Top 15 Benefits of Resistance Bands and Booty Bands

Are you looking to change up your gym routine? Have you been using kettlebells and various types of weights and want to try something less stressful on your joints as you strengthen your muscles? Or are you someone who prefers to use minimal equipment when exercising?

If your answer is ‘yes’ to any of the questions above, then you’ll be glad to know this article is dedicated to discussing the benefits of resistance bands.

But first, what are resistance bands, and are they the same as booty bands?

After we answer these questions, we can focus on discussing the benefits of using a resistance band.

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What is a Resistance Band?

So, what is a resistance band and what is a booty band? Are they one and the same thing?

Resistance bands are a specific group of workout equipment or accessories that can be used to stretch the muscles. Loop bands, tubing without handles, and bands with handles are available. They’re made of elastic and fibrous materials that make them flexible and allow them to stretch.

They can be used to aid strength training because extending a band requires force. They have many other uses and have been extensively applied in injury recovery training, aesthetics and athletics, as well as physical therapy.

Resistance bands are usually colour-coded to indicate various levels of resistance, and users must choose the right level for the type of exercise they are doing. However, brands sometimes use different code colours, so keep this in mind when purchasing resistance bands.

And, What are Booty Bands?

Booty bands (aka hip circle bands, butt bands, fit loop bands, hip bands, and mini bands) are a specific type of elastic resistance band. They’re designed to be wrapped around your thighs at a certain point above the knee; however, they can also be used below the knee for certain workouts.

In lower body workouts, booty bands help to add pressure, support, or resistance to the leg muscles.

Booty bands target the hips and all of their conceivable movements (flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, external or internal rotation). Using them will aid in the improvement of hip strength and mobility, as well as glute gains (which is precisely why they’ve come to be known as booty bands).

What Do You Use Resistance Bands For?

Why use resistance bands at all when there are other exercises and equipment you can use at the gym like doing the weighted mule kick, or using the butt blaster, leg press or hip abduction machine?

As mentioned above, using resistance bands is nothing new, and they are used for a range of exercises – whether for building muscle, toning, or injury recovery.

But to answer the question ‘What do you use resistance bands for’, it’s essential to go over the different specific uses of resistance bands to get the answer.

• To aid in pull-ups: Resistance bands are an excellent tool for facilitating aided pull-ups, as in the case of some Pilates workouts.
• To boost power: You can add resistance bands to certain exercises, such as box squats and deadlifts. Doing so will increase your rate of force development as well as your athletic performance in terms of your vertical jump height, sprint speed, and other factors.
• To build strength: If you work out at home or don’t have any weights to begin with, resistance bands can be used as a substitute in exercises that require the use of light weights to build strength.
• To improve mobility: Resistance band workouts provide access to a variety of mobility exercises. These, in turn, will help you improve your range of motion on compound exercises and avoid injury.
• To prevent injury: Use resistance bands to strengthen the connective tissue around the elbows and knees. This will keep you safe and prevent the development of overuse injuries (induced by inflammation) from intense workouts.

Top 15 Benefits of Resistance Bands

There’s no doubt that resistance bands have a special place in the fitness world, and they’re unlikely to go away anytime soon. This is because the benefits of resistance bands are quite well known.

Here are 15 benefits of resistance bands for the glutes, legs or any part of your body you’re working on using these versatile fitness accessories:

1. They help accelerate strength training.

Resistance bands can help you turn your strength-training regimens into high-intensity ones. In doing so, you’ll be building larger muscles more quickly, effectively, and properly.

You can do this by attaching a band to another machine. To lift the banded weight, you’ll have to carry as much as 68 kilograms or about 150 pounds. Just make sure to balance the level of resistance on both arms for an even workout.

Additionally, minimise the weights you are used to carrying when adding resistance bands to your weights to avoid straining or damaging your muscles.

2. They ensure you stretch safely.

Anyone who exercises should stretch regularly as stretching can reduce muscular pain and injury risk.

Stretches done using resistance bands offer more flexibility and range of motion than stretches without them. However, if you’re using bands and your muscles start to shake, you’ve probably gone too far.

Stretching can be done before or after an exercise. When doing stretches before a workout, warm up first. A good example is the upper back stretch. This simple exercise requires you to sit straight with your legs stretched out on the floor, wrapping the band around your feet, and moving your chest towards your feet slowly.

3. They help eliminate muscle imbalances.

Are you someone who suffers from muscular imbalances? If so, it’s not at all unusual as everyone usually has a dominant arm, which is larger and stronger than the other.

This is not to say, however, that imbalances should be left alone as some need to be corrected. After all, such imbalances are usually the result of bad movement habits that have been ingrained over time. For example, sleeping on one side every night could result in lateral hip shift, which will then impact your bench press as one shoulder would be set higher than the other.

But when resistance bands are added to the exercise, you are forced to press with both sides equally.

This will help you unlearn bad movement patterns over time. Of course, you should start by addressing the fundamental cause of the muscular imbalance in the first place. Stretching, mobility drills, and posture-focused exercises can help prevent it from getting worse.

4. They promote bone strength.

Some of the advantages of resistance bands are age related. These elastic bands can help you avoid osteoporosis, a serious bone disease.

All humans begin to lose bone density after 30 years. Resistance bands, on the other hand, can help you slow down this loss and, therefore, enhance your bone health. With resistance band exercises, you’ll be exposing your bone mass to mechanical loads greater than those encountered in daily life, and this helps to preserve those bones.

5. They reduce the incidence of injury during exercise.

Resistance bands have a number of advantages, one of which is that they help to lower the risk of injury during exercise.

According to various studies conducted by different training institutes, resistance bands assist in providing the same muscular activity as weight training. However, they apply less strain to your joints, thereby lowering your risk of injury.

Furthermore, resistance bands exert less force on your joints over time, so you can have pain-free joints. Resistance bands are also ideal for folks with joint problems and who want to exercise because they don’t put too much pressure on the joints.

6. They activate your core muscles.

The tension in resistance bands makes them an excellent tool for activating your core muscles.

When you need to keep your form while training with these bands, your core muscles must work hard to keep you stable. As a result, not only your arms and legs, but also your core, get a fantastic workout.

7. They offer different levels of resistance.

Let’s face it, some people are inherently stronger than others, or way ahead in terms of fitness. So, to get the most out of their workouts, they may require larger weights or greater resistance.

Resistance bands really shine in this situation.

As previously stated, resistance bands come in various thicknesses and, hence, provide varied levels of resistance. This is essentially the same as using heavier weights while training.

8. They can be used in combination with certain fitness equipment.

You can increase the tension in standard movements like squats, bench press, and deadlifts by mixing resistance bands in with each workout.

For example, adding bands to barbell and dumbbell lifts will provide added resistance throughout your lift. When you lift weights, your tension and power production usually drops throughout the lockout period and the eccentric portion of the lift (the negative). You’ll be fighting more than gravity with bands mixed into your workout. As a result, there will be more tension during the lift.

Adding bands will also help you stabilise your muscles, as your body will struggle to remain stable when the weights are strapped to the bands on both sides of an Olympic bar. When you employ bands this way, it'll feel like an earthquake happened during a routine lift.

Also, resistance bands aid in increasing explosion. Powerlifters, for example, employ bands during exercises (e.g. box squats) so they can achieve more explosive, impressive movements during competitions.

9. They improve flexibility.

Have you ever stayed the night on a sofa or plane seat and awoke stiff and sore? If so, you’ll understand how vital flexibility is for how well your body functions and feels.

Resistance bands can help. One study in 2019 revealed that the use of elastic bands in a 5-week training program enhanced the flexibility and range of motion of 23 rugby players. Researchers believe that while stretching, the strain of the bands produces room within joints.

Resistance bands also enhanced flexibility and balance among senior people, according to a meta-analysis of 19 studies involving a total of 649 participants. This is especially crucial for seniors because accidents (e.g. slips and falls) can cause serious health problems.

10. They help improve balance.

Balance is essential to people of all age groups, but is even more vital for older individuals to help them avoid injury. Physical function has also been linked by some researchers to mental health and quality of life.

For four weeks, elderly participants in one small study conducted a 40-minute resistance band exercise routine five times a week. The program participants not only improved their sense of balance, but they also experienced improvements in their mental health and physical function as measured on a survey.

11. They build the back muscles and improve posture.

During exercise, some people focus their attention mostly on the front of their bodies, ignoring their backs. Poor posture and a weak midsection are common outcomes of this.

Resistance bands might help you achieve the much-needed balance in your workouts.

The bent-over row, deadlifts, and good morning row are some of the back exercises you can do to strengthen the back muscles and improve your posture using bands.

12. They strengthen the legs.

Although most people use weights to strengthen their legs, resistance bands can assist in targeting the smaller muscles which are in charge of maintaining joint balance and stability. Flexors and adductors are two examples of these muscles.

A good example of resistance band exercises targeting the legs is standing glute kickbacks. Do this by looping a resistance band around your ankles and slowly kicking backwards up to a height of eight inches or about 20 centimetres.

Side leg raises are another great example of resistance band workouts for the legs. Do this exercise by lying down on the floor and supporting your torso with your forearm. Lift each upper leg as high as you can with the resistance band around your ankles. Repeat the process.

13. They aid in weight loss.

Aside from enhancing your form or shape (as in the case of booty band exercises), resistance band exercises can promote weight loss.

When you use resistance bands to build muscle, you also increase your metabolism, which then aids in fat reduction. Bands also increase calorie expenditure by simultaneously exercising various muscle groups.

14. They are lightweight and portable.

The fact that resistance bands are lightweight and portable is one big reason why they are so popular. For people who need to travel out of town most of the time or find themselves without access to a gym, resistance bands are a boon indeed.

Resistance bands are tiny, foldable, light in weight, and easily transportable from one location to another. All you need to do is toss them inside your backpack, or bag, and you’re good to go. They are ideal for training at work, at the park, or in your hotel room out of town.

15. They’re incredibly affordable.

Resistance bands don’t cost a lot. In fact, they are significantly less expensive in comparison to weights.

And because resistance bands are so inexpensive, they are accessible to people of all income levels.

So, even if you don’t have a gym membership right now, as long as you have a small space to do your exercises, you’re all set.

What Types of Resistance Bands Are There?

There are many types of resistance bands, and each one performs a specific purpose.

Below is a list of some of the different types of resistance bands and what they mainly target:

• Flat Therapy Bands: These are mostly used for injury healing and physical therapy. They have a wide and flat design that makes them easy to wrap around the hands or legs. Additionally, you may rapidly modify their length and cut them into smaller pieces. Furthermore, these bands can be used to provide resistance to Pilates exercises.
• Handled: These bands have handles incorporated into them to make them simpler to hold. Because they provide a secure hold, these handles make it easier to ply and move the band. The handles also contribute to the band’s versatility, as it may be used for a number of strength-training routines. They are ideal for improving grip strength as well as muscle development.
• Leg-Arm Tubes: These are closed-loop bands that are available in a variety of shapes. For example, there are bands for ankle cuffs and bands in the shape of the number 8 designed to aid the upper body. Since leg-arm tubes tend to be muscle-specific, they usually have limited utility.
• Loops: These are smaller than flat bands and form a closed loop. They are most commonly used to stretch and strengthen the hips and buttocks. They’re also a staple at most gyms targeting those who want to work on their thighs and legs.
• Power-Mobility: Powerlifters benefit from these heavy-duty loop bands. They’re also a fantastic option for those who want to do some cross-training. They assist with muscular stretching, mobility correction, and strength and resistance training.
• Stackable: These aid in reducing and controlling workout intensity. These bands can be stacked on top of one another to make larger bands sections. The more bands you stack, the more resistance they provide, thereby assisting in muscle development.

Although this list includes a variety of resistance bands, the best type of resistance bands for you would depend on your fitness goals and what type of exercise you intend to do.

Do Resistance Bands Really Work?

Even when you already know so much about resistance bands, you might still be sceptical and ask: Do resistance bands work? Can you get toned with resistance bands?

Yes, in a nutshell. Resistance bands can be used for a variety of purposes, exercises and fitness levels, as you can see from the aforementioned list and research.

Resistance bands can be a fantastic addition to your exercise program, regardless of where you are now or where you want to be fitness-wise.

Who Should Use Resistance Bands?

Most people are excellent candidates for exercises involving the use of resistance bands.

In particular, people who are recovering from an injury and need to stay away from using larger weights should use resistance bands instead.

With resistance band training, you’ll be able to rebuild muscle strength, rectify any imbalances you may have, and avoid re-injury.

Resistance bands may be exactly what you need to get started on a fitness routine if you have mobility issues or chronic health conditions affecting specific parts of your body.

Even healthy, regular folk who want to experience the benefits of using resistance bands should give these versatile fitness gears a go.