Do resistance bands build muscle? Walk into most gyms and you’ll see fitness enthusiasts flooding the free weight section, but you’ll likely see fewer people using resistance bands in their workout. This can lead to the misconception that resistance bands are not as effective as weights for building muscle when, in some cases, they may offer an advantage over other approaches.
Before you go looking for the best resistance bands (opens in a new tab)read on and we’ll expand your mind with expert advice on why resistance bands may be the right tool to build your fitness regimen.
Can resistance bands build muscle?
Can resistance bands build muscle? “Yes!” answers Gina Reinge, a sports therapist who has been working with professional athletes for years. Although the principle behind the use of resistance bands is virtually identical to that of free weights, perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us.
“Resistance bands can build muscle in the same way that using weights can,” says Reinge. “Studies, such as one in the Journal of Clinical Nursing (opens in a new tab)have shown that when performing resistance exercises with bands there is no statistical difference from the gains found with a band at one weight.”
Gina Reinge MSc, BSc is an experienced sports therapist who has spent years working with professional athletes, including four years working at the High Performance Center in Bath, UK with elite international judoka. Together with her husband, she runs a multidisciplinary clinic in Portishead, UK.
In fact, if you are an older adult there is a good reason to use them. “They’re especially helpful for older adults where there’s good evidence of strength gains,” says Reinge.
Resistance training is particularly important for older adults, as it helps offset the natural loss of bone density. (opens in a new tab) and muscle that comes with aging. Additionally, resistance bands offer advantages over free weights in that they cost less, are easier to store, and are more portable, making them especially useful for workouts at home or outdoors.
How do they compare to free weights?
Resistance bands are a valuable alternative to free weights, but if you’re lucky enough to have a choice between the two, in what specific cases might you opt for bands?
Reinge points to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (opens in a new tab) as only one that has shown gains “in upper-body strength, speed, and power using resistance bands over free weights, with a consensus beginning to support this idea.”
Regarding the specifics, he says, “They’ve been shown to be particularly useful for some multi-joint exercises, such as the lateral row and lateral pulldowns and possibly even the stiff-legged deadlift.”
The exercises that are least effective with resistance bands tend to be the ones that are most difficult to apply with constant force, such as the squat, says Reinge, adding, “strength gains only appear at the end of the range once the band it’s tight ”
Therein lies the main disadvantage of resistance bands compared to free weights, as they offer variable resistance compared to constant resistance. Ultimately the latter makes for a more challenging workout, but it depends on the specific movements within the exercise if this applies.
How to build muscle efficiently with resistance bands
The fundamental key to building muscle is progressive overload (opens in a new tab). As Reinge explains: “The important thing is to make sure you’re ‘overloading’ the muscle. A muscle that performs a movement with ease will not gain mass. You can overload a muscle by increasing resistance or slowing down a movement, or both.”
In this regard, resistance bands are great for building beginner-level strength and activating smaller muscles. However, if you are looking to recruit larger muscle groups or are training to reach higher levels of strength, then you may want to opt for free weights. Regardless of which option you choose, Reinge says, “The important element is that you’re training the muscle you want, good form is important, as is starting at a level the muscle can tolerate. If you’re starting from a weak spot, you may need to use a light band initially. Once it’s easy, increase the resistance of the band, complete more reps, or slow down the movement.”
It depends on your specific goals if resistance bands are the right tool for you. However, they integrate well into almost any fitness program, whether as part of a warm-up, as a tool during the main workout, or as a complementary piece of kit to support bodyweight exercises. (opens in a new tab), like dominated and dominated. Ultimately, it’s their range of uses that makes them a must-have in any gym and a key piece of equipment to consider for home workouts.
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