Benefits of Resistance Bands & How to Add Them to a Workout

Trainers utilize many different strength training methods. For many, these methods incorporate the use of resistance band training. Although, they can use these bands to varying degrees.

“I focus solely on band training,” says the online personal trainer who works with clients that don’t have free weights at home. “I only use resistance bands some of the time,” replies the trainer who relies on more traditional strength training techniques.

Neither scenario is right or wrong. As a trainer, you get to decide when and how you utilize exercise equipment. But if you aren’t currently using elastic resistance bands, your clients may be missing out. 

When properly applied, bands are an effective supplement for a traditional lifting workout. First, we’ll talk about why. This requires knowing how bands work. It also involves understanding the benefits of resistance bands.

Next, we’ll share a few resistance band exercises that can be added to a client’s workout. Finally, we’ll share some guidelines for maximum resistance band training safety and effectiveness.

How Resistance Bands Work

If you’ve never engaged in resistance band training, you might be wondering how it works. To help you better understand, consider the simple squat. A half squat is much easier than a full squat. Why? Because this kind of exercise has an ascending strength curve (much like deadlifts and bench presses).

An ascending strength curve means that as you rise from the squatted position, lifting yourself and the weight becomes easier. This matters because you are only getting adaptive overload at the bottom of the squat. The rest of the exercise is too easy, in other words, and won't give you maximum results.

One way to combat this is to practice compensatory acceleration training (CAT). With CAT, as you rise from the squatted position, you accelerate. You start slow, then speed up. Still, CAT can’t give you full adaptive overload because of a negative acceleration phase. This is when you decelerate or slow down at the very end of the movement. 

When people train using CAT, they decelerate for up to half of the range of motion. Even if you try to go as fast as possible, your body naturally slows down. This dampens your full adaptive overload. Here’s where the resistance band comes in.

If you have a band attached to the weight during your squat, resistance will increase as you rise. This transforms an ascending strength curve into a full lift overload.

As you get toward the completion of the lift, the bands pull tighter. Thus, more force is required to complete the lift. More muscle fibers will be required to finalize the movement. And you will see greater gains in muscle mass and strength.

Benefits of Resistance Bands: What Does the Science Say?

Some training professionals look at bands as the latest fitness fad. But there is actual science to back up the benefits of resistance training with an elastic band. Here are a few studies that have found positive effects.

• A 2019 study involved 30 junior handball players. Some trained with an elastic resistance band. The remaining players served as a control. After 8 weeks, the players using exercise bands had more improvements in peak power, strength, and throwing velocity. 

• A 2021 study involved 15 college-level physical education students. When resistance bands were used in 3RM and 5RM squats during a warm-up, it had positive effects. These effects included improved sprinting and change of direction ability. Students also had better explosiveness at 4 minutes post-recovery.

• A 2022 meta-analysis supports the use of resistance bands for older adults. It found that doing resistance band exercises for 24 weeks reduces frailty. After just 12 weeks, depression is reduced as well.

• A 2018 study suggests that the benefits of resistance bands extend to children as well. Namely, after training with the bands, the kids had better grip strength. A stronger grip helps them when holding a pencil to write or playing on the monkey bars.

How to Add a Resistance Band to a Workout Routine

Ready to add resistance bands to your clients’ strength training routine? First, it’s helpful to remember that you don’t have to use resistance bands exclusively. You can use them one day of the week, then use traditional weights another. 

Changing the routine helps keep the client from getting bored. Plus, different resistance devices can boost muscle strength in different ways. The more modalities you use, the greater your ability to work all aspects of a specific muscle or muscle group.

It’s also important to choose a band that offers the right resistance level. If your client has good lower body strength, for instance, they would benefit from a band that offers greater resistance. (This is similar to how you would use a heavy weight for maximum muscle growth.) Conversely, a client with a lower fitness level would benefit from a band that offers less resistance.

Also consider your client’s fitness goals. Are they wanting weight loss or increased strength? If it’s more strength they want, where do they want it? Their answers will dictate how you structure the workout. It also helps decide which exercises to include. 

If they want to improve strength in their arms, for instance, you’ll want to include movements that involve the upper body. If it’s stronger core muscles they want, a deadlift with bands can help.

Exercises to Include in Resistance Band Workouts

Keeping the above in mind, it’s time to create the actual workout. Here are a few resistance band exercises to consider. 

1. Squatting in a Power Rack

You have a couple of options for this resistance band exercise. One is that you can set the safety pins at a low position. Next, loop the bands around the pins and attach them to the barbell. The second is to loop the bands around the bottom of the safety rack. Typically, higher-end racks have special peg attachments just for bands.

If you use free-standing racks, make sure you place a barrier (like plates) around them. This way, they won't roll when you walk the weight out.

2. The Bench Press

A good technique for the bench press is to attach one band to each end, then slide it under the bench. The bench press may also need to be performed in a power rack. In this case, set the bands up as suggested for the squat. Or you can loop the bands around very heavy dumbbells. Regardless of what setup you use, make sure the bands are set evenly.

3. Deadlifts

Some companies make a platform specifically for deadlifts. This can be a great investment if you prescribe this exercise often. Another option is to use one band and step on the band to make sure it stays in place.

4. Reverse Bands

Applying bands to barbells in the bottom-up fashion is not the only way to use resistance bands. You can also use a top-down, or reverse method. This is also known as the lightened method.

Using the squat as an example, attach the bands to the top of the rack instead of the bottom. The lower you squat, the more the band helps you. As you rise back up to the starting position, the band offers less assistance. This is the same resistance concept but in a reversed order.

Here's how reverse band work can be useful:

If you have strong quads, they're probably not getting a huge overload as you complete a squat. If your chest and anterior deltoids overpower your triceps, it will be very difficult to sufficiently overload your triceps with a compound movement like a close-grip bench press.

With the reverse band technique, you can effectively overload your triceps with a compound movement because of the additional resistance. As you lock the weight out, your triceps are the prime mover and will be overloaded.

Many lifters have shoulders and pectoral injuries. The reverse band reduces the load at the bottom, in the most vulnerable position of a pressing exercise. This allows full range of motion during the press, without the typical wear and tear.

Resistance Band Best Use Guidelines

Bands allow non-linear resistance. But it’s also important to recognize that it's easier to overtrain with bands than with chains or traditional resistance such as weight machines. So, here are a few guidelines to help keep a resistance band workout both safe and effective:

• Avoid sets of more than eight reps with bands.

• Bands can be used with barbells, dumbbells, and machines. Be sure to limit their use to movements with an ascending strength curve.

• Do not use additional band resistance more than three weeks in a row.

• When using a band with a barbell, only use 10-25% additional band resistance. For example, with a 300-pound barbell, you would use 30-75 pounds of additional resistance.

When properly applied and used in conjunction with traditional resistance tools, resistance bands can give your clients the best workout possible. 

To supply clients with the best weight training options, become an ISSA Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. This course teaches you how to help clients boost muscular strength. You also learn the movements that promote better agility. Together, this enhances their performance, making you their trainer of choice.

Resources

Aloui, G., Hermassi, S., Hammami, M., Gaamouri, N., Bouhafs, E., & Comfort, P. et al. (2019). Effects of an 8-Week In-Season Upper Limb Elastic Band Training Programme on the Peak Power, Strength, and Throwing Velocity of Junior Handball Players. Sportverletzung · Sportschaden, 33(03), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0819-5185

Peng, H., Zhan, D., Song, C., Chen, Z., Gu, C., Wang, I., & Wang, L. (2020). Acute Effects of Squats Using Elastic Bands on Postactivation Potentiation. Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research, 35(12), 3334-3340. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000003618

Daryanti Saragih, I., Yang, Y., Saragih, I., Batubara, S., & Lin, C. (2021). Effects of resistance bands exercise for frail older adults: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled studies. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 31(1-2), 43-61. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15950

Özsu, İ. (2018). Effects of 6-Week Resistance Elastic Band Exercise on Functional Performances of 8-9 Year-Old Children. Journal Of Education And Training Studies, 6(12a), 23. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v6i12a.3887