Can You Use Resistance Bands to Build Muscle

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Have you considered purchasing resistance bands? These elastic, stretchy bands and straps are super inexpensive ways to exercise.

They can be carried in a very small satchel or bag, so you can take them anywhere. Whether you are on the road, at home or the office, you can pop out your resistance bands and enjoy a quick workout.

But are they worth the effort?

Resistance band exercises provide calorie burning, fat-fighting benefits. They help your cardiovascular, respiratory, and circulatory systems work better. They deliver the boost of energy that all exercise provides.

But can you effectively build muscle using nothing but resistance bands?

To answer that question you have to know how muscle building works. Any time you lift or move something that puts a strain on your muscles, micro-sized tears occur. These tiny tears injure your muscles.

Your body almost immediately begins repairing your torn muscles, but it does something unique as well. Instead of simply returning your muscles to their previous strength and size, your muscles become larger and stronger.

This is why you can continue to build the size and strength of your muscles over time as long as you increase the amount of weight you lift or move.

How resistance bands work

When you purchase resistance bands online or at your local sporting goods store, you have plenty of shapes and sizes to choose from.

One thing you will notice across all brands is that each band will have a specific weight resistance. In other words, a 5-pound resistance band will never stress your muscles more than 5 pounds.

This is why some people believe that using resistance bands and elastic straps puts a limit on how strong you can get. That depends on how you use them, however.

If you continue to use nothing more than a 15 or 20-pound resistance band, your muscle growth will eventually peak. If you keep working out with that same band you will build muscle endurance, but you won’t build stronger and bigger muscles.

So, can you use resistance bands to build muscle?

Absolutely.

Just start with what you can and work your way to stronger resistance bands as you develop those muscles and get the strength and definition you want.

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