Resistance Bands Review

by Kelly Olsen

I thought that I would try something new this month and use some resistance bands. A committed lifter of weights to tone my old aching body, I wasn’t sure how I would get on with these "rubber bands".

What is a Resistance Band (or Tube)?

Reebok is not the only one who sells resistance bands, and they are also often called tubes, however they are the ones I’ve used doing this review. What I liked about the Reebok resistance bands is that they have handles – having been around for a while; okay I’m over 40, the old style ‘bands’ didn’t have handles. This makes them so much easier and efficient to use and you can do more different types of exercises with them.

I chose the medium level resistance band, Reebok have three levels to chose from so you can use whichever resistance/intensity is right for you. They are made from latex with soft foam handles making it easy to hold on to them, and they all tend to be about 4ft/122cm long.

There is a difference, I believe, in the quality of the Reebok resistance bands. The handles tend to be larger, which is useful when you use them with your foot and you have to put your trainer in it – except of course if you have small delicate feet – not like mine! Plus they are made from high quality latex suitable for gym clubs and so can withstand a higher level of use.

Okay so they sound like giant elastics – how can you get a good workout from that?

Here’s what I did…

Warm up – of course.

I tried the workout outlined in the Reebok exercise booklet that comes with the resistance bands – two circuits of all the exercises is suggested as a starting point – from lunges to chest presses, tricep extensions to lateral raises.

This was challenging and definitely worth it, equally good as my normal free weight plan. Strength training like this really tones up the body and complements other forms of exercise.

Some of the upper body exercises require you to wrap the band round a solid object at chest height. I’ve got a pillar in my house, but I am not sure that everyone will have somewhere to attach the band, however it is fairly quick and easy to make a door attachment to enable you to do these exercises.

And finally…

You may not want to completely replace your free weights or machines with resistance bands if you’re working out in a gym, but it is good to vary your workouts – try replacing it once a week.

If you want to workout at home or when travelling, resistance bands are ideal as they will give you the means to do a full body workout and require almost no storage space.

Conclusion

These Reebok resistance bands are great. Versatile and inexpensive, plus they don’t take up too much room and are fun too. Plus, included booklet gives some good exercises and plans to get you started which is great.

Oh and they work!

The only draw back I can see is that resistance bands may not be suitable for someone who is very strong.