How to Choose Between Resistance Bands and Dumbbells
Elastic bands and dumbbells are great for strength training at home as they don’t require a lot of storage space and are generally much cheaper than a full barbell and plate setup. But they each have their own pros and cons, so let’s talk about how to choose.
Resistance rubbers may offer more overall weight
If you buy resistance bands that are strong enough, they will put up a lot of resistance. A pair of “strong” EliteFTS bands will pull the bar as much as 122 to 275 pounds of weight, depending on how hard you stretch them. Back in the early days of quarantine, trainer Greg Knuckles told us that a set of ribbons would be his choice for the hardest workout at home.
Dumbbells are more versatile
If you really love resistance groups, you can probably figure out how to do just about anything with them. But for most of us, dumbbells are a little more intuitive, and it’s easier to find exercises that target the corresponding muscles.
If you are using an expander, for many exercises you will need to find a place to secure it. Sometimes you step on the belt and it pulls your legs (which is not always convenient if you train with bare feet). In other cases, you will need a suitable anchor at floor level, overhead, or directly in front of you. Depending on where you train, something strong enough might not be enough to get the job done in the right place.
Straps wear out over time
Iron is forever, but rubber deteriorates over time. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, but most of them will advise you to replace the straps after a year, and sometimes after a few months.
How you use bracelets can affect how long they last. If, for example, the strap rubs against the attachment point, it can wear out faster. (Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to properly attach the strap or attach it to your accessory.)
When the bracelet breaks, it can end up hitting you, which is why some trainers advise against doing movements such as pulling on your face when pulling on the bracelet.
The tension of the belts depends on their length.
This is, I think, the most important difference between ribbons and dumbbells. If you are lifting something off the floor – like doing deadlifts with a barbell or a pair of dumbbells – you must support all of its weight as soon as it lifts off the ground. But if you get resistance from the bracelet, the resistance will feel very light as you get closer to the floor, and will get stronger as you stand with it.
This means you can work harder than you want at the top of the lift, but you have no difficulty at the bottom. You can still work all your muscles if you choose and combine exercises correctly, but this factor means that elastic bands are not suitable for working with dumbbells or a barbell.
You will outgrow fixed dumbbells
People often start with a pair of dumbbells with a number stamped on one end (like a five-pound pair), but if you do train with them all the time, you’ll need more pretty soon. You will also notice that different exercises require different weights: something that is difficult to bend will probably still be too light to press overhead.
To fix this problem, buy adjustable dumbbells. You put the plates in and out, or in fancy (expensive) brands you put them back on the rack and choose the next weight.
You can still outgrow the adjustable dumbbells. The affordable 40-pound sets may seem overwhelming to you at first, but 20 pounds per hand isn’t that much if you’re strong. “I can always buy more small plates,” you say to yourself, forgetting to check how much space on the handle of the dumbbell there is for small plates. Often not very good.
The bottom line is that dumbbells and resistance bands have their pros and cons. It’s cheaper to buy resistance bands in several sizes than a full line of dumbbells, but they won’t necessarily give you the same workout. This is another case where the ideal answer is probably why not both?