Friday, 22 July 2011
Exercise Stretch Bands - resistance bands, exercise stretch bands
I bought this set of bands to replace the puny resistance band included with the EA Sports Active. After trying each band in this set at shoulder level and fully stretched over the head, the difference between the light and the other bands was significant, but the difference between medium and heavy, however, was indistinguishable.
I did some testing lifting free-weights with the bands and found each band maxed out at 15, 22, and 25 pounds for light, medium, and heavy respectively. The problem is that stretched to waste and shoulder height, the medium and heavy bands are almost identical in resistance at 12 pounds at waste and 17 pounds at shoulder height. In order to have a true heavy band, I'll have to combine the light and the heavy for a 40 pound band.
Pros:
- thick material
- 5 feet in length and will stretch 3 times as long
- can provide a wide range of resistance from 7 to over 40 pounds with some creative thinking
- much cheaper than free-weights
Cons:
- medium and heavy bands are also identical
- requires using multiple bands for significant resistance Aylio Fitness 3 Exercise Bands and Door Anchor (Low, Medium, Heavy)
These bands suffer from limited functionality. They are both too short and too thick.
They are very short: five feet long. This is an issue if you are trying to use them for pilates, stretching, or other related uses. I find them unsuited to such things as wrapping them around the back of my shoulders, or looping them under my foot, etc. They should be at least another two feet long.
The other major issue is that they are very thick. The thinnest is about 15 mil. This is far too much resistance for the lightest gauge band.
I have a different band which I got with a pilates video. It's 10 mil thick. It's closer to what I would consider a light-weight band, though I would prefer something even thinner, perhaps 8 mil. The biggest issue with bands that are too thick is that unless they are sufficiently long, you can't adjust for an appropriately low level of resistance by increasing the slack. This is a basic concept that anyone who has used resistance bands will understand.
If you are looking to use bands purely as a substitute for free weights, these bands would probably work. However, the length is still going to be an issue.
Got these to use to replace the flimsy band that comes with Wii active, they work soooo much better. the only issue that I"ve had with them so far is that they loosen easily and will snap loose if you don't tighten them regularly, but the quality of the bands are wonderful.
These are excellent exercise bands. I can definitely feel the difference in the different levels of resistance. It would be nice if the levels of resistance were marked on the bands themselves or if the packaging had included an insert letting me know the level of each color. I was able to look it up on Amazon, but I think it would be best if printed on the bands. All in all, I think these were a great deal.
For several months I had found and used a neck exercise machine at my gym that worked miracles for curing cricks and strains in my neck at night - strengthening the neck muscles totally cured night neck problems. When the machine was removed I was determined to find a replacement. I had never used exercise bands but realized they should be perfect for 4 direction neck work outs. I gained proficiency with them rapidly on my own and use them to maintain my neck muscles. They seem to be the prefect inexpensive solution and I like the gradual and variable resistance they provide - especially for holding the effort against the bands. A perfect, inexpensive, east to use solution for me.
The bands arrived quickly and seem very high quality. My daughter uses them for physical therapy exercises she is doing at home while recovering from a dislocated shoulder. She says they are just like the ones she uses at the physical therapists office. - Resistance Band - Exercise Stretch Bands - Resistance Bands - Fitness'
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