Resistance Bands Vs Dumbbells for a Home Gym

Resistance Bands Vs Dumbbells for a Home Gym - Which Do I Prefer in 2023?

Рет қаралды 14,163

Жыл бұрын

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#ResistanceBands #Dumbbells #HomeGym
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Пікірлер: 70

@Toogoodtobetrue458 Жыл бұрын

I use both dumbbells and resistance bands both loop and tube. I just picked up a “step” gonna try it out this weekend - I got the idea from you. I’m a small person so it should be good for me. But I think I will get powerblock as they can go up a fairly heavy weight.

@itayos2 Жыл бұрын

Hey, you should consider adding gymnastic rings to your set-up. They are very cheap and versatile and can be attached to a pull up bar (I attach it to my door pull up bar) - I use it for push-ups (deficit style), dips, rows (legs on a chair), core exercises, ring pull ups. Adding weight is easy with a backpack (on the back or front).

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

For me, rings are OK. Personally, I want to use stable surfaces as long as they are comfortable. Instability takes away the resistance you can use to generate a great enough stimulus for muscle building. Can you still build muscle? Of course, but it wouldn't be optimal. However, it may be more fun for you which makes it beneficial. If I got rings, the only exercise I would use them for are pull-ups (and that is a big maybe for me as I prefer them on a static bar. Push-ups, dips, and other pushing movements will be less effective, but again, can be more fun. If you are a gymnast, then it would be beneficial so you can train your nervous system to improve your skill with rings.

@SpearedPage Жыл бұрын

Your videos got me through the pandemic and set me up so I could continue to train optimally and feel good, physically and mentally. Gyms may have opened back up, but I never went back. I'm still working out hard at home using your band system. I love your philosophy of efficiency. What you do on this channel is amazing and you really fill a niche. No one does quite what you do as well as you do. In time, I hope to get a good pair of adjustable DBs.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Those are very nice words and I am glad this channel has helped you over the pandemic! Are you interested in any current adjustable dumbbells? If you follow this channel you know my favorite are the Core Fitness dumbbells, but let me know if you are looking at other brands.

@SpearedPage Жыл бұрын

@@GamerBody I had written out a reply but YT seems to have auto-deleted it, maybe thinking it was spam. I can't go into as much detail as I had in my deleted post, but I was looking at adjustable dumbbells (one in the Nuobell style that goes up to 70lbs and one that resembles the Bowflex style that goes up to 90lbs) on Montreal Fitness. If you Google them, they should pop up. I would be really curious what you think!

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

@@SpearedPage They look fine. I'm not a big fan of adjustable dumbbells that keep the same length no matter the weight, but they should work fine. I wonder if they somehow got a white-label or deal with Bowflex to make something so similar.

@SpearedPage Жыл бұрын

@@GamerBody Thank you! And yeah haha I don't know quite what's going on there.

@garynico9872 Жыл бұрын

Your approach with 'slow and controlled' movement with each exercise sold me! I used to pump up reps as many as possible with fast movement for the sake of hitting numbers, but now i'm leaning toward your method.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

I actually got this from Jay Vincent so I can't take all the credit :)

@garynico9872 Жыл бұрын

@@GamerBody but he's the guy who said resistance bands suck🥲

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

@@garynico9872 True, and based on how I think he uses them, and his info on the strength vs resistance curve they may not be the most optimal option, but they will still work if used correctly and are cheap. Not to mention light to carry around.

@NKNeptune 8 ай бұрын

gr8 vid m8

@minaexperiment Жыл бұрын

Great video. I prefer dumbells for some reason. Mayby becouse its easier to track the weight and progress. I bought the EQualizer XXL after you showed it in one of your videos. Its great! I am not strong enough yet to use it unassisted so i have a resistance band that takes some of the load off until i get strong enough to do proper dips on it. Also bought a 30Kg weight vest for doing squats as my backpacks could not handle the weight without ripping after a while.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Nice! I hope the Lebert bar helps! Good luck on your journey!

@adamc9147 Жыл бұрын

Nice first one here! Have you use both dumbbells and bands at the same time? Like dumbbell bench press with bands is a killer chest workout

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

No. If there is any benefit it is going to be small, unless adding bands is adding weight past the dumbbells you have available.

@NKNeptune 8 ай бұрын

you can get downward lat activation with dumbbell pullovers. you need to flair your elbows out, to activate lats. easilly my fav dumbbell exercise.

@GamerBody 8 ай бұрын

The issue is that with a standard dumbbell pullover, when the dumbbell is above your chest, there is no tension on the lats (transfers to chest/shoulders/triceps). You could use a decline bench to help this though, but I found getting into that position is tough. I think it is a mid exercise overall, but can be put in if you'd like.

@RyanOakley Жыл бұрын

Would you say the resistance bands might be better for middle-aged or older folks that may be dealing with joint pains and issues. I have just started up with bands about a month ago and have noticed that there is less pain to use them - compared to lifting heavy weights. Which means I can just focus on working the target muscle(s). I do have issues with holding the bands - even with gloves - but my hooks just arrived in the mail and I can't wait to try them out tonight!!

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Nice that you get to try the handles! It is a big game changer for me as I hate holding the bands directly (outside of pull aparts). This is an interesting question. I do think it helps get passed that first sticking point many people get stuck with in free weights. For example, the bottom of a deadlift where individuals will round their back to get the weight up instead of their legs. However, a lot of issues come with moving free weights too quickly imo opening up the door for incorrect movement patters and mistakes through the range of motion. I think if you slow down the rep speed, use proper technique, and reduce the weight to compensate for your level, it will be fine. Moving really fast puts a lot of force on the tendons and ligaments instead of focusing on the muscle doing all the work (of course the muscle is working, but you add more force on the tendons and ligaments). But, bands don't really have that issue, they just have the issue of always having the most resistance in the full contracted position, which might not always be optimal. - as a side note, I also like to do many bodyweight movements as I find them fun and I like to add weight to them as well so that does play a factor for me.

@iceone1216 Жыл бұрын

Can you tell me where you bought your step platform? I can't seem to find it. Could you tell me the brand you use. Just started tuning into your channel and like both resistance and Dumbbell workout routines. Thank you.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

I bought it off Amazon here (affiliate link): amzn.to/3zpxWLR

@iceone1216 Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I have both Dumbbell and resistance bands (loop and tubes). Your exercises are very well designed to cause the least stress on joints and and injuries. Good form and slow movements are key and you provide us with very good examples. Thank you!! 🇨🇦

@RyanOakley Жыл бұрын

For progressive overload - should beginners be adding reps and/or resistance every workout? Or every week?

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

This will vary by person, lifting career, lifestyle, etc. Really hard to put a specific on it. My best advice is to always try to add more each workout in a safe way focusing on form and a resistance you can control. Also, add reps up to the high end of the range you have, then add more weight once you can do it without being really sloppy.

@Squick99 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your channel! It has finally spurred me back into lifting after like 20 years of being off. Question: Are body weight single leg squats easy for you? Details: I've lost 60 pounds, but am still quite overweight. I do lots of resistance-band exercises, but single leg squats with my other foot on a rest like a couch are brutal for me. I shudder and fall off balance after about 3 reps. I'm wondering if a fit person can easily do single leg body-weight squats, or if it is easy for a normal person?

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Split Squat (single leg squats) are rough with bands IMO. You can do it, but I prefer: Squats (hands at sides as I use J-Hook handles) Romanian Deadlifts Front Squats You can do split squats, I just think they feel weird with bands, but are definitely an option. If you struggle with balance, then stick to 2 feet based squat/hinge exercises for the lower body. Also, dont forget the calves!

@BigBossBernie Жыл бұрын

As a fellow "fatty-to-fitty" transitioner, I can guarantee that bands are one of the worst version for Split Squats - if you them like James does, you're bound to go off balance course you either have the same band length on both sides (which inevitably twists your torso) or you have a straight torso (which feels of as your non-dominating side has different resistance). What you can do is loop the band over your shoulder and under your foot (which for me still feels weird compared to a pair of dumbbells). Othe factors affecting your performance can be 1) footwear - if you wear barefoot-shoes your posture changed significantly from wearing cushioned ones 2) calf strength/ muscles in your feet - as we tend to have a dmoinant lef in standing and jumping, the muscles in your calves and feet used for balancing are trained differently so you might feel that on one side it's easier to do split squats 3) flooring/ padding - your posture is also influenced by the padding of the support (bench, wooden box, couch, ...) and the padding of the floor (cement, wood, carpet), making it more difficult the more cushioned they are Just stick with it one rep at a time and maybe perfect your form without weights/ resistance first.

@monkeyb1820 Жыл бұрын

this is a great exercise to do with suspension trainer (anchor it at top of door, put your rear foot in both loops around 8-10" above floor). The suspension trainer allows the rear foot to actually move forward as you do it, so it's more like a partial running motion. And you'll feel it in the ham and glute bigtime about 48 hours later. You will get better at the side-to-side balancing aspect, just keep at it, but even after doing these for years, if I'm feeling sort of fatigued, I still fall a bit to one side and have to give a quick push off the floor. Note that I can't do a 'pistol squat' and have never put a lot of time into working on that. For weight loss, I've found that the most fun 'device' is my elliptigo 8 speed long stride. I've always enjoyed outdoor type activities, but it's gentler on the joints than some things, no crotch discomfort, and it uses glute/hams, which are big muscles that don't fatigue as quickly as small muscles. In the gym imo the cybex arc 750at gives a great workout if used with varying resistance. Rowing is good too, but I seem to enjoy the arc a bit more than rowing.

@Squick99 Жыл бұрын

@@GamerBody Thank you very much for the reply! Your videos really motivated me to get back into muscle building after 15+ years of not. I lost 60 pounds but I still have 50ish more to go before I'll be in peak shape. So body weight split squats are maxing me out after 3 sets of 10. On the flip side, because hiking is my jam, even when I was super obese, my legs are pretty strong. So doing something like calf raises needs 300lb+ to feel much. Some of these leg exercises are super awkward to load up a suitable amount of weight to stress my quads to failure using both feet; that's why I thought split squats might be a better alternative. I also wonder if my balance issues are actually strengthening the support muscles that I'm lacking by doing split squats?

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

@@Squick99 Split squats can work if you struggle to get to that failure point (same with single-leg calf raise). See if you can stabilize yourself as much as possible though to focus on the quads/glutes doing the work. Can also try a squat and then do a wall sit until failure as that will tax your legs a lot. So some options there. I hope that helps a bit.

@rockweapon7895 10 ай бұрын

I have a question: Let us take the example of a seated row with the Step and the Bands with the J Hook Handles. If you already achieved doing 10 reps on all your working sets with your choosen resistance bands and you try adding a band to have more resistance, but then suddendly you are not able to hit at least 5 reps, lets just say, the tension is just to high and you are propably only able to get 2-3 reps, what do you do in that case? I have that type of issue and Im not sure what to do about it, since my lightest band is 15 Lb. Do you use any lighter bands in that case and if yes, which ones?

@GamerBody 10 ай бұрын

Take a look at this video I made as I go over it there. See if that helps kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jchpZKWaxpi3mIk.html

@youngjhey Жыл бұрын

what do you think about Iron Infidel Resistance bands and Torro Bands?

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Iron Infidel is on my list to test. I've never used the Torro bands so I have no idea.

@monkeyb1820 Жыл бұрын

I like a lot of Jay Vincent philosophy--but the one aspect he's wrong--it's true that bands give most resistance at the top of the curl--but regular dumbbell is just static and has same resistance all the way through the motion (it cannot match any 'strength curve' when it is STATIC). Only certain brands of ultra-fancy selectorized equipment *truly* match the 'strength curve'. Your curl with the band is basically like using a barbell that changes from around 15 to 50lbs during the motion, whereas a you might typically use a 50lb barbell, giving you more resistance during the range. But doing the Jay philosophy of going to complete failure means that either can work just fine, but the band will take a few more reps. A plus of the band is that it can be anchored out in front of you, giving more of a preacher curl type angle of resistance, whereas the barbell can only give resistance straight down. But I'm now going to a gym (not out of disatisfaction with my bands). For several exercises where you want more than 80lbs or so of resistance, a good piece of selectorized (or hammer strength) equipment is more comfortable than trying to use bands for that same thing. But bands have a lot of plusses as you mention.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

The one thing to remember is that your moment arm and leverage change as you go through the range of motion. Yes, dumbbells are a static weight, but your capacity to to move that weight changes based on your strength curve. Jay promotes machines for the resistance curve, but we are not using them. I'm still not 100% certain there is a big difference in results, but still something to be aware of. Bands just have the issue where they always have the most resistance in the fully contracted position which may not be optimal due to actin/myosin bunching up. To get around this, I usually go to failure, but do a couple partial reps (in good form) where I do less and less of the rep range until I fail out completely and can't move the resistance. This way I can fatigue the muscle throughout the range. For anchoring in front of you, I'm not a big fan unless you have something to brace your body (it's actually a reason I don't like standard bent over rows very much vs chest-supported rows). The pull from the bands will reduce balance which will reduce the amount of resistance you can use. If you have a way to brace yourself though it shouldn't be an issue as you pull/push the bands.

@MiguelHernandez-xj1rt Жыл бұрын

🤔 debating on 32 in serious steel bands but the price point is so good with undersun (I'm only 5ft 5 in)

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Yeah I have heard a lot about the Serious Steel bands. I have not tried them yet, but something I am looking into.

@loulopez554 Жыл бұрын

Do you use a suspension trainer? I'd like to hear your opinion on that.

@monkeyb1820 Жыл бұрын

I remember asking and he doesn't--but I think he should add one now that he has that pullup-tower anchoring point. The nossk rope trainer is an excellent, budget-friendly suspension trainer. For a good while, I was using it for: pullups, dips, single leg lunge. Also great for: heels in loop bridges, feet in loops side planks (forearm on ground). Obviously, they're very portable and versatile.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

I do not use a suspension trainer, mostly because I have no place to set it up in a way that is safe. I don't really have anything against it (maybe some stability/balance issues, but that is minor) and they can definitely be used to build muscle when doing an exercise properly.

@GoreckiFit Жыл бұрын

If your not renting, all you need to do is install an anchor into some studs and your good to go. They even have an anchor that allows you to hang a picture over it.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

@@GoreckiFit I could, but I don't need to with what I have. One thing to remember is I don't like my equipment out when I am not using it (the RENPHO bike being a sore spot for me right now as it doesn't fit in my closet). I look for equipment that doesn't need the extra build steps as much as I can to make it easy, most people can use it, and it can be hidden outside of use. I have nothing against anyone who wants to make their own anchors or larger setups though, it just isn't what I like to focus on.

@GoreckiFit Жыл бұрын

@@GamerBody I get it, You should consider the Exxcentric K-box then, only trains the eccentric but it’s a small footprint and allows a bit more versatility to your training. Could also look into Ancore for a cable machine if you wanted for accessory work.

@mokhot Жыл бұрын

What are those handle where can I get those from

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

I got them on Amazon. They are the ACBEE handles here (affiliate): amzn.to/34CX6fY

@RoshanDesaiphl0923 Жыл бұрын

can you do a video on full day of eating?

@monkeyb1820 Жыл бұрын

eating for a full day is kind of antitheitcal to working out and staying healthy.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

The issue with a video like this is I never eat the same thing each day, it changes all the time. I just use certain principles when eating to aim to get the protein and macro/micronutrients in my day. I may make some general help videos, but probably not a direct "what I eat in a day", but never say never.

@steverapos3904 Жыл бұрын

Bands seem good in theory but previously I never liked using them for most exercises - always had to put so much effort into finding the right band and the right stretch.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

Yeah height does play a factor in band selection so that can be an issue.

@BigBossBernie Жыл бұрын

@@GamerBody I agree - at 6'2'' / 6'3'' (186cm) the same band might already be under tension for squats/ deadlifts while feeling pretty slack for chest press.

@amelandsusu112 Жыл бұрын

Seriously need to upgrade to serious steel bands bro. Undersun bands are great but they are too lite. I have both and there is a huge difference in resistance between the two. The x heavy undersun band definitely doesnt feel anything like the green serious steel band even though they both claim 125lbs of resistance. Youre missing out.

@GamerBody Жыл бұрын

They are on the list! Working on a couple things before then but it has been requested a few times :)

@Stoffendous 10 ай бұрын

How about buying one of those headmasks that allow you to attach weights to by a chain and train the neck too? You need neck for DBZ physique man. Ah nevermind you seem to already have one lol.

@GamerBody 10 ай бұрын

Yeah still not certain on those, and there is a big risk of injury. I am still looking into safe but effective neck training options.

@Sueghandis Жыл бұрын

I prefer barbells.

@wally6193 9 ай бұрын

just an observation - your hips are not going low enough in your squats

@GamerBody 9 ай бұрын

Thanks, I'm always aiming to improve my hip mobility. Easier with more resistance at the bottom of the range of motion.

@wally6193 9 ай бұрын

@@GamerBody Just thought I would mention it as most can't watch ourselves doing an exercise. But after I commented I thought well maybe it was just your camera angle that made it look that way. cheers.

@Sueghandis Жыл бұрын

dumbbells > barbells

@Sueghandis Жыл бұрын

Wendys has found its new manager

@Donttreadonme2024 11 ай бұрын

Well first. Thats not a home gym. Its a set of dumbells. A home gym would be a rack and olympic weights at the least. But the answer is both. USe both, and use them together.

@GamerBody 11 ай бұрын

I consider it a home gym as it is a rack of dumbbells in a much smaller setup.

@B3WaterMyFriend 8 ай бұрын

I agree and I’ve technically seen great home gyms with less…