If you do strength training casually, it doesn’t necessarily matter if you hit a resistance band or get some free weights during the exercise. Both tools will help you build muscle so that you feel stronger overall and can simply drop to advantage. You may want to use one over the other, and that’s fine. But if you have certain fitness goals in mind, there are some differences between weights and resistance bands that will start to matter.
For a quick summary, resistance bands are, of course, those rubber and rubber y bands that come in the form of a ring, tube, or band. They also come in different resistances, says Dr. Dave Candy, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CMTPT, FAAOMPT, Physician, Certified Sports Coach, and owner of More 4 Life. You can go for light, medium, heavy, or extra heavy, depending on how hard you want to exercise.
Candy says there are plenty of options in the free weight category as well, and the most popular weights are barbells, weights, and weights. Read below to find out everything you need to know about what separates weights and resistance bands, so you know which one to choose for your next workout.
Weight benefits
Free weights offer a lot more variety than resistance bands just because there are so many different types. Candy tells Bustle that “Barbells allow for heavier training because each arm balances with the other and you don’t have to use many stabilizing muscles,” so you might want to keep up if you’re looking to really pump up some iron.
“Conversely, dumbbells require you to use your smaller stabilizing muscles more, and these are especially useful if you have a ‘weaker’ side or are recovering from an injury and don’t want your strong side to take over,” he says. On the other hand, Kettlebells allow for dynamic exercises that require weight swing. “It’s good for developing strength,” Candy says. “You can also use them like dumbbells, but it requires more wrist stability to stabilize the weight of the ball.”
Unlike weight machines, any type of free weight requires you to work extra hard to keep it steady as you move through the exercise. And although it sounds difficult, it is actually a good thing. According to Candy, free weights work the “balancing” muscles, also known as the muscles that keep you stable. “For exercises like squats and deadlifts, weights also use your core muscles to stabilize your body, not just your leg muscles, as in a leg press,” he adds.
This variety also means you can switch it up depending on how you want to train. You can use the bell to do swings and other cardio-enhancing movements of the whole body. You can also pay extra attention to a specific muscle, such as the biceps or triceps, by lifting weights, or you can train multiple muscle groups simultaneously by doing movements such as the deadlift or the bench press. It all depends on the type of exercise you are looking for.
Downsides of weights
Free weights are heavy and loose, and therefore can be difficult to control which leads to an increased risk of injury. Candy says the weight can slip off your hands, and if you choose one that’s too heavy, you might accidentally put too much stress on your joints.
The other downside, according to kuudose trainer Joey Thurman, CES, CPT, FNS, is that you can’t just dive in and start exercising. At least, you shouldn’t. “As with a lot of exercise, if you’re not safe with methods and using the right form, you can hurt yourself,” Bustle said. That’s why you might want to watch some YouTube videos, or hire a coach, to make sure you’re using free tools correctly.
Resistance bands benefits
According to Ali Martinez, certified personal trainer with WRKOUT, resistance bands can be used to elevate your body weight exercises to a higher level. Think squats, shoulder blades, and lunges with the added resistance of the band. “Resistance bands are much easier to control and offer variable resistance under tension, allowing you to target smaller muscle groups,” Bustle said.
Bands come in handy if you are injured or recovering from an injury due to the fact that they are low impact, easy on the joints and easy to use. It is also effective when combined with Pilates and [other] Workouts where all you need is a little added resistance to get a really good burn.”
A bracelet may be a good option when you want to mix things up. According to Candy, bar stretching allows tandem exercises, such as shoulder rotations, horizontal rows, and chest presses. It’s also more portable and usually less expensive than weights, which can be an equivalent as well.
The downside of resistance bands
The biggest problem with resistance bands is that it’s impossible to know how much “resistance” you’re using. You have to work out by “feeling,” Candy says, or how hard it is to separate the tape, or how tired you feel from using it. Although it’s not a big deal, it can be annoying if you’re trying to make progress or keep track of your fitness goals.
“Although you can adjust the thickness of the band you’re using, the more stretch it is, the greater the resistance, so there’s less consistency from exercise to exercise,” he adds. “Another downside to variable resistance is that the more stretched the bar becomes, the harder it becomes to move it, so there is less resistance at the beginning of the exercise, and more in the final range of the exercise.”
Regarding the risks, Martinez points out that bands can come back to you unexpectedly, especially if you don’t connect them properly to a door frame or anchor point. “But this is not common,” she says, “and like anything to start slowly with, get comfortable with using them, and ask someone with experience for guidance on how to use them properly.”
weights vs. resistance bands
Both weights and resistance bands are useful when it comes to strength training. Stand in the middle of the band and pull both ends to do a biceps exercise, or complete the same movement while holding the dumbbells. “You can get good strength training with both and you can train many of the same movements and muscle groups,” Candy says. The biggest difference is that you don’t know how much you “lift” with the bands, he says, which may be something to consider. Weights also allow you to progress in smaller increments. You lift five pounds, and then go up to eight, 10, 20, and so on.
The pattern of movement, or how you use each tool, also varies, Thurman explains. You can do more pull-ups with the bands, as opposed to lifting weights. Finally, if you practice hard, there will come a day when the bands stop, Candy says. They simply won’t be “strong” enough to give you the kind of resistance you need to ramp up your strength training game.
Referred studies:
Lopez, JSS. 2019. Effects of training with elastic versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. SAGE Open Med Program. doi: 10.1177/2050312119831116.
sources:
Dr. Dave Candy, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CMTPT, FAAOMPT, Physiotherapist and Certified Athletic Trainer
Joey Thurman, CES, CPT, FNS, Certified Personal Trainer
Ali Martinez, WRKOUT Certified Personal Trainer
