Resistance Bands For Fitness
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Resistance bands can be a good starting point for fitness.
If you are just getting started on your fitness journey, then fitness bands may be an excellent option for you. There is a lot to learn about working out, what you enjoy or don’t enjoy doing, and how to best get the results that you are looking for. While it is important to learn and take in as much information as you can, it is also important to actually act and get started - sometimes the best program is simply the one you do.
If you’re not familiar with resistance bands, they’re basically big rubber bands that you use for different exercises. There are different color bands and they usually have a different weight to them - not that they’re heavier, but they are harder to stretch. In other words, if you want to feel more resistance, then you choose a band that simply gives more resistance. The bands usually come together as a single set.
These bands are great because they take up no space at all practically. They can sit on your shelf or desk and be out of the way. You can take them with you if you’re going to be away from the house or if you simply want to have something to get a quick workout in at any time. Not only will they fit in any bag you have, they’re also basically weightless so you’re not trying to lug around heavy items.
The downside to bands are that there is a pretty limited amount of work you can do with them, and at some point you’re going to simply outgrow the resistance they provide - that point can come pretty quickly depending on the strength base you’re starting with. They are definitely great for beginners or adding to other weights, but they aren’t going to last you for a long time if you’re consistently working out.
One of the first really popular programs to use bands, or at least show how to use them, was P90X. The videos that come along with this workout program show people doing the exercises with regular weights, but also how to do the exercises using bands as well. It’s actually quite nice to see these workouts performed in different forms as it helps people in different circumstances be able to workout.
Once you’ve grown out of the strongest band, you can start to double the bands up as well. Sometimes this works well, and sometimes not so much - it really depends on the exercise that you’re performing. Even doubling up a fitness band is sometimes not enough to get a strong enough workout. You know that you’re ready to move on from resistance bands when this is the case for you.
You can continue to use these bands even after you’re using regular weights as well. For example, you can connect one end of the band around a barbell, and the other to something on the floor. This will lead to the exercise becoming more difficult as you move the barbell further from the floor (as the band will be stretching as you lift the weight up). There are several unique ways you can use resistance bands in this manner to increase your resistance.
Resistance bands are a great starting point for working out. You don’t have to be intimidated by dumbbells and big weights, but you still can provide more resistance than your own body weight provides. Get started with resistance bands now.