stretches as well. To stretch your back muscles, for example, lie on your back with the band around one foot and gently pull your leg toward you, keeping it as straight as possible.

Activate your back muscles to improve posture

Your body’s mobility is what allows you to squat down and pick up a box, or sit down and stand up with ease. As we age, the connective tissues in our joints change, making us stiffer and less flexible.

“People do mobility exercises with bands to improve posture, reduce stiffness, and move more freely and widely,” Liu said. She often works with clients who have developed stiff shoulders and necks from sitting in front of a computer.

For posture, Ellenbecker recommends an exercise he calls “external rotation with retraction,” which works the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder and the rhomboids in the upper back: Hold the band in front of you with both hands and palms facing upwards. Slowly move your forearms horizontally outward, as if groping under a table, while lifting your chest and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position and repeat.

watch your eyes

A word of caution: the elastic bands can come back against your face. Eye injuries sometimes occur this way.

To avoid this, make sure the band is securely attached to an anchor if the exercise requires it; Avoid pulling it directly towards your face or head and inspect it for cuts and tears before use. (You can purchase anchor devices designed for use with sashes. Attaching a sash by tying it around a stable object such as a tree, table leg, or pole can also work.)

But in most cases a band that breaks presents little risk of injury. In fact, if someone breaks a belt in Burley’s class, everyone applauds.

“Usually it doesn’t hurt, so let’s say, ‘Oh you busted, you’re so strong!'” he said.

As for me, I’ve been doing daily strength training with my mini bands for a few weeks now, and while it’s hard to tell if my posture is improving, I feel stronger and really enjoy my workouts.

Some exercises to start…

Here are five more exercises that can replace classic weightlifting exercises. In all of these workouts, try to do two to three sets, with 8 to 12 repetitions (with good form) for each exercise, according to American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. If you have previous pain or injuries, talk to your doctor before doing new exercises.

• Glute Bridge: place the mini band in a circle just above your knees. Lie on your back with your feet supported, your knees bent and shoulder-width apart. Lift your hips as you push your knees out until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat. Works the glutes and hamstrings.
• Paddle: sLie on the floor with your legs extended and your back straight. Wrap the resistance band around the soles of your feet. Grasp the band in your right hand and pull it toward your right hip while squeezing your shoulder blades and keeping your back straight. Return to starting position. Repeat on the other side. Works the upper back, mid-back and biceps.
• Monster walk: place the mini-band around your thighs, above your knees. Slightly bend your hips and knees. Keeping your head and chest up, step to the side while keeping your other leg pressed against the band. Keep moving sideways in one direction, in a foot-dragging motion. Repeat in the other direction. Keep the posture when stepping and the knees apart. Works glutes and quadriceps.
• Deadlift: this one works best with a long circle band. Stand in the middle of the band with your feet hip-width apart. A link in the band should come out under the side of each foot. Crouch down and grab each link. Start the movement by bending your hips with your back straight and your shoulders above your toes. Keeping your back straight, stand up. When standing erect, resistance should increase. Return to the starting point by bending your hips. Works legs, glutes and core.
• Chest pressure lying down: lie on your back with a long band under your shoulder blades. Grasp the ends of the band and, with your elbows bent and fists facing the ceiling, extend your arms fully, pushing up as you stretch the band. The movement is similar to a dumbbell or barbell bench press. Works biceps, triceps and chest.