Bodybuilders, athletes, and strength trainers have been using heavy objects provided by what ever nature had to offer dating back to the times of the ancient egyptians as seen on tombs, pictures showing different forms of exercise using sand and stone swinging. The Greek Olympic games began in 776 B.C., but in 393 A.D., Emperor Theodosis the Great abolished the Olympics, claiming it was a religious pagan festival.
Well, the Olympics are back and have been entering weightlifting events since 1896, and women have been entering since 2000.
Weightlifting and strength training didn't become popular until an easily adjustable barbell was created in 1910 by Alvin Calvert, allowing the user to conveniently remove or add more weight. More and more people were now training at home and this also encouraged athletic and physical education departments to utilize the new, effective, easy to use barbell, causing an even bigger surge in strength training popularity.
The industry really got a boost in the early 1970's when the Nautilus machine was introduced, that was an upgrade from the earlier Universal machines. These weighted, cable and pully variable resistance machines enabled the user to get natural human movement and precise resistance necessary for a quality full body workout.
Aerobics also became popular about this time and women were now joining the men at gyms for both weight control and strength training. Today, most if not all athletic sports training facilities utilize both free weights and resistance equipment.
I personally used free weights up until I joined The Chicago Health Club (Bally's) in 1973, straight out of high school. After I used the Nautilus, it was nearly all I used for bodybuilding. My routine was to build symmetrical cut muscle in the least amount of time and maintain it with the least amount of effort, so resistance training was perfect for me then and still is to this day with 40 minute intense, quality workouts, 3 times a week.
Of course, today there are numerous companies manufacturing resistance types of equipment, and some work very well if you don't mind forking over a large sum of money for a large piece of equipment.
I also discovered the use of free weights can be dangerous, unlike resistance training, once you begin a set, you are at the mercy of the weight and can cause torn muscle and ligaments if you aren't conditioned or have the weights fall off or on you, which happened to me more than once.
Resistance bands have also become a part of many peoples fitness program, including myself. With the careful and clever use of bands or tubes you can adjust the resistance by simply adding or removing bands that are color coated for different ranges of resistance. The resistance will depend on your fitness goals.
I've been using a personally designed total body resistance band workout system for almost 15 years now and I have experienced great success by duplicating the nautilus equipment regimen.
To be successful with a band workout, the bands need to be strategically anchored so you can get the proper movement for the muscle group you are working on. You should be able to comfortably perform ten to twelve repetitions of any exercise.
Bands are also very inexpensive compared to other workout devices and equipment. When used properly and consistently you can achieve the same results as free weights or expensive resistance equipment.
As with free weights the results will depend on the proper resistance, smooth fluid movement and frequency of the workouts.
Resistance bands can be safely used by kids and teenagers, men and women, boomers and seniors, and can be used for bodybuilding and strength training, weight management and flexibility, physical therapy and fitness conditioning, or to enhance athleticism.
Research has shown that resistance exercise (RE) can produce positive changes in muscular strength, endurance and power; bone mineral content; body composition; cardiovascular function; metabolism; and phsychological well-being. Also, conclusions were made that regular structured RE may prove beneficial in a weight-management regimen.
If you are looking for a inexpensive but effective way to get and stay fit, resistance bands should not be overlooked since some form of strength training should be on everyones to do list.
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