Most people associate strength training with clunky dumbbells and heavy and expensive weight equipment.  Resistance training offers a flexible and inexpensive solution to strength training because the bands and tubing are portable, come in different sizes and tension levels and are designed to work arms, legs, back, and other important muscle groups, and are inexpensive.

What’s the Difference between Resistance Bands and Resistance Tubing?

    A resistance tube is an actual tube of rubber that usually has a handle on each end. A resistance band is a ribbon of elastic and they come in different colors to represent different levels of tension. 

    To be most effective, different ones are used on different parts of the body.  Many trainers and fitness specialists use resistance tubes to develop arms, chests, shoulders, and legs.  Resistance tubes complement exercises such as squats, chest presses, standing rows, lateral raises, and bicep curls.

    Resistance bands, great for toning, are usually recommended for strengthening the shoulders, buttocks, and thighs. This can be done through exercises such as the lunge, upper back rows, upright rows, standing hip abduction, and leg hip extensions.

Popular Resistance Bands and Resistance Tubing

    Thera-Band exercise and resistance tubing is effective and economical and can used in clinical or home-fitness settings. Use of the tubing for resistive exercise provides positive and negative force on the muscles, improving strength, range of motion and muscle group cooperation. Color-coded progressive resistance gives “at-a-glance” documentation of progress from one level to the next.

    Some brands are even latex free and are comprised of a synthetic latex material that performs like latex, but does not have any of the allergenic issues associated with natural latex. Low powder also helps to keep clothing clean.

Choose the Right Resistance Level

    Most companies manufacture five resistance levels for each band they sell. Although they vary in color, they can generally be described as: extra-light, light, medium, heavy, and extra-heavy. Trainers generally recommend that people start at the level they feel most comfortable. A very light level is typically suggested for children and seniors, or to improve the smaller muscle groups of the upper body.

    Women of average strength are advised to use the lighter levels and for working small to medium muscle groups such as the back and hips.

    The medium level is recommended for the average man or active woman. It tones and develops medium muscle groups such as the arms, shoulders, chest, and legs. The heavy level is generally used by stronger men and women to tone medium to large muscle groups. It is designed for advanced upper body work and intermediate or advanced lower body work. For advanced elite athletes, the extra-heavy level is perfect for advanced lower body workouts.

Resistance Band and Resistance Tubing Pros

    Phillip Page and Todd S. Ellenbecker are excellent resources for learning more about these strength-training products.  They co-authored The Scientific and Clinical Application of Elastic Resistance.

    Phillip Page, MS, PT, ATC, CSCS, is a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and certified strength and conditioning specialist. He manages clinical education and research for Thera-Band Products and has a private practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, specializing in sports and orthopedic physical therapy. He has worked with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks and has lectured internationally on the scientific and clinical use of elastic resistance.

    Todd S. Ellenbecker, MS, PT, SCS, OCS, CSCS, is the clinic director at Physiotherapy Associates Scottsdale Sports Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. A licensed physical therapist, he is certified by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a sports clinical specialist and orthopedic clinical specialist. The APTA also awarded him its Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Teaching Award in 1999. He was chairman of the APTA’s Shoulder Special Interest Group and is a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy and American Journal of Sports Medicine.

    So, to maximize strength, speed, and power, resistance bands and resistance tubing are a practical solution. They can be used on their own or as a supplement to free weights and machines.  They are great tools for customizing workouts and for isolating muscles.  They travel well and will not break the bank.