Fitness Friends, how are you? As I was planning some content, I was clicking around my site and realized that I have never posted a guide to resistance bands. The one who mentions, nay praises, them endlessly. So, we are going to remedy that right now.
I do talk a lot about resistance bands and how they are such a great tool to have. Regardless of the type they are easy to find, inexpensive, and can store anywhere. And most importantly they lower barriers (time, money, access, comfort) to exercise.
Having a few of these bad boys (and knowing how to use them) means you are able to get a strength workout pretty much wherever you are. If you are an OG reader, you’ll know that way back in 2019 my family moved to Germany for six months. I didn’t join a gym, I packed resistance bands. Those (and all the biking we did) had me in amazing shape by the time we came home. So, this isn’t just personal trainer blather, I have lived this.
Flat Bands
Diving right in; if you have ever been to physical therapy, I’ll bet you’ve used one of these before. Flat bands are exactly what they sound like. Long strips of elastic that come in different tensions. These are the most inexpensive type and can easily be found in three packs of varying resistance at WalMart or Target. These can be easily wrapped around furniture legs or stable body limbs to create anchor points for a huge variety of exercises. Additionally, if you have a door anchor, you can use the top or bottom of a door as an anchor to mimic cable pulley exercises like lat pull downs.
Understanding how to grip these can be challenging as they don’t have a specified spot. So what you gain in flexibility may increase the learning curve. Or can be difficult if you have a condition that may affect your grip. Much like regular desk top rubber bands, these can snap during use, which can be dangerous. To that end, I always recommend that you inspect bands, of any type, regularly for weak points before using them.
Small Loop Bands or Booty Bands
These got their nickname thanks to all the influencers using them for glute warm ups or in conjunction with other strength equipment to increase the exercise effectiveness. I’m not sure how much of that actually works, but it largely isn’t harmful, so if it gets you in the gym, go for it. Anyhoo. These look like giant rubber bands. They are most often looped around the legs for lower body exercises but can be used for upper body workouts too. The loop structure can create a lot of tension so these are good for exercises where you really want to fatigue a muscle.
Some of the exercises take a little bit of getting used to as it isn’t always intuitive to figure out when the highest point of stress will be. Also, I generally recommend a fabric set of these. Since they are usually used looped around limbs, the all rubber ones can pull on skin or clothes creating an uncomfortable workout situation. Also, if you are using them around your thighs, they can tend to roll so be prepared to adjust.
Long Loop Bands or Pull Up Assists
Even more so than their small counterparts, these look exactly like a Brobdingnagian rubber band (where are my book nerds at?). Many people use these as a pull up assist mechanism and they are great for that. They are also great for adding a decent amount of resistance to lower body exercises like squats and lunges. If you want a more flat band feel but like the idea of handles, looping these around an anchor will give you what you need.
Besides their propensity to snap like flat bands, these tend to stretch, especially the lighter tensions. Their biggest drawback, though, is actually user height. The standard length for these is 82 inches, which is just shy of 7 feet. If you are tiny, you might have to double the loop to use it properly, which will also double the tension. If you happen to be tall, your height might limit which exercises you can do with them effectively.
Resistance Tubes with Handles
Unlike the previous varieties and like the name implies, these are not flat. The tube shape makes these less susceptible to snapping, but they still will wear through with enough use. These still have the ability to be wrapped around furniture or limb segments or anchored to a door making them extremely versatile. The handles provide an easy and steady place to grip. And the bond point between tube and handle usually rotates, which can take a lot of stress off wrists and allow the user to find their most comfortable position.
Like the long loop bands, though, these come in predetermined lengths that cannot be altered without also losing the handle. Without the handle, these lose most of their appeal. And because of the predetermined length, user height can cause difficulties with some exercises.
My personal preference after two decades of using these for clients and in my own strength practice are the flat bands. But I encourage you to evaluate your own individual needs and take into account the exercises you are most likely to do with these. As they are inexpensive, it may be possible to purchase several different types to see what will work for you. Or, a kit like this that has a few different types (and a jump rope) might be the way to go.
If you have questions, drop them in the comments!
