My Beginnings With Elastic Resistance
I’ve been using elastic tubing for over 20 years as I mentioned in a previous blog post:
http://time4youfitness.blogspot.com/2009/08/benefits-of-elastic-resistance.html
I bought the first Body Shaping band back when multiple Ms. Olympia winner Cory Everson introduced them in the late 1980s. I primarily purchased it because I was looking for something to use when I was traveling with my wife (who was my fiance at the time) and I knew there wouldn’t be a gym available.
Missing my workouts wasn't an option for me and I thought it would provide a decent alternative. Though it wasn't a very stout band it did at least provide a convenient source of portable resistance and served its purpose well enough!
Things have come a long long way since then and Bodylastics is a great example of the highest level of evolution of this modality. This advancement has occurred both in terms of the quality of the elastic materials themselves, the range and quality of attachments available, and the incredible versatility in terms of combining multiple levels of resistance!
Training Clients With Elastic Resistance
As a certified personal trainer I do In-Home training exclusively and the primary form of resistance training I use with my clients is elastic resistance. I use it not only due to the portability of the equipment but because I also feel it is a superior training modality on many levels. I will express why I feel this way throughout this article!
I use a wide variety of elastics in my training, from Slastix covered tubing, uncovered (aka "Naked") tubing for other applications, and mini-bands which are generally placed above the knees for a variety of hip work.
My clients get a great workout with this equipment, and since we do a lot of work from a standing, "ground based" position they build tremendous integrated strength from their feet upwards!
I also use uncovered elastic resistance for my Boot Camp classes along with the mini-bands and I’ve seen my boot campers get considerably stronger using this training modality plus they love it!
Bottom line, elastic resistance training works!
Getting Personal
For my own personal workouts I also do the majority of my training at home also using elastic resistance. At 51 years old, I'm in the best shape of my life and I've been training seriously for well over 25 years.
I went through the whole bodybuilding "Muscle and Fitness" style of training, beating the heck out of my joints in the process (as well as being severely overtrained) and eventually learned that there was a better way!
One of the most important things I also came to realize over time was that elastic resistance training was much more than just a "substitute" for when I couldn't lift "real weights" but a valid and effective method of resistance training.
Elastic Resistance Equipment
Here's some of my equipment.
Aside from some random "fixed" resistance tubing...
I have a Powerbase (which is elastic tubing attached to a base). This unit provides some unique options for working out, has a plastic clip system which allows you to provide many levels of resistance via tubing combinations, and it's particularly useful if you don't have a way to anchor a tubing system. It also has very high quality elastic made by Theraband so it's very smooth.
One nice feature is that for exercises like squats and deadlifts you can stand on the base rather than directly on the tubing. Of course you are limited to the width of the base which may not work for everyone.
A drawback though is that you have to secure the base with at least one foot which can be very limiting at times and if the foot holding the base down ever slips off of it, the base will become airborne in your general direction. Though this is unlikely if used properly, it does create a limitation to the versatility of what is otherwise a very well made piece of workout equipment.
It also has many limitations in terms of the line of pull compared to a system you can anchor to a door so you really can't do effective horizontal pulling or pushing with it or things like Wood Chops where you rotate your hips. In order to do an exercise like this you would need someone else to stand on the base to secure it which isn't very convenient.
I also have a couple of the Lifeline TNT as well as some single Lifeline handles with a wide variety of their 5 foot tubing. Lifeline makes extremely high quality products and in fact they justifiably refer to their tubing as "cables" due to their extremely durable construction. The TNT handles are also extremely well made and allow you to vary the resistance.
The only drawback to the TNT system is that with the heavier lifeline cables it can be extremely difficult to take them on and off the handles so I find I tend to leave them on the handles at all times. This can defeat the concept of the exchangeability of the cables when you are using those which are rated at higher poundages. The lighter Lifeline cables are fairly easy to get on and off so if you are primarily using those then this isn't much of an issue.
After purchasing those two very high quality resistance cable systems I didn't think I would have considered adding more elastic tubing based products.
However after seeing more and more about Bodylastics on the web, my curiosity finally got the best of me and after much research, including reading countless positive reviews, I recently purchased the Bodylastics Max Tension System (which you can see at their website by clicking on this link.)
Bodylastics Max Tension System
Please Note: I am not affiliated with Bodylastics nor do I receive any comission from their company. The above is a direct link to their site. This review is based on my personal experiences and professional opinion of this product and was not created as an advertisement.
Now that I've used the Bodylastics equipment, I can definitely say that I'm thoroughly impressed with it, and can't believe what you can get for under $60 dollars!
In fact I'm so impressed that at some point I will probably purchase one of the larger systems they make, though certainly the Max Tension set provides more than enough resistance for my needs.
Even though the larger systems are about twice as expensive as the Max Tension set, they are an amazing deal for the price especially when compared to something like a Bowflex or Total Gym. In fact, I'd say that you can actually do MORE with the Bodylastics set than either of those extremely costly home gyms, and you can move from exercise to exercise in a fraction of the time (especially compared to the Bowflex).
Bodylastics Rock!
As you can imagine, the Bodylastics system has really lived up to my expectations. The elastic tubing is made of extremely high quality materials and is very smooth through the full range of motion. The metal Carabiner Clips make it easy to add and subtract tubing from the various handles for quick changes of resistance.
The attachments are very well made and large. In fact the ankle straps are light years better compared to those that came with my Powerbase unit. In fact they are “gym quality”!
The door anchor is the best I’ve seen and I love that the max tension set comes with two anchors so you can have one high and one low at the same time for faster transitions.
Also, as I mentioned above this set also provides plenty of resistance.
The Unique Benefits of Ground Based Training With Elastic Resistance
One particularly interesting and common concern I've seen folks make regarding elastic tubing based resistance systems is that they can’t load as much for horizontal pushing movements (such as chest presses). This is based on the fact that they can't go beyond a certain level of tension or else they get pulled back towards the door. However to me, this is a positive rather than a negative.
You get a higher degree of functional benefit from having to stabilize from your feet upwards rather than lying on a bench. This means that your entire core is engaged (and by core I mean from the hips up to the shoulders, front, back and sides).
In fact this is called "Stabilization Limited Training" (SLT) because one can only use as much loading as one can stabilize compared to having an external support. This is a clear embodiment of the idea of "being only as strong as your weakest link".
In day to day life or even high level athletics, there are rarely situations where you will need to move a substantial load while lying on your back. Life is lived on our feet from a standing position, so it makes the most sense to train in a way that enhances the way we actually function.
Now certainly if one is a bodybuilder or a football lineman who needs to focus on maximum hypertrophy in their upper body then of course they will be limited trying to push maximal loads from a standing position and will most definitely need to spend a lot of time doing more traditional bench pressing.
Likewise if one wants maximal loading for their legs they will most likely need to use heavy squats, leg presses and the like using free weights and various machines.
Ideally I would recommend that even those folks use both types of modalities and the Bodylastics system would be a great option for them for the SLT type of training.
However, for people whose primary goal is to get super fit, build a high level of functional, useable strength, as well as the development of lean body tissue, SLT training can be used almost exclusively.
While I still enjoy going to the gym and doing "supported" training several times a month, I actually use it to supplement my elastic resistance work rather than the other way around. However I can say that with one hundred percent certainty that if I had to choose one modality over the other the elastics would win hands down!
Bodylastics, Lifeline, and the Powerbase
While I feel that each of these products are extremely high quality, I would definitely have to say that if I was forced to choose between my Powerbase, Lifeline or Bodylastics equipment I would definitely choose the Bodylastics because of its overall versatility in terms of ease of use.
Fortunately I don’t have to make that choice and I intend to use all of them in my workouts (in fact I ordered some more Lifeline Cables for my TNT system). My own plan is to use the Bodylastics primarily for my anchored work and the TNT for things like squats, split squats and various upper body movements where I’m not anchoring the tubing.
However, for traveling, there’s no doubt that the Bodylastics system is the only thing I’ll need to bring with me. It’s much less bulky and fits into the traveling case that also comes with the set and as I mentioned above it’s the most versatile piece of equipment.
In fact, I love this Bodylastics Max-Tension set so much I just ordered the same set for one of my brothers who is now involved in a regular fitness regime so he can have a set to use at his home and/or office.
Some General Thoughts About Elastic Resistance
As should be obvious from all that preceded, I am at the point, after so many years of training plus my practical experience as a fitness professional, where I really feel that elastic resistance type training is a superior modality for most people compared to free weights, cables or machines. Of course as with any modality one should make sure they are using very high quality and versatile equipment such as those produced by companies like Bodylastics or Lifeline.
I love the fact that you can train in many vectors and planes of motion. I enjoy the fact that you can train more explosively with elastic resistance because of the way the band stores tension at the end of the concentric motion which creates a more reactive deceleration component (which even cables don’t give you by comparison). This allows one to work the body in a somewhat plyometric fashion with much less risk (compared to med-ball throws against a wall, plyometric pushups, or squat jumps).
There is substantial research about elastics and it pretty conclusive that the variable tension created combined with the body’s biomechanics matches the strength curve (torque)of most joints (a "bell shaped" curve) in most exercises. This means that having the resistance start with less intensity and gradually increasing actually works with the body in a way that is much safer on the joints. Phil Page, author of “Strength Band Training” and “The Scientific and Clinical Application of Elastic Resistance” wrote a great article about the “Top Myths of Elastic Resistance” for Theraband Academy.
http://blog.thera-bandacademy.com/2009/05/07/top-10-myths-of-elastic-resistance/
A Closing Thought
I just wanted to mention one important point regarding using elastic resistance safely and most effectively.
If you are using any form of elastic resistance you want to start the movement just about where you have some tension in the band or perhaps a bit further. But you don't want to overstretch the band at the start of the movement.
If you need more tension it is very important to either use a heavier band or add more bands into the equation (as you can most easily with a system like Bodylastics).
Not only does starting in an overstretched position put the band's integrity at risk but you also change the way the resistance of the band will create torque during the movement which will be less than optimal and may create a loading situation that can put unfavorable stresses on your body.
Scott Fishkind Time4You Fitness
http://www.time4youfitness.com/
