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Resistance bands vs. weights, are they comparable?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A meta-study concludes that training with elastic bands develops strength just as well as free weights or machines.
For reasons everyone can relate to, many athletes have been using elastic bands in their workouts lately.
We are not only talking about the bands that are as thick as an ox tongue and that powerlifters use to adjust the strength curve in deadlifts, squats, and bench presses.
During lockdown, many people were forced to use them because they could not go to the gym and, although most bodybuilders have their equipment in their garage or yard, they do not always have a complete setup available at home.
What about elastic bands?
Elastic material simply is not satisfying, because mentally it lacks that adrenaline-fueled sensation of cold metal, so say goodbye to any romantic fantasy about being a modern Viking or any of that nonsense.
Bands are just rubber and certainly do not make noise; at best, they occasionally produce a kind of whisper that obviously cannot compare with iron.
For many people, these elastic things do not even seem to work as well for developing strength or muscle, but what does science say?
To analyze this, we looked at a meta-study that compared the effectiveness of elastic bands for developing strength, and they actually held up quite well.
Is a meta-study useful?
A group of Brazilian researchers searched medical databases for randomized clinical trials comparing the development of muscular strength using elastic resistance with machines and/or free weights.
Their search produced a series of potential research papers, but they ultimately narrowed it down to just seven studies involving 224 people, from young adults to older adults.
Some of these people were athletes, some were merely physically active, and some suffered from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The training duration always varied from 4 to 12 weeks, with 2 to 5 training sessions per week.
Here is a synopsis of what the various studies included in the meta-study found:
- Vanbiervliet et al.: the researchers in this study compared upper- and lower-body training.
- Ghigiarelli et al.: bench press exercises were compared with the same routines using elastic bands.
- Colado et al.: they compared squat exercises in various positions.
- Lubans et al.: they compared the effects of free weights and elastic bands in bench press and leg press exercises.
- Ramos et al.: they compared the effects of machines and elastic bands on shoulder abduction and knee extension.
- Silva et al.: they compared the effects of machines and elastic bands on elbow flexion and knee extension.
- Calatayud et al.: they compared the effects of both types of training on the bench press and push-ups.
What were the conclusions?
After analyzing all the data, the authors of the current meta-study concluded the following: “training with elastic bands can promote strength gains similar to conventional resistance training across different population profiles and using various protocols.”
That is right: they found no statistically significant differences between training with weight machines/free weights and elastic bands, but how is that possible?
Obviously, the study did not involve Mr. Olympia bodybuilders, CrossFit champions, powerlifters, or professional athletes. There probably were not even any experienced athletes of any kind in their data set, so the findings may have certain limitations in terms of real-world applicability, especially regarding intensity.
So, what are elastic bands for?
But forget all that; anyone who lifts weights under a competitive protocol knows that there is an undeniable difference between training with free weights/machines and elastic bands.
However, these accessories can serve as a supplement to training and provide a novel stimulus, because they can be an acceptable substitute when they are all you have.
Furthermore, if you have a little imagination and a little courage, you can turn a workout with elastic bandsinto a surprisingly effective one.
- You can work your chest, biceps, or triceps with them; the variations are endless, and you know it, because introducing modifications to your traditional routine stimulates your body and nervous system.
- You can achieve spectacular pumps when you are in a deload period and need to keep your muscles under tension during a workout, which can even be brutal.
- On the other hand, you can perform “micro-drops” with elastic bands, but not with weights or machines, allowing you to work some muscle fibers to the maximum.
So, while you continue training at home and bands are the only thing you have besides a few dumbbells, make the most of them.