Resistance Band Sets - What to Look for when Purchasing

When you are looking to start exercising with resistance bands, it is tempting to buy just one. However using only one band prevents you from taking advantage of all that these wonderful exercise tools have to offer. By adding more bands and using a door anchor, the number of exercises increases dramatically.

Individual resistance bands provide a single maximum level of tension. So if you buy an 8 pound band and get strong enough where it is no longer providing a challenge, then you will need to go out and buy more bands. Every exerciser who is serious about their workouts needs to have at least 3 bands available so that they can adjust the difficulty of the exercises as they need to. The legs for instance have much larger muscles than the arms, and require more resistance for a challenging workout.

Resistance bands are sold in sets to make it easy for you to have as many options as you need. These sets usually include 3 or more bands with varying levels of tension. The red, green, and blue bands are the most common included in these sets. Sets that include the much heavier black and silver bands are usually intended for people building serious muscle mass.

When looking for a set of resistance bands to buy, make sure that they are quality bands and include a door anchor. Quality bands will have comfortable foam handles and a way of attaching multiple bands to the handles so that you can increase the range of available tensions. Adding an 8 pound band and a 12 pound band will give you 20 pounds of resistance. If the set does not include bands designed to be fit together then you will be holding 2 handles in each hand, something which quickly becomes uncomfortable.

In addition to good handles, look for a set that includes either an ankle strap or handles that can easily be fit over the ankles. Most exercises involving the legs or core require you to attach one or both ends of the bands to your ankles and you want something that is both sturdy and comfortable.

Three bands with varying levels of tension, a door anchor, and good handles and ankle straps are the top three things any resistance band set should have. Most sets also include workout charts, books, access to web sites with more exercises, or even a DVD. While you probably won't be using the extra items they pack along with the bands very often, they do provide a handy reference guide for people just starting out using resistance bands for exercise.

The Bodylastics resistance band set comes with four heavy duty bands that can easily be attached together thanks to a special carabiner attachment system. This makes it incredibly easy to switch quickly between workouts. The Bodylastics set also includes 2 door anchors and ankle straps, making truly a complete set.

The Go Fit Ultimate Pro Gym offers 3 bands, a door anchor, ankle straps and a carrying case. This meets the minimum requirements for any resistance band set, but it also includes a 25 minute DVD so you can learn how to use the resistance bands just by watching someone else using them instead of having to decipher a complicated exercise chart.