The rubber tubing and elastic bands, which are often overlooked for general fitness, can be a good alternative to dumbbells. These can be used for many of the same purposes as free weights. With the correct program, they will help you improve your balance and muscle endurance.
You’ll find them everywhere, from the local gym to rehabilitation clinics. You can easily take your tubing or bands with you on any trip, whether it be for work or pleasure. They are also relatively inexpensive, so they can be very cost-effective compared with buying weights.
Tubing allows for good range of motion and they even allow you to combine several exercises at once such as a squat-to-curl-to-press. Your imagination is the only limit to your exercise options. Some types of tubes or bands can be attached to doors or other fixed objects. You can train sports-specific movements such as the swing of a ball or bat, which will allow you improve your performances in that sport.
Different colours are available for bands and tubing, and that’s because there is a reason. It’s not because marketers discovered that certain people prefer yellow to others. These colours indicate the resistance of the band. You should be aware that every manufacturer has a different code. One yellow band can be low-resistant, while another black band could have a greater resistance…but make sure you check which coding the brand uses.
It is important to remember that thicker bands reach their stretch limit sooner in the exercise. This means that at the beginning of the movement it will be more easy, while at the end of the movement it will become increasingly difficult. The exercise may be affected by this and it could cause you to have a slightly different form once the band limit has been reached. Two medium bands may be better than one. Because the resistance of the band changes through the stretch it is difficult to know the exact weight. Last, I want to mention that tension will decrease over time. You may have to buy more bands for replacement.
Why should you use tubing and bands? You don’t have to buy a lot of different colors because they are so versatile. A few can be kept at home and in the bag so you are never far from great exercise. Tubing is not the right choice if you are looking to increase strength and muscle mass. However, tubing is great for those who want to train their muscles or general fitness.