Last Updated: 01/08/21

Resistance band exercises have been around for almost a century but recently have become a favorite workout for fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes. So why are amateurs and professional athletes using resistance band training? Are there benefits of resistance bands that you don’t get with free weights?

We will take a look at why resistance band workouts have become so popular by going over some of their various benefits.

Train Anywhere with a Mobile Workout

With more and more people choosing to workout from home rather than going to a gym, a common problem, as a result, has been the lack of space to set up the equipment. At the gym, there are tools for every muscle group and every type of exercise. Most people do not have space for that much equipment in their homes. However, resistance band training is a very effective exercise that can be done anywhere. On the beach, in your office, on a boat, in a small apartment…… And as opposed to big bulky training equipment, resistance band equipment (tubes, bands, Gorilla Bow, etc.) can be tucked away when not being used.  Great if you live in NY!

Continuous Tension

One of the main benefits of resistance band exercises is the ability to provide continuous tension throughout the full range of motion. With free weights, there's always some part of the movement when you don't work straight against gravity. For example, when doing biceps curl with dumbbells there's almost no resistance when you get close to the shoulder. With elastic ropes, there's always resistance in every phase of the movement.

The continuous tension with resistance bands also has the added benefit of targeting your stabilizing muscles. Because the bands are flexible and don’t move in one single direction as you get with machines at the gym, you end up working harder and targeting more muscles to maintain your form during the movement. The stabilizing muscles you work with resistance bands are critical for functional strength and balance. Verywell Fit, a trusted resource in the fitness and nutrition field states, “One of the main benefits of using resistance bands is increasing and strengthening natural movement patterns used in daily activities such as following through on a golf swing, throwing a football, lifting something up high, or even opening a door.”

Versatility in Workouts

A major benefit of resistance band strength training is that it offers a level of versatility that cannot be matched by dumbbells or weight machines. With resistance bands, the possibilities of workouts that you can do are only limited by your imagination and creativity. Not only can you target any muscle group with resistance bands, but you can easily combine workouts and quickly and easily switch from one to another.

Affordability

Resistance bands are relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to other full-body workout equipment. They allow you to purchase far less equipment and still be able to get in a good workout. As mentioned above, this benefit is also closely related to portability and space-saving. Purchasing fewer workout tools not only saves you money but also space!

Improves Acceleration

Linear Variable Resistance (LVR) means that the load progressively increases as the range of motion increases.  One of the benefits of this is that the number of muscle fibers that are being used in the exercising muscle increases. The more muscle fibers used, the greater the muscle strength that can be achieved with the training program.

Using a stretched elastic band as resistance, the stored acceleration energy of the band is ‘transferred’ into your muscles. The bands neurologically teach the body how to accelerate force and the end result is faster contracting muscles, all the time, without exception. And this translates into greater speed and performance in football, basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, and just about any other sport you can think of.

Resistance Bands are Great for Stretching and Warming Up Muscles

Before you start and after you finish a workout, it’s important to stretch your muscles to help reduce the chance of injury. Stretching helps avoid sore and stiff muscles by relaxing them. Resistance bands are an excellent tool to use in your warm-up/cool-down routine to deepen the stretch and increase your flexibility. Here is a guide to a Total Body Stretching Routine With Resistance Bands

Take Advantage of the Benefits of Resistance Training

Now that you know some of the main benefits of resistance band strength training it’s easy to see why they have become so popular among fitness enthusiasts as well as professional athletes. If you have not yet added resistance training into your workout routine, now is the time to do so. Take advantage of the benefits and make the most of your workout today!

All of our variations of the Gorilla Bow offer a unique take on resistance band strength training by providing one tool that allows you to get a full-body workout in a high-quality and easily portable package. Use the Gorilla Bow to help you maximize the benefits of resistance training.