Exercise Bands

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Permalink Reply by John Mulcahy on February 28, 2010 at 5:18am

I would agree with you as far as Walmart bands are concerned. However, the bands I have let you easily do 7MM the same way you would with free weights.
With the bands I have, each band is rated at a certain "poundage" per hand. There are 7 bands of varying "poundage". Using just the thinnest band you have 7lbs resistance per hand. Using all 7 bands - they clip onto a handle or wrist/ankle strap - you have 127lbs/hand. Now, I just happen to have 2 sets of bands - both from the same company - so I have somewhere around 230 or 240lbs PER SIDE resistance. Ain't no way I'll ever come even close to using that, but it does let me use some poundages that can't be made with just one set.
Now, these "poundages" are supposedly at the maximum recommended stretch of the bands, which is twice their normal length.
Do they translate directly to free weights?
I doubt it.
Do I care?
No.
I use the "poundage" just as a guide to increase the resistance - there's a table on the website that shows all the possible band combinations and their equivalent poundage. I just use the table to know which combo of bands will give me the next level or two or three of resistance. And that is the crux of it, at least for me. Progressive resistance. I don't bother with varying how far I am from the anchor point to change resistance. I just change band combos. Yes, I have the spots on the floor marked with a bit of tape so I know I'm consistently the same distance from the anchor point for any given exercise.
So, there you have it. With the right set of bands - not just 1 - you can do 7MM exactly the same way as you can with free weights. I know. I've done it.
If you want to check out the bands I'm talking about, they are made by a company called Bodylastics.

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on February 28, 2010 at 5:42am

I can see how bands like these can be used efficiently by someone with enough dedication to the cause (fat off, muscle on). I would probably be better off carrying bands with me to my clients rather than two 20-pound Dbs :) (adjustable). The trouble with many of these people - mostly women - is that they don't even give their all with the weights. I just know they would never pull or push as hard as they could with bands. With 2 exceptions out of 10!

Still, with limited space to store training equipment, or on vacation, and with focus and discipline, I can see where the bands would be useful.

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Permalink Reply by Terry Davis on December 9, 2011 at 2:09pm

Hey John...

I use Bodylastic bands as well for 7MB.  Have you had to purchase additional bands to increase the resistance as you've gotten stronger or added muscle mass?  How did you come up with a weight resistance (starting out) that would have you not able to complete 5 reps in the last set of your Power Phase or 10 reps in your Mass Phase.

I'm trying to see if I'm starting to light or need to purchase another band or two.  Hope it doesn't get too spendy getting more bands.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

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Permalink Reply by Donna Cole on February 28, 2010 at 11:00am

We have the Bodylastics and recently ordered another set of handles and a big connector for trees or poles. I saw at that time that they have a new set that is a whole lot heavier than the basic set. So it looks to me like we are well set for the time being and if we advance beyond our current set, we can order the super heavy set. As for women not pushing themselves with bands, I think that's true of all weights. Without proper training, there is a tendency for women to underperform. Once you have proper training and know what you should feel and how to perform an exercise, working those muscles with bands instead of weights was an easier transition that I expected.

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Permalink Reply by John Mulcahy on February 28, 2010 at 3:29pm

I have both the Max Tension set with the black band and the Super Strong set with the two orange bands. Believe me, they ain't kiddin' when they call it super strong.
About the only problem I can forsee - other than the obvious - is with chest presses. Once you get to a certain level of resistance, it can be really hard to brace yourself strongly enough to do the exercises while standing. I found using just 60lbs resistance - that's PER HAND remember - the bands were so strong that the first chest press I tried I ended up pushing myself backwards rather than stretching the bands in front of me. I had nothing to brace my feet against, so I ended up having to raise the anchor point and then lean into it to be able to do a chest press straight out from my chest. I'd need some kind of brace on the floor to go heavier. Of course, the obvious solution is to do pushups with bands running across my back and held under my hands. Because of the angles involved, incline chest press doesn't have the same problem. I'm thinking doing chest presses from some kind of seated position might be the answer. You'll have to experiment if you reach that point.
One other point - the nylon the attaches the clip to the band can rub your arm or the back of your shoulder really painfully. I wear a thick sweatshirt when I do chest press or overhead press to pad against the rubbing.

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Permalink Reply by Terry Davis on November 27, 2011 at 4:01pm

Well, looks like my question about using Bodylstics Bands w/ 7MB has been answered.  I kinda toyed with the workout 7MM online videos with my bands last week, but tomorrow, it's on for real.

If anyone doesn't mind sharing, what kind of results have you gotten with 7MB by using bands?

 

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