Free printable resistance band exercises chart PDF - JustFit (2024)

FAQs

How to use resistance bands for seniors? ›

Stand in place and slide the resistance band under your feet. Grasp the resistance band in each hand, palms facing up. With your arms tight to your sides, bend your elbows and bring your palms toward your body. Hold for one second at the top of the movement and then slowly release.

Do resistance bands build muscle? Absolutely. In fact, a 2019 study shows that training using resistance bands provides similar strength gains to using conventional gym equipment. “Resistance bands might not look like much, but they can strengthen your muscles as effectively as more traditional weights,” says Travers.

Not a Full Workout On Their Own

But you're not going to get a chiseled all-over body just from using resistance bands on their own. It is absolutely possible to build muscle with resistance bands – especially if you are a beginning weightlifter.

Resistance bands are effective in losing that belly fat and strengthening the core. Strengthening the core and burning excess fat helps boost your confidence and improves the shape of your body, along with bodily balance and mobility.

Also, waist trainers do not reduce a person's body fat. People looking to lose body fat around their midsection or lose substantial weight overall should not rely on wearing a waist trainer to do this. However, a person may feel a loss of appetite while wearing a waist trainer.

Resistance bands are perfect for seniors since they are lightweight, easy to carry, and do not cost much. Resistance bands are strong, elastic bands that can be utilized to exercise all parts of the body. Some resistance bands have handles at the end and some do not.

The first thing you should do before using a resistance band or performing any workout is to perform a warmup. A warmup helps prepare your body for exercise by increasing blood flow to your muscles, loosening up your joints, and raising your core temperature.

The label of 30 lbs is an approximate “feels like” value used by the manufacturer to help exercisers choose the right resistance band. The actual force depends on how far the tube is stretched.

A 50 lb resistance band means that, if one end is held stationary, you will need a 50 lb load to stretch it to it's full length. At it's unstretched length, there is no tension/load at all. The tension/load is proportional to the distance stretched and a specific constant for that band.

How many sets of resistance bands should I do? ›

Matthews suggests doing three to four sets of each exercise, aiming for 20 reps per exercise. If that feels like too much to start with, complete one set including each exercise and gradually add sets over a few weeks as the workout starts to feel easier.

I recommend starting with a 10-minute resistance band workout and seeing how you feel. This can be your entire workout, or part of a longer workout. You can also continue doing exercises beyond 10 minutes if your fitness level is more advanced. Each workout in this month's plan should take about 10 minutes.

There is no hard and fast rule - the frequency that you perform a muscle-building resistance band workout in your week can depend on your starting fitness level and fitness goals. This said, aim for at least 2-3 days a week in order to see long-term improvements.

The amount of time it takes to build muscle using resistance bands depends on a number of factors, including your starting fitness level, your diet, and your training routine. However, most people can expect to see noticeable results within 4 to 8 weeks of regular training.

Because of this, higher reps work best, accumulating lots of time under tension. Anywhere from 10-20+ reps, depending on the bands you have and the muscle being targeted. Rest: Short rests are best. Muscles are not placed under high mechanical loads with resistance band training, so you don't need much time to recover.