Manufacturers
How to choose the best fitness and strength band?
Do you want to upgrade your home training equipment but don't know what exactly you need? One of the most popular home workout accessories is resistance bands. But which are better, more durable and what's the difference between them?
Resistance bands are a great alternative to free weights. They don't take up much space, so they can also be easily stored and taken with you wherever you go. But how to choose the right one? It's easy to get confused by the wide range of resistance bands. That's why we've put together a brief overview to help you choose the one that suits your needs and preferences.
TYPES OF RESISTANCE BANDS
To start with, there are 3 main types of resistance bands: strength resistance bands, resistance bands with handles and minibands. Each resistance band has its own features and its own application.
STRENGTH RESISTANCE BANDS
RESISTANCE BANDS WITH HANDLES
MINIBANDS
Below we have put together a brief overview of fitness and strength resistance bands, what their features are and what workouts or exercises each band is best suited for.
STRENGTH RESISTANCE BANDS
Strength resistance bands are usually made of latex or rubber and form a 'complete' loop without breaking in the material. As the name suggests, these types of resistance bands are ideal for squats, deadlifts and simply to increase the load when performing, for example, leg exercises. There are also fabric strength bands - specialised by German manufacturer FLEXVIT, which creates strength bands in different lengths and constructions, chosen depending on the application - physiotherapy, acceleration workouts or strength training.
TRX has created an interesting innovation in the field of resistance bands - the TRX Bandit. TRX makes specially designed handles that can easily be used with TRX resistance bands, as well as with any other brand of band. The ergonomic design of these handles makes the grip much more enjoyable.
Manufacturers: TRX, SKLZ, Bodylastics, FLEXVIT
RESISTANCE BANDS WITH HANDLES
The resistance bands with handles are made of latex. They have either non-removable handles or interchangeable handles with a clamp at each end, allowing the resistance bands to be attached to various sports accessories such as handles, ankle straps and door anchors. There are also different resistance bands with one pair of handles - the interchangeable handles allow you to expand the number of exercises that can be performed at home. Sometimes as a budget alternative to this type of resistance bands, fitness flat bands are chosen - the ends of these flat bands are held in the hands or wrapped around the arms (if the resistance is higher) to perform some similar exercises.
Manufacturers: SKLZ (interchangeable handles and other accessories available), Escape, Gravity, Bodylastics
MINIBANDS
Minibands are the smallest in size of all resistance bands. They come in both narrow and wide widths - you have to find the one that suits you best. These bands are usually placed around the upper thighs, just above the knee, to train the leg and hip muscles, while placed below the knee they can be used for lunges and leg lifts, or used for arm, shoulder and back exercises. Fabric elastics - which do not curl, are easier to fix and can be washed - have become particularly popular recently.
Manufacturers: TRX, SKLZ, Fitstore, Bodylastics, FLEXVIT
SETS OF RESISTANCE BANDS
Although resistance bands can be purchased individually, most bands are available as pre-packaged kits containing bands of different resistances, such as FLEXVIT, SKLZ or TRX. This option is perfect for those who just want to start using resistance bands in their workouts, as they can choose the level of resistance that suits them, and for active users, as they can adjust the resistance and do gradual exercises (starting with the heaviest resistance, doing as many repetitions as possible, and then switching and immediately continuing with the lightest resistance).
