Which weight training elastics should you choose?

Bodybuilding elastics, training bands, resistance bands... Not always easy to know where you are with all the different names for basically the same thing.

These elastic bands are used in two cases: to add resistance and thus increase the difficulty of a movement or conversely to assist a movement by countering your weight.

This material works with a variable increasing resistance. Translation: the more the elastics are taut, the higher the resistance. The resistance level is proportional to the movement. When unstretched (usually the starting point of your movement), the elastic is under minimum tension. When fully stretched (so at the end of your movement), the elastic is under maximum tension.

In short, as you pull or push and the elastic band is stretched, your muscles need to provide extra energy to carry out the movement.

3 criteria enable you to choose from the large family of products:

• Workout type
• Physical and sporting goals
• Resistance level required

1. 👉 Weight training
   
   If you train in a gym, you probably already work with weights. If you're lucky enough to live in a bigger place than my studio flat, maybe you have a small home gym with equipment and machines. In this case, to add difficulty to your sets (with dumbbells or weight training bars) or to warm up, go for elastic bands (training bands) or glute bands.
   
   👉 Bodyweight training
   
   At home, outside, when travelling anywhere, elastics can go with you wherever!It's one of the major advantages of this equipment. All the elastics can pimp your bodyweight training sessions. In your living room between the sofa and the front door, in a park or a hotel room, (nearly) anywhere can become a training ground. In this case the elastics are selected according to the type of exercises that you want to carry out.

For you, weight training takes place in the gym. If I told you: strength training, weight lifting or explosiveness, does that mean something to you?If the answer is "yes", try out standard elastic bands with medium to strong resistance.

The previous description doesn't mean anything to you as you do mainly muscle strengthening exercises without weights or machines? If your goal is to tone up your whole body, in a home gym, outside or when travelling, you can use any type of light to medium resistance elastic.

It's good to build your muscles, but you didn't think that we would ignore everything else, did you? Warm up mobility exercises, strectching... For all of this, the tube or band elastics are best with a light resistance.

Do you know which type of elastic is made for you now? One step covered! Let's move on to the resistance level. This classification concerns in particular standard elastic bands and tube elastics.

What do you work with it? Your legs and more generally the whole of your lower body (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes).

The higher the resistance, the more the elastic is aimed at targeting large muscle groups, especially multi-joint exercises, such as bench presses or squats.

And your upper body? Certain movements (such as the rowing bar or push-ups with elastics) are possible, only if you have a good enough fitness level and are strong enough.

If you would like to do more intense mobility sessions, you can also choose this type of elastic.

It's the maximum resistance that exists. These elastics, mainly used to develop your strength or weight lifting sessions, are aimed at bodybuilding experts. I can almost hear the little voice in your head asking, “how can you tell if you're an expert”? Let's say that if getting up at 5:30am to go to the gym doesn't faze you, if your PR (personal record) on the bench press is equal to twice your weight and if you know the lexicon of weight training like the back of your hand, you are most certainly an expert.

When you talk about high resistance you talk about big muscle groups, so you work mainly the lower body: squats, deadlifts, leg presses... This type of elastic is also often used in pull-up assistance, but you knew that already, didn't you?

3 points to think about when choosing the right resistance band: resistance, length and material.

As for resistance, each brand gives their own ranking but generally, these elastic bands are sorted into three categories: light, medium and heavy. The weights equivalent to the resistance load are shown on each product. The higher the resistance shown, the harder the workout! You can increase the difficulty according to your progress or the exercises you wish to do.

The length of the elastic can play a role depending on the exercise that you do. Sometimes it can be interesting to use different lengths depending on where you place the elastic (around your thighs or ankles). Some bands are adjustable! These elastic bands are fitted with an opening and closing system to enable easy fitting.

Finally, for the material, you have two choices: rubber bands and textile bands. The best choice? The one which suits you best! As far as the material, each to his own.