Over the years, I have been asked by 1000’s of people if resistance band training was right for them, and, if so, how they should begin. Is Resistance Band Training right for you? Let’s get started by asking yourself the following ten questions, to see if it is.
10 Questions to Ask Yourself
1. Do you continue to develop injuries lifting weights?
Years of experience, training 100’s of clients, have shown that as our bodies age, they become less able to safely endure extremely heavy weight or extremely high reps, while weight training.
This makes sense, since weight lifting only allows you to train in one plane of movement.
However, with bands, you can change these planes of movement, which, in turn changes the lines of force on the joints. Thus, band training, has the desirous affect of minimizing wear and tear on the joints, which comes from working out with weights.
2. Do you find yourself frequently modifying exercises that incorporate free weights or weight machines?
It is very common to see weight lifting athletes modify their exercises, in order to compensate for painful shoulders, knees and elbows. These are peripheral joints, and as such, anytime these joints are challenged with resistance, they need to have optimal support from surrounding stabilizing muscles.
Over time, if these stabilizing muscles are not intentionally trained, these peripheral joints (your shoulders, knees & elbows), are going to break down. The ascending resistance provided by resistance bands, automatically trains the peripheral joint stabilizers. That’s why there is less of a need to modify band-related exercises.
3. Do you experience significant joint stiffness during daily activities, following a weight lifting workout?
The resistance created by lifting weights is directly influenced by gravity. When one considers that most of us are spending 99% of our days either standing or sitting, it becomes apparent that gravity has been putting a continuous load on our joints, and when we add weight lifting to our daily routines, we are adding to the harmful effects of gravity upon our already- fatigued bodies.
Resistance bands allow you to train using resistances that are not gravity-dependent, by using horizontal forces, rather than vertical forces. As a result, when you train with resistance bands, you are developing your horizontal strength, which is necessary for you to be able to enjoy your everyday standing and sitting activities.
6 Indicators That Free Weights are Beating YOU UP
4. Do you struggle finding time for your gym workouts?
Getting to the gym for most of us, requires a great deal of planning and travel time. Plus, by the time you are able to squeeze in the time to get to the gym, you might find that the gym is crowded, and that you have to wait for access to the equipment to do the next set, or to make adjustments to your exercise routines. All of these factors become time wasters; resulting in even less valuable exercise time, especially when your schedules are tight.
However, when you have your own Home Band Gym, you are able to do your workouts wherever, and whenever you want to, without concern for travel or crowds, access to equipment, or even the high cost of a gym membership. As a result, resistance band training allows you to create highly-effective workouts that are convenient, consistent and efficient.
Learn More
5. Do you find it difficult to break a sweat when weight lifting?
As I mentioned earlier, it becomes extremely challenging to aggressively work out with weights as the body ages. Because of this, it’s difficult to create workouts that can provide highly-desired metabolic training effects on your bodies, especially if you’re following traditional routines that incorporate standard reps and sets.
Plus, with weight lifting, one is constantly changing their weight resistances, changing to different machines; activities which, waste even more of your valuable time, especially in a crowded gym setting. However, when you have your own Home Band Gym, you are able to create unlimited combinations of time-based circuit training workouts, that can build strength and challenge metabolic conditioning, wherever you happen to be.
6. Have you ever tried strength training with anything besides weights?
Most people think that the only ways to strength train are by using weights; either with body weight or with the addition of free weights. However, there is an increasing number of strength trainers and coaches that are becoming aware of the benefits that can be had by incorporating resistance bands as important component of their strength training programs.
Resistance bands, especially those flat layered bands that are continuously-looped, are becoming increasingly popular with professional and collegiate athletes, due to their ability to apply resistance to any body-driven movement. Flat bands, especially layered vs molded, are stronger, last much longer, and are far more capable of providing heavier resistances than their counterparts, tubular bands. In addition, tubular bands are prone to breakage and have very limited weight resistances.
7. Why do you lift weights?
Most active, aging, adults lift weights so that they can keep their bodies looking good, feeling great and moving well, so that they can enjoy their every day activities. Resistance band training is the best option for helping active adults to achieve these goals, as bands are able to apply resistances to almost any movement that the human body can perform. This makes resistance band training a much better option for functionally-based strength training, than weight training, which can only work in vertical planes.
Building Usable Strength
8. Do you find it more challenging to lift weights as you get older?
It has been shown that lifting weights over an extended period of years will age the body. As a result, most people over 40 find it challenging to get effective workout results lifting weights. This is because their body is not able to tolerate aggressive strength training.
Plus free weights, unlike resistance band training, do not allow people to train in multiple planes or use multiple force vectors, which is more joint friendly.
9. Do you think that resistance band training can challenge you as much weight lifting?
Resistance band training is often seen as nothing more than rehab training system, or as an alternative option to normal strength training. However, what most people do not realize is, continuously looped flat Quantum Bands (not tubes) are capable of generating unlimited resistance to any movement the body can perform. Knowing muscles are dumb but adaptable, they will respond to any resistance, regardless of the tool.
10. Have you lost or maintained your mobility, following a weight lifting only program?
Mobility decreases as our bodies age, unless we intentionally incorporate strategies designed to off-set the harmful affects of Father time. Weight training is a single plane exercise that is dominated by gravity.
Resistance band training is not gravity dependent. Therefore, it allows you to exercise in multiple planes using multiple lines of force. As a result, the body is consistently challenged in all movement planes, making mobility in those planes available, when needed.
9 Reasons to Choose Bands vs Weights
Not Sure Where or How to Get Started??
Here are 3 Options
Contact Dave Directly – dave@resistancebandtraining.com
Purchase Bands and Start Training With These 16 Exercises
Join The Band Gym and let Dave coach you up
**************************************************