A great alternative to dumbbells for general fitness are the often forgotten rubber tubes or elastic bands. They can be used in many exercises similar to free weights and, with the right program, can help improve balance, increase muscular endurance and joint stability.
Tubes or bands are so versatile that you’ll likely see them anywhere from your local gym to rehab clinics. They’re light and small, so if space is a concern, this is a good option… plus, you can take them anywhere, like when you’re traveling on business or going on vacation; It’s like fitness on the go! Since they are relatively low cost, it can also be a money saver compared to buying free weights.
The tubes allow for a good range of motion and even allow you to combine several exercises at once, such as squats, curls, and presses. The selection of exercises is really only limited by your imagination. Certain types of bands or tubes allow you to attach it to a door or other fixed object and that allows you to even train sport-specific movements, such as mimicking the movements of a golf swing or baseball bat swing, allowing you to improve your performance in your sport. …anyone want to lower their golf score?
Tubes and bands come in different colors and there’s a reason for that. No, it’s not because marketers discovered that some people like yellow and others like blue. The colors denote the resistance offered by the band. Each manufacturer may use a different color code, so be careful if you switch brands. A yellow band may be low resistance, for example, while a black band may be higher resistance… but be sure to check the coding the brand uses.
Some things to keep in mind are that the thicker bands will reach their stretch limit earlier in the movement, which means it may be easier at the beginning of the movement while getting progressively harder at the top end. This could affect the range of motion of the exercise and may slightly alter your form when you reach the limit of the band. For this reason, it may be preferable to use two medium bands rather than one thick band. Also, because the resistance changes throughout the stretch, it’s very hard to tell what exact weight each band is equal to. One last point I should mention about tension is that over time and use, the band will lose its resistance, so you may need to buy more bands in the future as replacements.
Who should use bands and tubes? Due to its versatility, there’s really no reason not to buy a few different colors. Keep some at home or in your suitcase and you’re never far from a great workout. If your goal is to improve maximal strength or build muscle, the tubes may not be the best choice, but for general fitness, muscular endurance, or even in programs where muscular power is the focus, then the tubes may be an excellent option.