Are resistance bands worthwhile for men looking to bodybuild?

Question

I've seen ads for resistance bands but do they work for men? Are there any deals out there for a set of bands? Are they durable?

Answer 1

before i could afford a gym membership, i bought resistance bands from walmart. i ended up getting three over the course of 4 or so months. wake up early in the am and do one arm pushups with them wrapped around the front of the shoulder of the non-working arm and around the palm of the working arm. ''curls'' were done by grabbing the inside of my knee and using leg resistance against bicep effort. by the time i actually got into a gym, i could bench 250 and curl 55 pounds with each arm.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I'd say resistance bands are best used to recover from injuries and begin the strengthening of muscles; I used them in physical therapy and they helped. However, I can't imagine using them for bodybuilding! You can only get so much force applied across a resistance band before one side snaps and what was a good muscle flex becomes a hard slap. Weight machines would be much more controllable, and once control is achieved at higher weights, free weights would then be the best option (with a spotter for the more dangerous ones). If you're just starting to bodybuild, I wouldn't go straight for the free weights until you have mastered the control of the lifting process on a machine, or else started with lower free weights and worked up. It is SO easy to injure oneself if there is any loss of control while lifting weights. Good luck!

Answer 4

Okay the question was bodybuilding not fitness with. Billy Blanks the Tae Bo guy did not get that way with bands. Resistance is not resistance! If you are "bodybuilding" bands are not the ideal way to go. Yes, they can have a place but certainly not for the main core strengthening exercises (Deadlift, bench, squat, etc). They are much better for muscle endurance programs where you are going to use higher reps before fatigue.

Bottom line, if you want to get big you lift big and you stick in the 8-12 rep till failure region for 3-6 sets with 60 seconds rest between. He said bodybuilding so lets assume thats what he means, not str/pow, or muscle endurance. We are talking hypertrophy here.

Answer 5

Resistance Band Walmart

Answer 6

No, resistance bands are a lot of hype. Resistance bands don't offer you the most important part of the lift and that is the negative resistance that you get from free weights. What negative resistance is, is the part of your lift where you bring the weight down or back toward your body. This is a very important part of the lift that you just aren't getting with resistance bands. The resistance bands are good for toning your body but, not for building it. Free weights or a weight that is going to have a constant resistance on your muscles is the most beneficial for building your body. With the bands the heaviest parts of the lift is when the bands are fully extended. Think of a rubber band. It takes more strength to stretch the band out and little or no strength to bring the rubber band to its original shape. This is the same concept with the resistance bands. Now think of a dumbbell which weights 25lbs. The dumbbell weighs 25lbs extended over you head as it does coming back to your body. There is not change in the resistance in the 25lbs dumbbell. The resistance bands can't offer that. I am not saying bands are bad just not the best for body building. I hope this helps.

Answer 7

Worthwhile Band

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Are resistance bands worthwhile for men looking to bodybuild?
I've seen ads for resistance bands but do they work for men? Are there any deals out there for a set of bands? Are they durable?

Answer 9

When it comes down to it, any resistance to the muscle groups will produce mass. What you hear every day are company's and even individuals testifying to their products' worthiness while at the same time downgrading any other method or equipment! It's all about the "Benjamins" these days and always has been! What you need to understand is that our bodies are built by our caloric intake and body usage. When you go running, with or without weights, you are producing and effecting muscle growth and weight control. Therefore, when you lift free-weights or use equipment that utilizes resistance, you will be affecting these muscle groups while at the same time raising your metabolism/heart rate which spells weight control and muscle growth! So don't be too hasty about not using resistance, but be careful about not doing anything at all...concentrate on your motions and breath throughout your workout. Your repetitions and sets all count towards your goal of having a beautiful body! Don't worry about all the ads and alot of what you hear, just do it, have fun, and watch your muscles respond. I used the Soloflex equipment early in life and also had the option of sliding a barbell through its hollow crossbar to switch to free-weights, so that should tell you something about the endless options you have in this free world of body sculpting! Good luck and hope this has helped you!

Answer 10

Resistance bands are durable and I think they would work great for a man. I (as a woman) have recently started to use them and I love them . I have never felt my muscles worked so hard as with them. I think the best place to find a good deal is beachbody.com You can get three for for 36.99 and they are at three different strength levels so you can build yourself up to them. I think the greatest thing about them is you can decide on the amount of resistance that you want.

Answer 11

I have some personal experience using resistance bands. After my stint using them, I would have to say that they are not effective to properly build muscle tissue. Because the bands often don't offer enough resistance compared to that of moving barbells and dumb bells, you're far ahead of the game by sticking with free weights.

The only (and last) resistance-band machine I used was a Weider model that my uncle had abandoned in the basement. After I pieced it together, it admittedly looked like an imposing machine but I soon found that it was a cinch to move the 'resistance bands' and I didn't notice any muscle gain after using the machine for several months. However, I didn't quit the machine; it quit on me. I hadn't noticed that the resistance band on one side of the 'benchpress station' had grown some cracks on it. One day, I was doing the presses, and the band gave at the top of the press. I got a mighty wallop from the broken band to the forehead that I thought knocked me out cold! I certainly had the swollen mark on my head to prove it. After that experience I concluded that resistance bands were better suited for people on the move or in the office who wanted to take an easy workout with them, as it's simple to pack the bands in a desk drawer or suitcase.

Keep in mind that free weights aren't the last answer to building muscle. Nautilus machines and Bowflex make some commendable equipment that doesn't use either free weights or resistance bands (not of the rubber variety anyway). Both of them are worth looking into. However, I believe both of them are pricey options (especially the Nautilus machines) but they have many believers using them.