Resistance bands, often recognized as a leading fitness tool, can power whole workout regimes. They add extra tension when carrying out key home workouts like leg raises. When used at the gym, resistance bands create diverse types of strain, distinct from weights and workout machines. The flexibility of these workout bands makes them practical for use while travelling, making them incredibly convenient and one of the most cost-effective fitness devices with substantial real-world application.
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Best Non-Rolling
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Best for Glutes
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Best for Home Use
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3.5
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3.5
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3.5
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$180.74
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$8.00 ($8.00 / Fl Oz)
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$26.99
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Made with soft and elastic fabrics, these resistance bands are different from the classic rubber alternative. Soft, breathable fabric is used to create tension, and the bands are also uniquely designed, so they have a wide appeal to all ages.
Available in multiple sizes and strengths, these bands can be used for most lower body exercises and even for core and upper body exercises. Wider than the average alternative, the resistance bands offer sufficient tension for all experience levels.
Made in multiple vivid colors, the bands are designed for women. Pink, green, and purple are just a few colors women can choose from. Men who want to try the bands out can also purchase a set of 3 black and gray resistance bands.
Nor rolling makes the bands unique. Resistance bands' biggest issue is rolling up the legs during demanding exercises. This issue is eliminated with these bands. While the band still slips, they don’t roll. This means users can continue their workouts without constant readjustments.
An included Booty Bands free e-book is offered with every workout. It shows basic exercises to perform with the bands when building glutes. The e-book can be downloaded to the phone for instant workout inspiration even when training away from home.
- Trains glutes, calves, abs, hamstrings, and quads
- Made with an elastic-cotton blend
- Sold in sets of 3
- Mostly made for women
Made with high, medium, and low resistance, the bands, offer tensile strength between 14 and 50lbs. The resistance bands offer different tensile strengths to support different exercises and to allow users to increase strength gains. Most importantly, a set of 3 bands supports full low-body workouts.
Designed with anti-slip elastics, the resistance bands stay in place, with the occasional slip. However, since they’re specifically made to prevent rolling, the exercise bands are among the top options for anyone serious about training.
Without rolling, the resistance bands are different from latex, rubber, and silicone alternatives. These bands stay on the legs. A user normally complains that certain exercises such as leg raises are difficult to complete even in sets of 4 reps due to continuous rolling issues.
The breathable materials allow the legs to breathe. While there are plenty of options to consider outside cotton and elastics, this combination proves successful as it’s also used by other brands such as Theraband, SPRI, Black Mountain Products, or Wodfitters.
An included carrying bag allows users to easily carry the pink and purple bands. They can also be stored under a bed in this bag for those who might be training in a home gym. The manufacturer also offers a 1-year warranty for the products, making them highly suitable for long-term body sculpting workouts.
- Sizes of 13.5 X 3.15in
- The bands don’t crease
- Highly practical for kickbacks
- Not available on black
GYMBANDIT comes in five mini bands that do not just look good; made of 100% natural latex, this premium quality product is free of cheap fillers that do not snap. It is also a no-flimsy band with up to 60lbs on resistance with widths of 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.00mm, 1.2mm, and 1.5mm, which happens to be the thickest mini bands available.
These bands are versatile and strong enough to be used alone or could be incorporated into your lifts and would challenge you even at the slightest resistance. GYMBANDIT bands are also eco-friendly – they are made of ethically-sourced materials that are processed without sending toxic emissions into the atmosphere.
- Made from 100% natural latex
- Up to 60lbs of resistance
- Processed without sending toxic emissions
- Comes with a carrying bag
- Tends to stick together
3 bands of one size are included in a set. But they offer variable resistance. This makes the resistance bands as versatile as possible since they offer resistance between 10lbs and 50lbs.
Furthermore, these bands are also made to support the highest quality designs with elastic materials that maintain their elasticity in time. Maybe this is why the bands also come with one 180-day guarantee.
Selected by color, they offer quick adjustability. The bands can be selected quickly during circuit workouts where women can toggle between intense and less demanding exercises. Even the elderly can select the lightest pink resistance band for a quick workout, improving mobility and physical recovery.
Affordability is the main strength of the set. Since the premium brands can be out of budget for many women, this doesn’t mean that solutions such as those made by Gymbee are not good for general training.
Non-slipping and non-pinching, the materials of the bands, can rival the big names in fitness with success. Most importantly, the resistance bands don’t roll, which gives them a certain appeal when it comes to continuous workouts.
- Sold in multiple colors
- Included carry bag
- Made with non-rolling materials
- Only available in one size
The resistance bands are made from elastic fabrics, which allow them to offer a non-pulling surface. The bands offer comfort even when directed against the skin, which is not the case with non-pulling alternatives such as rubber.
Resistance band sets with 17”, 14.5”, and 12” lengths support intense workouts. It offers options for the most popular exercises, such as squats, for users of various heights. Women who want to sculpt glutes can use the bands every day.
The bands can be used in Yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, P90x, gym, Fitness Insanity, and home training, the elastic bands may also be used in other types of workouts. Cindy is one of the CrossFit workouts which can incorporate the exercise bands.
In P90x, circuit training can incorporate all three bands and combine bodyweight exercises for weight loss objectives.
- Made with light, medium, and extra heavy resistance
- Included video trainer guide
- 100% satisfaction guarantee policy
- No exercise book included
How to Choose the Best Resistance Bands
Before deciding on the best resistance bands, users have the freedom of planning their fitness routine. Even those who haven’t trained with resistance bands before know what they’re trying to achieve. With a general idea of the workouts ahead, here’s what users can expect.
Objective
As stated above, the objective of the fitness home workout is what determines which the best resistance bands are. Those who want to build muscle should choose the most rugged bands with tensile resistance above 30lbs and closer to the 50lbs mark.
Those who want to lose weight should focus on higher repetitions per exercise to burn calories. This is mainly possible by choosing the resistance band with lower resistance measured below 30lbs.
Users who want to get in shape and look athletic can benefit the most from using multiple resistance bands. These are above other single bands as they support the versatility needed for athletic training. Users inclined towards mobility drills such as the elderly may also use a wide selection of low-strength bands for their daily or weekly training routines.
Materials
The materials of these resistance bands are always evolving. The days when they were only available on rubber are now gone. Some users complain that rubber pulling and pinching take the focus off the workout. Furthermore, most users should be able to tell if their personal favorites are made for their fitness objective. This being said, here are the main materials used for resistance bands today.
Rubber
Latex
Textile fabrics
Elastics
These materials are often used in combination as seen above. None of them is truly perfect. But judging by the growing roll-up complaints, those made from fabrics might be a bit better for undisturbed workouts.
At the same time, these materials aren’t made for commercial use. In gyms, rubber and latex is still the best choice as these materials are the easiest to clean. With the current situation, having fitness gear free from bacteria is more important than before.
Most materials should be covered by some type of warranty, even for a short duration. The shortest warranty for resistance bands is 60 days. A few select manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty.
Effectiveness
Judging the effectiveness of all resistance bands can be difficult without a clear objective. Today, training objectives are custom to each trainee. In general, those who want to enjoy the best fitness results need to see if their desired bands support their range of exercises.
Some users might need to choose resistance bands for pull-up assistance. Door anchors are often used for pull-downs. These bands need to be longer, unlike short ankle straps. But for booty gains, short bands are all that’s needed. Long bands used for pull-ups are not effective for building quads and glutes.
Types of Exercises to be Performed with Resistance Bands
Resistance bands offer one of the best solutions to exercise versatility. Unlike fitness machines, resistance bands offer reliability with the following exercises.
Lateral Band Walks
Lateral band walks are among the most versatile exercises to consider. Offering a complex exercise, the movement comes with good muscle stimulation for glutes and quads, especially when under the tension of resistance bands.
The exercise can be performed in 4 sets of 5-10 repetitions. As users increase strength and stamina, the exercise can be performed with stronger resistance bands.
Squats
When it comes to resistance bands, most users associate them with squats. The bands can be used either on their own with bodyweight exercises or with a barbell and weights. Since there are plenty of options for squats, such as close legs or wide legs stances, resistance bands can be useful for a wide range of squats-based workouts.
Fire Hydrants
Fire hydrants or the later leg raises with resistance bands are hard to match when building glutes. These exercises can’t be performed with free weights such as dumbbells, and adding a resistance band to the movements is the only way to increase muscle stimulation/
Kickbacks
Kickbacks are also used for building glutes. The longer range of movement of the exercise is what recommends it for longer resistance bands. Women who want to build muscle groups might also be able to progressively use thicker bands for the exercise.
Related read: Best Ankle Weights 2021 – Reviews
Kickups
Similar to kickbacks, kickups are also an effective method of building glutes. There are plenty of options to consider for those who want to perform the movement. At the gym, a good workout bench is a good support for the movement.
Bicycle
As the name suggests, the bicycle exercise requires scissoring the legs to build muscle and tone the core. With the help of resistance bands, exercise can easily be one of the top options for those who want to enjoy the best muscle development with traditional exercises.
Reverse Lunges
Reverse lunges are efficient for the posterior chain. With or without added weight, the exercise performed with resistance bands offers a corrective benefit as well as forces users to perform it with correct biomechanics.
7 Benefits of Using Resistance Bands
Those new to resistance bands training can choose these exercises in addition to their current workouts. There are good reasons to choose resistance bands independently, as their benefits can be hard to match.
High Versatility
The main advantage resistance bands have over other fitness gear is the high versatility. Not many users can find such affordable tools with such high versatility. Since the fitness bands are mostly for women, they also empower a wide range of lower body exercises.
Supporting a wide range of movements, resistance bands can also be used in addition to weight training. The resistance of the bands offers a different type of muscle load which can be considered a different load that can improve fitness level.
Portability
The portability of the bands is their distinct advantage over other fitness gear. Resistance bands are the easiest to transport with or without a gym bag at home, at the gym, or outdoors. This allows users to train in the backyard in the fresh air, which opens up new training opportunities.
Most resistance band sets come with carrying bags. This allows them to be carried anywhere to power workouts, even when away from the gym. They can be used together with bodyweight exercises such as lunges and squats for legs and core muscles.
Varied Workouts
The variety of the workouts supported by resistance bands also includes upper body movements, even if they’re less popular than lower body movements for women. For example, the bands can be used to create extra tension when performing push-ups.
The variety of the workouts also allows resistance bands to be used together with free weights. Resistance bands often recommend adding dumbbells to the workout for the extra fitness challenge in printed guides. Banded side walking is often pictured with a woman holding a dumbbell. This ensures a full-body workout as the arms are activated to hold the weight up.
Free Workout Location
Independent of location, resistance bands training offers a complete solution to those seeking maximum freedom of movement or users who like to train outside the gym. Even when traveling, the bands can be used to stay active, maintain flexibility, and even in stretching and mobility drills.
As a result, many Yoga fans use resistance bands in their poses for various stretches. Since these users also like to train in parks, the right resistance bands are hard to match in terms of versatility.
Different Muscle Stimuli
Resistance bands feel different than dumbbells as they offer progressive tension. For example, performing biceps curls with resistance bands differs from biceps curls with dumbbells. Classic dumbbells exercise the same force over the biceps from start to finish. Resistance bands offer a new perspective as the maximum force or resistance is only felt in the second part of the movement where the band stretches the most.
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Affordability
Without a doubt, resistance bands are affordable for the versatility they offer. For most users, it’s the type of variation needed when training on a budget and even when enjoying unlimited fitness budgets. This is why the bands are also seen in high-tech gyms, even if they already offer the most expensive fitness gear.
Time-Saving Benefits
Another advantage resistance bands offer is time-saving. They support full-body workouts, making them particularly interesting for those who don’t have time to join a gym. Those who train only a few minutes per day can benefit from full-body workouts based on the exercises performed with resistance bands.
Resistance bands come with extra mobility drill benefits in sports such as CrossFit. These bands are used to maintain joints mobile and the muscles warm before hitting the workout of the day. With multiple other benefits that are hard to ignore, classic resistance bands will likely stay in high demand for all types of sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to use resistance bands?
Using resistance bands is easy. Users need to step into the interior of the band for it to stretch around the legs. From here, the band can be used to add tension to a range of exercises, such as lateral leg extensions.
For squats, resistance bands are used to maintain the feet at a certain distance from one another through movement. Resistance bands are also used for most mobility drills. Hip extensions are often performed with bands before moving on to weights to warm up the muscles.
Do resistance bands build muscle?
Some resistance bands build muscle. Most low resistance bands can’t build muscle, however. Those who want to gain size need to use resistance bands in combination with other types of ex
Some resistance bands build muscle. Most low resistance bands can’t build muscle, however. Those who want to gain size need to use resistance bands combined with other types of excises, such as those with high weights, to stimulate muscle growth.
Do resistance bands burn fat?
Resistance bands can certainly burn fat. Supporting a high number of repetitions per exercise, these bands are used for all movements involving high caloric consumption.
