Rubber Band Resistance Training Vs. Free Weights

Like all pieces of fitness equipment, both resistance bands and free weights have specific advantages and disadvantages. Although both approaches can be used to design effective cardiovascular and strength workouts, which one you choose to use will depend on several individual factors. You may even find that both bands and weights have a place in your fitness routine.

  1. Muscle Activation

    • When it comes to increasing muscle size and strength, activation is a key principle. This refers to the amount of muscle fibers that are actually working over the course of the exercise. A 2010 study, published in the journal "Physical Therapy," compared the muscle activation potential of bands and weights. Surprisingly, the researchers found no significant difference between the two methods.

    Amount of Weight

    • The similarities in muscle activation, however, do not necessarily make bands and weights interchangeable. After training with any piece of equipment for any length of time, you will eventually adapt and have to increase the amount of weight you're working with. Bands are extremely limited in the amount of weight available to you, generally topping off at about 50 pounds, while free weights are available at much higher weights. For those exercisers who like to be able to quantify their progress, the vagueness of how much you're working with on bands may be frustrating, as well.

    Type of Resistance

    • Bands and weights also differ in the way that your muscles deal with the resistance. Free weights apply an unchanging, or constant, amount of resistance against your muscles. Bands, on the other hand, are variable, with the amount of resistance changing throughout the movement. Research published in the "European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology" found no difference in strength gains or fat loss from either training method. It is worth noting, though, that the increases in strength only applied to the chosen resistance type. In other words, people who trained with bands were only stronger when they assessed their strength using bands rather than free weights.

    Accessibility

    • Another factor to consider is portability and cost. Resistance bands cost as little as a few dollars, weigh virtually nothing, and can roll up neatly to fit in your bag. Free weights, however, average about $1 per pound and are inconvenient, if not impossible, to travel with.