By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.

Elastic bands present a novel type of resistance that places appreciable stress on muscle tissue, inflicting appreciable positive aspects in muscle mass and energy that’s corresponding to free weights.

I’m at all times in search of distinctive methods to boost my coaching and alter it up slightly bit. Properly, surprisingly I got here throughout a number of nice articles that spotlight the distinctive muscle-building qualities supplied by resistance coaching with elastic bands. These research clearly reveal that elastic resistance coaching produces a essentially totally different coaching stimulus when in comparison with free weights or machines, making it a superb different for lean muscle development and energy.

Extra Muscle Is Activated

Free weights and elastic resistance essentially differ as a result of free weights present fixed resistance all through the complete vary of movement, whereas elastic bands present higher resistance throughout the motion. This happens as a result of the band is stretched all through the motion, inflicting elevated stress inside the band that generates higher resistance because the vary of movement will increase. This type of dynamic resistance from elastic bands offers advantages over free weights that may be clearly demonstrated in workout routines such because the bench press. Since higher muscular power happens within the preliminary section of the bench press, higher momentum is generated all through the remainder of the motion when utilizing free weights. As soon as the load has constructed up momentum within the preliminary section, the muscle fibers don’t should be maximally activated to proceed shifting the load all through the remainder of the motion, thus diminishing the coaching impact. Nevertheless, the rise in resistance generated from elastic bands negates the manufacturing of momentum – disallowing the momentum-driven propulsion of the bar by means of the remainder of the motion and creating a requirement for higher muscle exercise that finally stimulates higher muscle development. This impact from elastic resistance was clearly demonstrated in a research by Jalal et al.¹ that confirmed a 15% improve in muscle exercise throughout elastic resistance coaching when in comparison with free-weight coaching. Furthermore, the comparability between elastic coaching and free-weight coaching additionally confirmed a significantly greater degree of muscle activation within the later phases of the motion – supporting the concept that the ascending power from elastic bands diminished momentum, inflicting muscle activation all through the complete concentric section of the motion.

Better Muscle Rigidity

Elastic resistance naturally produces a higher quantity of stress on the muscle in comparison with free weights as a result of, as beforehand acknowledged, it has the capability to reduce momentum – inflicting higher muscle exercise all through the complete motion, which successfully will increase the period of time the muscle is underneath stress. As well as, elastic bands additionally produce resistance unbiased of gravity, which fails to supply stress on the muscle throughout particular phases of sure lifts. For instance, free-weight biceps curls produce little or no muscle stress on the prime of the concentric section as a result of distinguished horizontal motion of the load that not creates gravitational resistance. Then again, the exactly positioned use of elastic bands – that causes the elastic materials to be stretched for the complete motion – locations resistance on the biceps all through the complete vary of movement. The continual stress from elastic resistance coaching ought to stimulate higher muscle development, because it has been properly documented² that higher time underneath stress potently will increase mechanical stress on the muscle cell. Elevated mechanical stress on the muscle cell produces extra muscle cell injury and/or elevated metabolic stress, which powerfully enhances lean muscle mass. Clearly demonstrating the flexibility of elastic bands to construct lean mass, a research by Colado et al.³ discovered that elastic resistance is as efficient if not higher than free weights or resistance machines at growing each lean physique mass and energy.

Muscle Harm Promotes Lean Muscle Progress

Train-induced muscle injury stimulates many alternative mobile and molecular mechanisms that trigger the muscle cell to develop and turn into extra highly effective.⁴ For instance, muscle injury prompts the inflammatory response – inflicting totally different immunological cells, such because the macrophage, emigrate to the broken muscle tissue, consequently facilitating muscle cell restore and development.⁵ Moreover, exercise-induced muscle injury stimulates IGF-1 activation of the enzyme mTOR, which triggers muscle cell protein synthesis⁶, enhancing the hypertrophic response to resistance coaching.

Whereas muscle injury following eccentric contractions and bouts of unaccustomed train has been properly established^7,8,9, solely not too long ago has a research regarded on the affect that elastic resistance coaching has on muscle injury. This research by Aboodarda et al.¹⁰ confirmed that elastic resistance coaching induced an identical quantity of muscle injury when in comparison with Nautilus machine resistance. Whereas the underlying mechanism of those findings is unknown, a possible rationalization for this end result might have been uncovered in one other research by Cronin et al.¹¹, which demonstrated a substantial improve in muscle exercise inside the quadriceps muscle in the course of the eccentric section of leg extensions whereas utilizing elastic resistance. As a result of the pressured lengthening of the muscle cell that happens in the course of the eccentric section creates probably the most in depth muscle injury^12,13, this higher degree of muscular contraction in the course of the eccentric section whereas utilizing elastic bands probably encourages appreciable muscle injury. Apparently, this higher degree of muscle exercise in the course of the eccentric section of the leg extension could also be as a result of huge recoil power generated from the totally stretched elastic band that happens proper at the start of the eccentric section. Taken collectively, these outcomes reveal related potential between elastic bands and free weight/machine coaching to create enough muscle pressure that induces muscle injury and finally muscle development.

Elastic bands present a novel type of resistance that places appreciable stress on muscle tissue, inflicting appreciable positive aspects in muscle mass and energy that’s corresponding to free weights. As well as, as a result of the elastic resistance power is so essentially totally different from free-weight resistance, each approaches might be concurrently used throughout your exercise to create a mixture of forces that place higher preliminary pressure on the muscle whereas sustaining maximal pressure on the musculature all through the complete motion – producing exceptional positive aspects in energy and dimension.¹⁴

References:

1. Jalal FY, et al. Resultant muscle torque and electromyographic exercise throughout excessive depth elastic resistance and free weight workout routines. EJSS 2013;13(2): p. 155-163.

2. Pinto RS, et al. Impact of vary of movement on muscle energy and thickness. J Energy Cond Res 2012;26(8): p. 2140-5.

3. Colado JC and Triplett NT. Results of a short-term resistance program utilizing elastic bands versus weight machines for sedentary middle-aged girls. J Energy Cond Res 2008;22(5): p. 1441-8.

4. Schoenfeld, B.J. Does exercise-induced muscle injury play a job in skeletal muscle hypertrophy? J Energy Cond Res 2012;26(5): p. 1441-53.

5. McGinley C, Shafat A, and Donnelly AE. Does antioxidant vitamin supplementation shield in opposition to muscle injury? Sports activities Med 2009;39(12): p. 1011-32.

6. Guillet C, et al. Impaired anabolic response of muscle protein synthesis is related to S6K1 dysregulation in aged people. Faseb J 2004;18(13): p. 1586-7.

7. Clarkson PM and Hubal MJ. Train-induced muscle injury in people. Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2002;81(11 Suppl): p. S52-69.

8. Linnamo V, et al. Neuromuscular responses to explosive and heavy resistance loading. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2000;10(6): p. 417-24.

9. Newham DJ, et al. Ultrastructural modifications after concentric and eccentric contractions of human muscle. J Neurol Sci 1983;61(1): p. 109-22.

10. Aboodarda SJ, et al. Muscle energy and injury following two modes of variable resistance coaching. J Sports activities Sci Med, 2011;10: p. 635-642.

11. Cronin J, McNair PJ and Marshall RN. The consequences of bungy weight coaching on muscle operate and practical efficiency. J Sports activities Sci 2003;21(1): p. 59-71.

12. Clarkson PM, et al. Muscle soreness and serum creatine kinase exercise following isometric, eccentric, and concentric train. Int J Sports activities Med 1986;7(3): p. 152-5.

13. Gibala MJ, et al. Myofibrillar disruption following acute concentric and eccentric resistance train in strength-trained males. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2000;78(8): p. 656-61.

14. Anderson CE, Sforzo GA and Sigg. The consequences of mixing elastic and free weight resistance on energy and energy in JA athletes. J Energy Cond Res 2008;22(2): p. 567-74.