Resistance Equipment

woggie

Am looking to buy some resistance bands for home workouts.
Would you recommend any of these?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9268757.htm

http://physiosupplies.ie/acatalog/Set_of_3_Exercise_Tubes.html

ideally i'd like something with a bar ... like this one...but i'm not sure if the bar is necessary..
http://www.trxtraining.com/page/000-94127/PROD/TRXRIP-BASEKIT?Category_Code=RIP

is there something in particular I should look for when buying them - i.e. the material/strength

thanks

TommyKnocker

Can I ask what your goals are and if you have any other equipment availabel to you at home?

While I have resistance bands myself, they are mostly used for prehab/rehab, rather than an actual workout. I am lucky enough to have a cage, Oly bars, 240kg+ weights and a selection of Kettlebells available for my workouts.

Of the two versions of bands to posted, I suppose I would most likely go with the ones from Physio Supplies, though even these I feel would be pretty limited.

The bands I have are from the US. They are from a company called Bodylastics and are well constructed. There are 7 bands in the set I got, with two sets of handles and ankle straps plus two door anchors. You can attach from one to seven bands to the handles, depending on the resistance you require. You can also purchase extra bands should you require to increase resistance even more

Here is a link to the version I mentioned above,

They also have lots of routines on Youtube to give you ideas of workouts. They are very Americanised, but they do give you ideas of workouts. Here is one such video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZTI59ltFZA

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation what so ever with the company Bodylastics!!

woggie

Hey tommyknocker thanks for the reply,

first up I should say i'm a 40-yr old woman (God I hate admiting that:mad:) i'm not overweight but would like to bring my body fat down and build lots of lovely lean muscle.

I've started an exercise routine which incorporates cardio and resistance training. I have gym membership but with a one-yr-old baby I tend to only be able to get there in the evenings and to be honest if I leave it that late i'm usually too tired to make it there, whereas I can easily fit in an hour or so routine at home while he is having a nap in the morning.

My routine is pretty basic : chest, shoulders & triceps one day, legs & butt, back, and biceps & forearms the next - I do this twice a week and also ab workout 3 times a week (sometimes as part of my w/o sometimes as a w/o on it's own).
At home I use dumbells exercise ball and body weight, I use an exercise bike or skip/jumping jacks etc for cardio in between sets. Some of the exercises use a resistance band - I guess for variety, i don't know if doing a front shoulder raise with dumbell is any different to doing one with resistance band? maybe it's unneccessary but I like the variety, also I do travel a couple of times a month and it's easier to pack a resistance band than a set of dumbells ...well, lighter :rolleyes: ....

My heaviest dumbell is 3kg ... I know that probably seems pathetic but i've only just progressed onto that one and to be honest it's heavy enough for the moment. I sometimes do a kettlebell w/o during the week and use a 5kg weight for that.
Up until today I was using a pilates resistance band....but i broke it

sorry for the very long reply, just want to make sure I cover everything;)

TommyKnocker

Well if you have used kettlebells and have an idea what you are doing, then check out this young woman's web site.

She is a nurse and a personal trainer, and posts up workout routines using a mixture of kettlebells and body weight exercises which are really good and quite challenging. Don't mind the weights that she uses herself, as she has been doing this quite a while now. If you read the blurb in the "About" tab on the above site you will see that she is just an ordinary person who had to overcome some obstacles to get to where she is today.

Again re the resistance bands of the two options you listed, I would go with the physio supplies ones. Something else you might find useful is a Suspension trainer. Another option on your travels. Takes up little room and is really versatile. You can pick up an AST Suspension trainer from www.buykettlebelldublin.com and the video below will give you an idea of how to use it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFmhpk7D3o

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with www.buykettlebelldublin.com!!

woggie

Thanks for all the information tommyknocker, your very good! Will definitely check out the website.:D