Because resistance bands aren’t a heavy duty piece of exercise equipment like hand weights, barbells, and exercise machines, many people wonder how well they work. Specifically, they question if they should even bother using them, or if they’d be better off sticking to the more traditional exercise equipment. Are you wondering the same?

According to research, training with resistance bands offers the same type of advantages as working out with various other types of weight training equipment. This is good news for you if you like the idea that resistance bands are less expensive, easier to travel with, and take up way less room than bulky machines.

The key to success with bands, just like with any resistance training routine, is to choose the ones that provide the greatest amount of resistance to your muscles without causing you to sacrifice your form. This generally means using different strengths depending on which area of your body you’re working out. For instance, you might only use light resistance bands when building your biceps and triceps but require heavier resistance when you’re working your upper legs.

The one exception to this is if you are going for a body builder’s physique. In that case, you’re probably going to need more resistance than a band can provide. However, you can also add resistance bands to traditional weights to make them harder to lift, push, and pull. That makes them an important part of this type of intensive strength training routine.

In short, resistance bands work just fine for people with a goal of building a trim and tone physique. And if you want something more, adding bands to your strength training routine can make it more effective.

Either way, resistance bands are a great way to get and stay in shape!