At the start of 2020, I set multiple audacious fitness goals for myself. I wanted to finish a marathon, be able to do a muscle up and try out power lifting, among other things.

But then, the coronavirus happened.

And all of my best laid plans went astray. Marathons were canceled, gyms were closed. And to add insult to injury, I had just sold off all my strength training equipment, thinking I won’t be needing them at home anymore. 

It took me a while to adjust to the new reality. But, after several months of trying out alternative workout options, I can now say that I did ok, fitness-wise, during this pandemic, despite the challenges.

Coronavirus forced me to simplify my workouts and make do with what I’ve got at home, which was literally nothing. It also introduced me to the world of bodyweight workouts and minimalist fitness equipment.

One such piece of equipment, which took me by surprise, both in terms of simplicity and efficacy was Resistance bands.

I first tried them a month ago and got hooked immediately. This post is a review of my experience with resistance bands. And a summary of what I’ve learned from a month of doing bands – only workouts.

What are they?

They are nothing but elastic bands, which can be used for strength training, with their elasticity as resistance. They come in different variants. And are color coded based on their level of resistance, typically ranging anywhere from 5lbs/2.2kg to 100lbs/45kg

Pros

Simple – They are simple and easy to use. Bands require no installation and their usage is pretty straight forward. You pull/push at one end of the band keeping the other end fixed. They could be fixed to a door, a window or your own body.

Portable – With resistance bands, you could fit in almost 500lbs/220kg of total resistance into a small gym bag. And they would not weigh more than a few pounds. They can be carried along anywhere, easily, with zero hassle.

Effective – You can work every major muscle group with a resistance band using the same exercises as you would, with free weights. Be it squats, presses, pulls or curls, they could be done with a band. You could also increase the intensity, either by using multiple bands at a time, or by going unilateral i.e one side at a time.

Value for Money – Resistance bands are probably the most cost effective fitness equipment out there. For the cost of a pair of light weight dumbbells, I could get all three variants i.e light , medium and heavy bands, adding up to a total resistance of 200lbs/90kg.

Cons

Progression – With free weights, you could progress easily from workout to workout. You simply have to add a few pounds to the bar. But with bands, it’s not so straight forward. The resistance of a band varies, depending on where you hold it and how much slack is left, at the beginning of an exercise. As a result, it’s difficult to keep track of progress.

Lesser Gains – Even though you could replicate almost every free weight exercise with a resistance band, the results would not be the same. Strength and muscle gains are better with free weights, simply because they are more demanding on the body, compared to bands.

Summary

Resistance Bands are simple, easy to use, compact and cheap. Also they can be used anywhere and need no additional equipment. Even though they are not as effective as free weights for strength and muscle gains, they do come pretty close, for just half the price.

If you, like me, are looking for a minimalist approach to fitness, a resistance band, calisthenics and a pull up bar might just cover everything you need between them.

Tips

If you’ve read thus far and are planning to get started with resistance bands, here are a few tips for you to keep in mind

• Use a good pair of gloves.
• Make sure that the door or window you attach the band to, is tightly locked in place.
• Buy all three variants.
• If you notice any tears on the band, DO NOT use them. You don’t want the band breaking in the middle of an exercise.
• For detailed workout routines and exercise variants, check out the videos by James Garge and Fouad Abiad.

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