Even though I do work out at a commercial gym, i am a huge fan of getting in a workout at home. This is a perfect way to get more exercise into your life if you are busy with kids, family, or work for the majority of the day. Resistance training is also one of the most beneficial forms of exercise for strength gains and appearance as it keeps the muscle under tension throughout the entire movement. So if you are at home and want to get some resistance training into your daily routine, I cannot recommend resistance bands enough. They are pretty damn cheap, stretch easily, and there a million exercises you can do with them. I am going to go over how you can pick out the best resistance bands and what you should be looking for. Sit tight and lets do this!
Best Resistance Bands On The Market
| Picture | Name | Price | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Bodylastics | $$$ | Read Amazon Reviews |
 | Aylio | $$ | Read Amazon Reviews |
 | Black Mountain | $$ | Read Amazon Reviews |
As with all strength equipment, soon after you start, you are going to get better! While using resistance bands, your strength will increase and soon you will need to increase the ristance that the band offers. To do this, a good rule of thumb is to buy a set of bands that will each be harder to use than the next. If you do go with a single one, you can “shorten” it by standing or pulling closer together to increase resistance. Going with a set though has a lot of benefits. As you can see from the table above, we have picked out some sets that go from just a few pounds up to hundreds of pounds resistance. This will let the bands increase with your fitness profess. They are also extremely high rated so you can buy with confidence!
What To Look For Before Purchasing
When you begin your journey to find some top rated resistance bands, you are going to see a lot of options. I will go into some resistance band reviews later on, but for the meanwhile, here are a few things to keep in mind when you are shopping.
- Length of the band: The majority of the bands you will see for sale are going to be about 5 feet long. Some may be longer while others are shorter, but you should be thinking about how far you want these to stretch. Obviously the more material there is, the great stretching distance and the more resistance you can get from them. Also think about what types of exercises you want to do as sometimes a longer piece is needed for upper body exercises while a lot of people use shorter bands for leg work. It really all depends on what kind of exercises you want to do.
- Pounds: Unlike typical home workout equipment like adjustable dumbbells, resistance bands are measured in pounds of resistance instead of pounds of the actual bands. You will need to have a rough idea of what kind of weight range you need. If you are a beginner looking to build up some strength, you want to go with a starter band that will only give a few pounds of resistance and then be able to work up to heavier bands. Remember, you want a set that will progress with you so you do not need to keep buying equipment.
- Lower or Upper Body?: This is something else you will want to think about. Some people just want to work out their arms to be better at sports such as baseball. Other people want to use their bands to increase their leg strength so they are better at cycling. And then of course there are others who just want to get in a good total body workout. You will need to think about what type of body part you will be working on before you buy as the bands are made different. There are flat bands and tube bands. Each has their own pros and cons.
- Durable?: I hate when I buy a product and it only lasts a year or two. When I investment into fitness equipment, I am expecting for it to last a lifetime. Some brands are going to be a lot more durable than others and this is generally going to be reflected in the price. Have a look around, pick a good name brand, and read reviews to see which ones are holding up under heavy workout pressure.
- Price: It usually all comes down to the price. There are cheap resistance bands, and expensive ones. If you just want a single band, you will only pay a few dollars and if you want to get a full set, you can expect to pay 50-100 dollars. You need to consider which best fits your budget and your goals. I always recommend a set as they will last a long while and be able to give you a benefit for many years to come.
Types Of Resistance Band Exercises
I like to use my exercise bands to do exercises that generally would require a traditional dumbbell. This is an alternative that is going to cost much less than a gym membership or a traditional weight and will take up little to no room. They are flexible and you will be able to do almost all the same exercises but under a resistance keeping your muscle under constant tension which enables it to tone up and grow at the same time!
Here are some of the ways you can use your new resistance ropes
- Strength: My personal favorite is working on strength. You will need some heavy duty resistance bands to take the place of normal weights but they can still work. Get a heavy band, place one side of it under a door or a table, and do traditional strength exercises such as curls while having resistance on your biceps at all time. Since your muscles are active during the entire movement, you will certainly see some improvement.
- Aerobic: Another way to use your new resistance bands is to use the elastic bands to add some aerobic exercise. You can use a lower elastic resistance, and do a lot of reps. This will help increase your endurance and your cardiovascular health. An example of this would be to take a short tube band, place it around your feet, and do walking lunges for as long as possible. This will begin to burn but you will be impressed on how fast you improve.
- Balance: Finally there is the aspect of training your balance. Since the elastic stretches, you can do exercises such as yoga which will increase your balance by the use of resistance bands.
3 Types Of Bands
Okay, I am going to get into the resistance band reviews after this section, but before we get into that, lets go over the three different types of elastic bands there are.
- Flat: This is the most common band you will find. They do not have any handles but are just flat elastic strips that are about 4 to 5 feet long and typically come in multiple colors. These can be used for almost any type of resistance exercise and are what you would generally find in a commercial gym.
- Tube: These come in different colors as well but instead of being a flat strip, they are going to be small tubes. These are about the same size of 4 to 5 feet long, sometimes come with handles or grips, and are used for many upper body exercises. This is one of my personal favorites as I love the style and the hand grips.
- Loop: These are flat bands that do not have a beginning or an end because they are attached together in a loop. These are used in gyms around the country and you can typically find them attached to a pull up machine, bench, or a dead lift station. This is to increase the tension at the top of the rep and make it easier as it is being picked up or put down. These are less popular, but are great for gaining strength on more traditional equipment.
All of these come in different colors. The different colors typically represent the pounds of resistance per band.
Resistance Bands Reviews
Not all bands are going to be made the same. Read these reviews to find the best resistance bands for you to tone up and gain muscle
Bodylastics MAX XT Set
This 14 piece set by Bodylastic is an excellent set of exercise elastics that will be able to be used in any workout environment. Each band is made out of a type of latex that can be used by itself, or be used with traditional weights. The smallest weight is just 2 pounds, while the heaviest is 30 pounds. Keep in mind you are getting multiple bands for each resistance level so you can double up and have twice the weight!
If you go with this set, you will get a few months of access to their virtual service that sets you up with other people that are into fitness and offer hundreds of different workouts for any body part you can think of.
All the reviews that I have read on this product say that they are made to a high quality, look great, and take up little to no space. You will need some space to workout with them, but storage is easy and you can put them anywhere. The customer service from Bodylastics is top notch and everyone seems to say that they helped if there was any problems. If by some chance your unit needs replaced then they are known for getting to you quickly and dealing with the problem instead of some of the bad customer service stories you hear floating around. Overall, this is the best set of elastic resistance bands you can buy. It is a bit more expensive, but an excellent choice for anyone that is serious.
Ayilio Ultimate
I really like this ultimate set by Aylio Fitness. These are the tube elastic bands that come with attachments to you can chose to add the handles and straps if you want but if not, that is perfectly fine too! These are perfect for anyone who is just getting into fitness but also perfect for people who have been lifting for a while.
I say these are perfect for everyone because you can target certain muscle groups at only a few pounds of resistance, but when you get stronger, you can go up to 166 pounds of tension on these resistance bands.
The reviews have said that these are extremely good quality and some people are even buying them to use in programs such as P90X. Whatever the reason you decide to pick up a set, no matter if it is for a fitness DVD, or get toned and lose weight at home, these resistance bands are sure to work well and are in anyone’s budget.
Black Mountain Products
Black Mountain Products is well known for producing awesome fitness equipment perfect for advanced fitness enthusiasts as well as complete beginners. When you pick up this product from them, you get a set of tube ropes that go from 2 pounds of resistance up to 30 pounds. They have attachments at each side so you can put them together if you want to make a longer band. They are a good length each and since they can be linked together, you can also attach handles that come in the package if you want.
Since they come with clips, what I like to do is attach one side to a door or a table, and then on the other end I will attach one of the handles to use for my workout. This is a great way to get a full muscle contraction and stretch or for anyone looking to rehab from an accident. These are priced just right for the beginner!
The price does reflect the quality though. Some people have said that these are not made to the standard they would expect and others have reported that the bands eventually end up breaking on them after a handful of workouts. To get this fixed, the customer service seems decent. If you are looking to buy, this is a great set for a beginner, but beware that these are not the best quality and if you want a better piece of equipment you will need to pay a little bit extra. That being said, getting started is often the hardest part, so go for it!
Now It Is Your Turn
We have gone over ways to find the cheapest bands that offer quality and an excellent home workout. Now it is your time to make a choice and actually use them. Buying a product will not increase your fitness level by itself, you have to work! You have to work damn hard! Get a pair, and start building your home gym. You need to be serious. If you are, you will quickly get into shape, lose the weight you are looking to lose, and get into the best shape of your life. Best of luck on your fitness journey!
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