Resistance training is often a challenging habit to get into. You have a wide selection of options to choose from when considering resistance training, from lifting weights to cable suspension training. What might be the most common and relatively convenient form of resistance training is the utility of exercise bands.
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What Are Resistance/Exercise Bands?
Resistance or exercise bands take the form of a rubber band that consists of varying resistance strengths, which are coded through varying colours (more on this later!). These bands are portable, easy-to-use and are highly effective in enhancing your exercise performance, with some bands designed as loops and others either flat, tubular or straight with handles attached.
What Are Resistance Bands Used For?
The band is used to create light or heavy resistance to work all the muscles depending on the type of exercise used with the exercise bands.
With any form of exercise, it’s commonly important to ensure that your routine contains a variety of exercises. This means that using different sets, reps, as well as tools, is vital to keeping you in shape. With this in mind, exercise bands are a substantially effective way to incorporate variety into your exercise routine.
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Types of Resistance Bands
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Tube Exercise Bands
Tube exercises are similar to the tubes found in certain weight machines and dumbbell exercises in gyms. These bands commonly have tube handles attached to them to allow ease of movement and use. The benefits of resistance bands are that they offer a variety of different tensions, are great for building muscle strength and endurance, and improve your range of motion. Check out our range of exercise tubes!
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Fit Loops Bands
Loops bands are used for bodyweight assistance, resistance, full-body workouts, and much more. They look like a continuous flat loop that can be used for a variety of purposes, and the added utility of anchoring them to a pole/bar for pulling and pushing exercises, with benefits of allowing explosive exercises for those who want to lose fat and gain muscle strength. Exercise loop bands can help with your exercise routine.
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Hip Circle/Mini Bands
Hip circle/mini bands are a much shorter and wider version of fit loop bands, with the material using fabric instead of rubber for added comfort. Hip circle bands are usually for increasing strength and stability for the lower body (and sometimes the upper body, depending on certain exercises). Meaning that these are optimal pieces of equipment when weight training as it helps stabilise your body while heavy lifting.
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Therapy Bands
Therapy bands are possibly one of the longest pieces of exercise bands (up to 7 feet), made with thin and light free bands. These bands are usually made for people who are regaining strength after a certain injury (or for elderly people who want to work out). The benefits of these bands include ease-of-use, improvement for flexibility and muscle toning.
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Figure 8 Bands
Like the name suggests, figure 8 bands are shaped into an “8” shape and include soft handles at the top and bottom of its “8” shape. These bands can shape as far as users need them to go, targeting both upper and lower body, with push and pull exercises being the most common plane of motion for these bands. Figure 8 bands are great to use when strengthening, toning or building muscle endurance.
Resistance Band Colours Guide
As mentioned before, resistance or exercise bands are colour coded to determine their overall tension. These colours are explained below:
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Yellow |
Yellow bands are commonly the thinnest and lightest resistance bands, weighing at around 10 - 20 lbs depending on the brand you choose. |
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Red |
Red exercise bands are also one of the lightest, with a slight edge over yellow resistance bands. With an average tension weight of 15 - 30 lbs. |
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Green |
Green exercise bands are considered the middleweight of the coding spectrum of exercise bands, and their average weight usually ranges from 20 - 35 lbs depending on what type of exercise band brand you purchase. |
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Blue |
Blue resistance bands are on the heavier side, weighing their tension at around 30 - 40 lbs. |
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Black |
Black exercise bands are considered the most rigid resistance band, with an average weight of 40 - 50 lbs. |
What’s great about resistance bands is that, if desired, users can attach different combinations of coloured bands to create different levels of resistance. For instance, combining a black resistance band with a yellow resistance band will create a heavier set for you to use.
Exercise Guides
Thinking of using exercise bands in your exercise? There are plenty of ways you can use resistance bands that work distinct sections of the body and are just as effective as any other exercise equipment as long as you utilise it efficiently. These are the 3 best exercises for each body part, effective for beginners.
Arms
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Recommended Colour: Green (20-35lbs) |
Ideal for: Arms and upper body |
Band type: Figure 8s, Exercise Tubes/Resistance Bands |
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Exercise |
How-To |
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Pull-Apart (10 reps, 3 sets) |
With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a resistance band taut between your hands and extend your arms straight at the front of your body in line with your shoulders. Engage core and pull fists outwards past shoulders. |
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Seated Single-Arm Row (10 reps, 3 sets) |
While sitting up straight, extend your legs and wrap your resistance band around your left or right foot (holding ends with either left or right hand, arms extended). Keep legs and torso stable and bend the elbow to pull the band backwards, until your hand reaches your ribs. Repeat with another arm! |
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Bicep Curl (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Start by standing in the middle of a resistance band with feet hip-distance apart), holding its ends with hands, arms by sides. Bend your elbows and bring hands in front of your shoulders slowly and with control. Pause, and slowly lower your arm to the bottom. |
Chest
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Recommended Colour: Green (20-35lbs) |
Ideal for: Chest and arms |
Band type: Exercise Loops |
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Exercise |
How-To |
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Resistance Band Chest Fly (8 reps, 3 sets) |
Anchor the band behind you (ideally at a closed-door), and face away from the anchor point with hands grasping handles. Step away from the anchor point until you feel a slight stretch in the band, keeping one foot in front of the other for better stability. Bring your arms up to shoulder level in front of you, let your hands get back slowly, and bring the band forward across your body. Hold for one second and return to the starting position. |
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Crossover Fly - Single Arm (8 reps, 3 sets) |
Stand in the middle of your band and grasp your hand with a slight bend in your elbow on the same side you anchored it. Pull the band up and across to your opposite shoulder, and hold for one second. |
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Resistance Band Bench Press (10 reps, 3 sets) |
(Ideal if you have a bench) - Lie on your back with the band under your shoulder blades or bench. Grasp the ends of the bands with your elbows bent, and hands pointing up toward the ceiling. Press your arms over your chest, and hold for one second. |
Back
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Recommended Colour: Green (20-35lbs) |
Ideal for: Back |
Band type: Tubes |
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Exercise |
How-To |
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Standing Y’s (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place minibands around both hands, extending your arms overhead. Keep your core engaged and pull the miniband apart, working against its resistance with your upper back muscles. |
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Single-Arm Row (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Stand on your band with both feet and hold the one handle with the desired arm you want to exercise. Keep legs and torso stable and bend the elbow to pull the band backwards, until your hand reaches your ribs. Repeat with your other arm. |
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Face Pull (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Loop your resistance band on somewhere stable (such as a door, and make sure the anchor is at eye level with you. Hold the free end with both hands in an overhand grip, and lift your arms in front of you. Stagger your stance or stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Pull the band toward your face, using your upper back muscles to do so. |
Abs
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Recommended Colour: Red (15-30lbs) |
Ideal for: Abdominals and back |
Band type: Mini Power Loops and Tubes |
Recommended colour/weight: Red (15-30lbs)
These exercises are ideal for abdominal muscles and lower back.
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Exercise |
How-To |
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Banded Bridge (12 reps, 3 sets) |
Using a mini band around your thighs, lie face up on the ground with your feet hip-width. Lift your hips high, keeping your shoulder blades on the ground, and gently keep the knees open. |
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Controlled Roll Up (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Sit on the floor with a resistance band around your feet. While holding onto the end of the band (as long as there is a slight stretch!), roll your spine down to a flat position slowly, scooping your abdominals inward. Nod your chin and begin rolling up back to a seated position, with control. |
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Deadlift (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Start with feet roughly hip-width apart, with you standing in the middle of your resistance band. Keeping your lower back arched, and grabbing each end of the band with each hand, bend from the waist and knees, and slowly lift your chest and straighten your upper back. |
Legs
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Recommended Colour: Green (20-35lbs) |
Ideal for: Lower body (legs, hamstrings and calves) |
Band type: Tubes |
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Exercise |
How-To |
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Lunges (12 reps, 3 sets) |
With a resistance band placed under your right foot and holding onto the handle, bring your feet to a lunge stance with your right foot forward, lowering down into a lunge with the knees bent at about 90 degrees and then press through the front heel to straighten legs. |
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Good mornings (12 reps, 3 sets) |
Place a loop band around your thighs (on the outside) just above your knees, and lay on your side. With knees bent, keep your feet glued together and externally rotate the top leg so that you lift the knee up and out to the side. Release and move back down. |
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Deadlift (10 reps, 3 sets) |
Similar to abdominals, start with feet roughly hip-width apart, with you standing in the middle of your resistance band. Keeping your lower back arched, and grabbing each end of the band with each hand, bend from the waist and knees, and slowly lift your chest and straighten your upper back. |