by James - This article may contain affiliate links.
Resistance bands are simple yet super functional fitness aids. They’re so popular now, not only among professional athletes but also among beginners. Most people don’t know that each resistance band is equivalent to a certain weight. So, how heavy should resistance bands be?
Choosing a resistance band’s weight should depend on the user’s fitness level, muscle strength, and training goal. Beginners or people in rehab should use the light bands, while a more active user can benefit from the medium bands. Professional and super strong athletes can use heavy or extra-heavy bands.
Read the remainder of this article to learn more about the resistance band weight levels and how to pick the suitable bands for training.
We’ll also go through their color coding and tell you how to properly train with a resistance band and get the most out of it.
If you are in a hurry to see the best resistance bands we recommend for beginners, check out the products below.
Contents
Which Level of Resistance Bands You Should Use ?
Resistance bands are generally offered in sets with different colors (resistance levels), so we recommend purchasing a set or a few different level bands for upper and lower body workouts.
Start with the lightest bands, tan and yellow, if you’re a beginner.
You’ll most likely use them just for a short period.
As you progress and gain more strength, you can upgrade to heavier bands to keep challenging your body.
Your first option is to upgrade to green and then the red color.
The vital point is always to consider your current fitness level as the starting point and never force yourself to use bands that feel too heavy.
Once your strength level rises and your current bands feel too light, it’s time to go for heavier bands like blue-colored ones.
These bands can be perfect if you’ve been working out regularly and have done some strength training.
Using extra-heavy bands such as black or silver and gold requires a lot of muscle strength and a good fitness level.
But if you’re a professional athlete and super strong these bands can be great to work with and challenge yourself.
Here is a great video to learn how to choose the right resistance band:
Different Levels of Resistance ?♂️
Each color-coded resistance band creates a certain amount of resistance force equivalent to a specific weight.
Most people don’t know this fact or ignore it, but it plays a crucial role in choosing the correct resistance band.
Resistance bands come in yellow, green, red, blue, and black, and some brands add tan, silver, and gold.
In this spectrum, yellow is the lightest, which provides the least resistance force, so it’s used mainly by beginners or those who have a rehabilitation program. If a brand incorporates the tan color into its package, it’s lighter than the yellow.
On the other hand, the black band is the heaviest and creates the most resistance force, but if silver and gray are in the package, they’re much tighter and heavier.
These bands are usually best for people with a high fitness level or used by two people in assisted workouts.
Here’s a break-down of the different levels of resistance bands and their equivalent weights reported by research:
Yellow – Minimal or Light Resistance Band
These bands are super stretchy and light, making them an excellent choice for beginners, those in rehab, or with limited mobility.
The resistance force created by these bands is approximately equivalent to 1.1 to 2.9 kilograms at a 100% stretched state.
Red – Medium Resistance
These resistance bands are another excellent choice for beginners, but they’re slightly heavier than the yellow color, so it’s perfect for when you’ve built up strength with the yellow band and want to progress more.
They create a resistance force of 1.5 to 3.9 kilograms when fully stretched.
Green – Medium Resistance Band 2
These resistance bands are ideal for carrying around wherever you go and performing some strength training.
They usually provide a resistance force of about 2 to 5 kilograms which is great for beginners who’ve been active yet not using resistance bands.
Blue – Heavy Resistance Band
Blue-colored resistance bands are the low extreme of heaviness, so it’s most appropriate for the active users who regularly move around and work out.
This resistance band level provides a force equivalent to 2.8 to 7.1 kilograms.
Black – Extra-heavy Resistance Band
These bands are extremely tight and hard to pull, requiring a great deal of muscle strength to work out with them.
They’re usually used by extremely strong and experienced athletes or in assisted exercises performed by two persons.
These resistance bands offer more than 3.6 to 9.7 kilograms of resistance during the training.
Best Resistance Bands for Beginners ?
Resistance bands come in various types and serve different training goals.
Some resistance bands are in the shape of a loop, while others have two ends for better grip.
Moreover, they differ in size, resistance force, and material.
With all that detail, choosing the right band can be confusing.
That’s why we’ve picked three top options you can use as a beginner:
This Fit Simplify set of resistance loops shown above comes in 5 different resistance levels, making them perfect for beginners who gradually want to progress through higher resistance levels.
This set also has a carry bag and an instruction booklet with illustrated exercises.
These high-quality resistance bands are good buys and will work for various needs.
This TheraBand beginner set is latex-free, so there is no need to worry about latex allergy or sensitivity.
It comes in three colors, and it’s perfect for beginners and those in rehabilitation programs.
Finally, the Prosource Fit resistance band set is another excellent option for beginners.
It comes in different levels, all in one set so that you can progress gradually toward more advanced levels.
They also have attached handles and a door anchor to connect them to different places.
Why Are Resistance Bands Effective? ?
You can use resistance bands for full-body workouts to improve muscle building and toning; they’re also used in rehabilitation facilities because they help build up strength and stability over time. You can even use these bands in the warmup phase of your workout.
When you exercise with free weights such as a dumbbell, the resistance results from gravity force; however, the resistance force experienced with bands is caused by elastic tension generated when you pull the band during an exercise. That means, unlike the downward force with weights, you can exert force in any direction, adding to the effectiveness of the bands.
The more you stretch the band, the more tension you generate, and your muscles have to exert more power to overcome this tension.
Besides, unlike the free weights, which only create force in one direction (downward), with bands, you can create force in different directions or pull and push it in opposite directions; hence they’re incredibly excellent for the transverse plane.
Here’s a list of the benefits of resistance bands:
- Very cost-effective
- Versatile and adaptable
- Appropriate for every fitness level
- Portable
- Allowing a wide range of exercises
- Effective and functional
- Easy to use
How to Train With Resistance Bands ?
Training with resistance bands isn’t rocket science, and everybody at any age can benefit from them if they choose the right level of resistance bands.
You can either do muscle-specific exercises that target a particular area of your body or perform a full-body workout.
They also enhance your flexibility, decrease the risk of injuries, speed up recovery, and improve the ability of the elderly to perform various functional movements and gain strength.
You can replace free weights with resistance bands, intensify your bodyweight workout routine, use them in conjunction with machines, or add variety to your workout routine.
Although the saying goes no pain, no gain, remember it’s not true in sports settings.
It’s also important to consult with a doctor or a physical therapist if you aim to use resistance bands for recovery from an injury or rehabilitative goals to guide you and offer safe yet effective exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions ?♂️
Are Resistance Bands Good for Beginners?
Resistance bands are good for beginners as they’re highly versatile. You can perform a variety of exercises and engage various body parts.
They also come in different levels, starting from very light ones, allowing beginners to progress and build strength gradually.
Do Resistance Bands Help to Lose Weight?
Resistance bands help you lose weight by increasing lean muscle mass and boosting metabolism.
They intensify your workout session so you’ll burn more fat and calories while building more muscles.
However, combining strength training with cardio is recommended to speed up the process.
Bottom Line ?
Resistance bands are great training tools to carry with you and perform various exercises.
However, they come in various levels identified by a color-coding system.
How heavy should resistance bands be?
More active users can enjoy the medium bands.
The heavy and extra heavy bands are designed for athletes with high fitness levels or performing assisted exercises.
We hope you enjoyed this. Also, see are stretching machines effective and are yoga straps the same as resistance bands for more tips.
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Last update on 2023-11-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
