By Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D.
Elastic bands present a singular type of resistance that places appreciable stress on muscle tissue, inflicting appreciable positive aspects in muscle mass and energy that’s similar to free weights.
I’m at all times searching for distinctive methods to reinforce my coaching and alter it up somewhat bit. Effectively, surprisingly I got here throughout just a few 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 completely different coaching stimulus when in comparison with free weights or machines, making it a superb different for lean muscle progress and energy.
Extra Muscle Is Activated
Free weights and elastic resistance essentially differ as a result of free weights present fixed resistance all through all the vary of movement, whereas elastic bands present better resistance during the motion. This happens as a result of the band is stretched all through the motion, inflicting elevated rigidity inside the band that generates better 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 better muscular drive happens within the preliminary section of the bench press, better momentum is generated all through the remainder of the motion when utilizing free weights. As soon as the burden has constructed up momentum within the preliminary section, the muscle fibers don’t must be maximally activated to proceed shifting the burden 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 better muscle exercise that finally stimulates better muscle progress. This impact from elastic resistance was clearly demonstrated in a research by Jalal et al.1 that confirmed a 15% enhance 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 larger degree of muscle activation within the later phases of the motion – supporting the concept that the ascending drive from elastic bands diminished momentum, inflicting muscle activation all through all the concentric section of the motion.
Larger Muscle Rigidity
Elastic resistance naturally produces a better quantity of rigidity on the muscle in comparison with free weights as a result of, as beforehand acknowledged, it has the capability to reduce momentum – inflicting better muscle exercise all through all the motion, which successfully will increase the period of time the muscle is underneath rigidity. As well as, elastic bands additionally produce resistance impartial of gravity, which fails to supply rigidity on the muscle throughout particular phases of sure lifts. For instance, free-weight biceps curls produce little or no muscle rigidity on the high of the concentric section as a result of outstanding horizontal motion of the burden that not creates gravitational resistance. Alternatively, the exactly positioned use of elastic bands – that causes the elastic materials to be stretched for all the motion – locations resistance on the biceps all through all the vary of movement. The continual rigidity from elastic resistance coaching ought to stimulate better muscle progress, because it has been nicely documented2 that better time underneath rigidity potently will increase mechanical rigidity on the muscle cell. Elevated mechanical rigidity on the muscle cell produces extra muscle cell harm 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 Injury Promotes Lean Muscle Development
Train-induced muscle harm stimulates many various mobile and molecular mechanisms that trigger the muscle cell to develop and grow to be extra highly effective.4 For instance, muscle harm prompts the inflammatory response – inflicting completely different immunological cells, such because the macrophage, emigrate to the broken muscle tissue, consequently facilitating muscle cell restore and progress.5 Moreover, exercise-induced muscle harm stimulates IGF-1 activation of the enzyme mTOR, which triggers muscle cell protein synthesis6, enhancing the hypertrophic response to resistance coaching.
Whereas muscle harm following eccentric contractions and bouts of unaccustomed train has been nicely established7,8,9, solely not too long ago has a research appeared on the affect that elastic resistance coaching has on muscle harm. This research by Aboodarda et al.10 confirmed that elastic resistance coaching induced an analogous quantity of muscle harm when in comparison with Nautilus machine resistance. Whereas the underlying mechanism of those findings is unknown, a possible clarification for this end result could have been uncovered in one other research by Cronin et al.11, which demonstrated a substantial enhance in muscle exercise inside the quadriceps muscle throughout the eccentric section of leg extensions whereas utilizing elastic resistance. As a result of the pressured lengthening of the muscle cell that happens throughout the eccentric section creates essentially the most in depth muscle harm12,13, this better degree of muscular contraction throughout the eccentric section whereas utilizing elastic bands more than likely encourages appreciable muscle harm. Apparently, this better degree of muscle exercise throughout the eccentric section of the leg extension could also be as a result of huge recoil drive 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 adequate muscle pressure that induces muscle harm and finally muscle progress.
Elastic bands present a singular type of resistance that places appreciable stress on muscle tissue, inflicting appreciable positive aspects in muscle mass and energy that’s similar to free weights. As well as, as a result of the elastic resistance drive is so essentially completely different from free-weight resistance, each approaches could be concurrently used throughout your exercise to create a mix of forces that place better preliminary pressure on the muscle whereas sustaining maximal pressure on the musculature all through all the motion – producing exceptional positive aspects in energy and measurement.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 harm 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 defend towards muscle harm? 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 harm 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 harm 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 useful 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.