Exercising and maintaining fitness has become more than just a hobby at this point. It has become a necessity to take care of our physical and mental health, and daily workouts can help many people stay sane throughout the day. When we talk about working out, the first thing that pops up in our mind is either freehand light exercises at home or heavy workouts using dumbbells, barbells, or heavyweight machines at the gym. The problem with exercising with gym equipment is that they are not ideal for carrying around wherever you go. And if you are a gym freak, hands-free exercises can only get you through the warm-up stage.
To bridge the gap between portability and practicality comes the resistance bands. Many of you are already well acquainted with resistance bands, and many of you are hearing about it for the first time. To explain it briefly- simple equipment with endless possibilities. In this article, we will find out about 9 benefits of using a heavy resistance band.
What are heavy resistance bands, and which one is best?
Resistance bands are elastic bands that add resistance and tension to your body muscles when you work out. They come in all shapes and sizes for different purposes. There are mainly 5 bands- loop bands, tube resistance bands, mini bands, therapy bands, and 8 bands. Among them, loop bands, mini bands, and therapy bands are more versatile as they can serve the purpose of both the upper body and lower body workout. Tube resistance bands and 8 bands come with grips to better hold hands, and they are used for chest, shoulder, and biceps workouts. How much heavy resistance a band can be is determined by its width. The resistance of bands can be increased by increasing the width of the band. The length and thickness remain the same. You can choose any resistance band according to your need, but as we are discussing heavy bands that put you through a tough regime, loop bands are recommended for their versatility because therapy bands are for beginners and people recovering from an injury, tube, and 8 bands are for upper body exercises, and mini bands are small in size.
9 Benefits of Using Heavy Resistance Bands:
- Building Muscle Mass:Many of you may be skeptical about building muscle using resistance bands. While it seems impossible, after much controversy, it is a proven fact that you can build muscles using heavy bands! Muscles are formed by wear and tear when resistance is applied. Over time, those muscles heal, change in shape and become larger and stronger. Heavy resistance bands have weights equivalent to 150 pounds to mimic the tension on muscles, just like working out with dumbbells and barbells. This results in the formation of muscles.
- Toning the Muscles:To add much to your awe, resistance bands can tone your muscles too! A toned look is achieved when the fat around the muscles gets burned up. Exercises like squats, bench press, chest press, incline chest press, etc., can be combined with a heavy resistance band to get the desired toned look.
- Incorporate Your Style of Workout:If you are familiar with working out using weights, you can incorporate your dumbbells and barbells with resistance bands to add extra tension and2push yourself beyond the limits. Just keep in mind not to overdo it.
- Full Body Exercise:Heavy resistance bands like loop bands are versatile, as mentioned above. It can be used for full-body exercises like compound exercises where several muscles are used simultaneously. This improves your overall coordination of the body.
- Exercise Anywhere:Maybe you prefer to conduct your workout sessions at home or are unable to hit the gym daily for some reason, you can always turn to resistance bands. They are lightweight and take up very little space in a bag if you are on the move. Thus, you will have the convenience to work out anywhere and anytime.
- Low Pressure on Joints:Even the heaviest of the band does not put pressure equivalent to a weight machine set at the highest setting. That means resistance bands go easy on joints and the spine. Low pressure during a workout makes it very adaptable and comfortable to use for a longer period.
- Free from Gravity:You can work in any position with resistance bands, unlike heavyweight machines in the gym. In the gym, you have different machines for different purposes, some require you to sit, some to stand, and some require you to be in a prone position. In the case of resistance bands, you can work out in any direction and any position you want. A heavy resistance band can seamlessly support working out in a sagittal, frontal, and transverse plane.
- Cost-Effective:You can get all-around exercise equipment by spending just a few bucks. You can get out of the hassle of handling different types of equipment for different purposes. You can perform workouts for the chest, biceps, shoulder, hips, thighs, etc., simultaneously with just a resistance band. Squats, push-ups, pull-ups, bench press, chest press -you just name it and get into action without the hefty dumbbells, barbells, or any other weight machines.
- Avoid Injuries:Equipment like straight bars is good for heavy weight lifting, but if you have a previous injury in your wrist or shoulder, there might be a chance that those can get re-injured. In the case of resistance bands, you can set your angle according to your comfort so that you can avoid injury-prone positions and still perform exercises for the specific muscle group you are targeting.
What are the Alternatives to a Heavy Resistance Band?
The heaviness of a band depends on its resistance, and resistance depends on the width of the band. As previously mentioned, there are various types of bands for various purposes, but there are also resistance bands available depending upon their tensile strength. Different colors indicate different resistance levels. So, the best alternative to a heavy band is to start with a low resistance band. It is perfect for beginners as it builds the base for you. You can later shift to heavier bands as you make progress.
Conclusion:
There is a lot of versatility in heavy resistance bands such that you can completely shift to them for your daily exercise regime. But it is to be kept in mind that you should have the patience of working out daily. It is good always to push yourself beyond the limit but never overdo it.
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