How to Choose Resistance Bands to Get the Most Out of Your Workout

Co-authored by Brendon Rearick and Eric McClure

Last Updated: January 26, 2024 References

Resistance bands are one of the most popular options out there when it comes to workout equipment. These flexible latex bands look like small loops made out rubber or latex, and they typically come in color-coded sets of 4, 5, 6, or 8 depending on how many options you’d like. Not only are they incredibly versatile in terms of the exercises you can do with them, but they’re super easy to store, they’re cheap, and you can take them with you basically anywhere. But with so many products out there, you may be wondering which set is right for you. The good news is that most resistance band sets are more or less interchangeable, and it’s way more important to understand how to select the proper level of resistance than it is to choose the fanciest brand.

Question 1 of 7:

Are resistance bands color coded?

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Yes, and the colors are basically universal among the major brands. There may be some very minor variation in strength and resistance from one brand of bands to another, but basically every band uses the same color-coding system.^{[1]
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Go to source} The most popular sets out there are usually have 4, 5, 6, or 8 bands in them. There’s usually a reference card that comes with every set as well. Regardless, this is typically what the colors mean:
- Tan—XX-light
- Yellow—X-light
- Red—Light
- Green—Medium
- Blue—Heavy
- Black—X-heavy
- Silver—XX-heavy
- Gold—XXX-heavy
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If you’re ever unsure, assume the lighter colors have less resistance. There are a handful of niche brands that like to play around with the colors for branding reasons, and who can blame you if you lose that tiny reference card that comes with these sets? If you’re ever unsure, just assume that the lighter colors have less resistance and the darker colors have more resistance. On top of that, the thicker the band is, the more resistance there will be. All things considered, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out which bands have more resistance.^{[2]
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- If you’re worried about losing track of which band is which, label each band by writing the resistance level on them with a permanent marker as soon as you buy them.

Question 2 of 7:

What set of resistance bands should I buy?

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Get standard large loop bands if you want versatility. The vast majority of resistance bands are large loop bands. They’re closed loops with no handles, and they give you the highest number of options when it comes to available workouts. They come in a variety of different lengths, but you can always wrap them around your anchor or feet more than once to artificially make them shorter if necessary.^{[3]
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- If you know you won’t need a ton of resistance or you’re buying the bands to do physical therapy exercises at home, buy therapy bands. They’re the same thing as loop bands, but these sets usually have a lighter resistance.^{[4]
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Buy mini-bands if you’re a little short on space. Mini-bands are the same thing as large loop bands, except they’re a lot smaller and the resistances are condensed. In other words, a light large loop band and a light mini-band will provide the same level of resistance, but you won’t need to pull the light band out super far. This makes them ideal if you’re doing home workouts in a small space.^{[5]
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- With mini-bands, you may not be able to do a lot of standing exercise where the bands wrap around your feet, but you can actually use them for a variety of exercises where they wrap around your ankles, thighs, and wrists, which can be difficult with bigger bands.
- There are also figure-8 bands out there. They usually have handles, and they’re designed for upper body exercises. They aren’t super popular, but they’re a good choice if you only want the bands for a handful of chest and arm exercise.^{[6]
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Get bands with handles if you want a better grip. If you only want the resistance bands for upper body exercises and you want maximum wrist comfort, buy a set with handles. These bands are typically a little more expensive, but they’re worth it if you want to keep your hands comfortable while you’re working out!^{[7]
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- Since you can only hold the handles with your hands, you can’t do any lower body exercise where the bands need to be wrapped around your legs.

Question 3 of 7:

How do I choose a resistance band?

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Start with the lowest resistance band and do 15 reps to see how you feel. If you’re new to working out with resistance bands, grab the band with the lowest level of resistance. Do 15 reps of whatever exercise you plan on doing. If it’s too easy for you that you aren’t feeling any meaningful tension, move up a resistance level and repeat the process. Once you feel a burn after 15 reps, that’s your band.^{[8]
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- If you’re using resistance bands for rehab, follow your doctor’s instructions regarding the resistance level.
- If you’ve been lifting weights and working out regularly for a while now and you’re just adding resistance bands to your repertoire, use whatever tension you’d like. You should be able to tell which band suits you best for a given exercise.

Question 4 of 7:

When should I change the band I’m using?

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Move up a level whenever an exercise gets too easy for you. As a rule of thumb, you want to feel the burn after 15 reps of a given exercise. If you aren’t feeling sweat beads forming on your forehead after a given set, move up to the next band to keep challenging yourself. Keep doing this until you reach a level where the exercise is challenging and you’re feeling the burn, but you can still get through the set.^{[9]
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- The exception here is if you’re using the resistance bands for physical therapy after an injury. In that case, just listen to your doctor or physical trainer.

Question 5 of 7:

How do I know if I’m using the wrong resistance band?

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Lighter bands are likely better if you want to tone muscle and build endurance, while heavier bands are probably going to be better for building strength. With that said, so long as you’re exhausting your muscles by the end of your workout you’re going to benefit from the exercise.^{[10]
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Research source} The only way a band can be wrong for you is if it’s so easy to use that you don’t feel anything, or the band is so strong that you can’t physically control the movements.^{[11]
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If you’re rehabbing an injury, use a lighter resistance if you feel pain. If a certain resistance band is causing your injury to flare back up or you feel pain while you’re using it, stop. Switch to a lighter band that’s easier for you to use. If you’re in physical therapy, let your trainer know that it’s causing you issues so they can pick something more appropriate for you. Resistance bands are popular in treatment settings because they’re so flexible and easy to use, but these exercises shouldn’t hurt.^{[12]
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- You don’t want the band to be so easy to move that you have to stretch it out super far to accomplish an exercise. It’s rare, but the bands can snap if you pull them out too far.

Question 6 of 7:

What can beginners do with resistance bands?

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Anything you can do with dumbbells, you can do with resistance bands. There’s really no shortage of workout options with these bands, which is partly why they’re so popular.^{[13]
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Research source} For example, if you want to do a bicep curl, just wrap the band around your foot to anchor it and lift the top of the band up by hand. If you want to do a squat, pin the band down with both feet and hold the other end of the band behind your shoulders with both hands while you do your squats.^{[14]
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- You can do abductions, chest presses, lateral raises, triceps extensions, crunches, and lat pulldowns as well. In fact, that circuit adds up to a total body workout!^{[15]
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  Research source} This is part of why resistance bands are so popular—they’re easy to use in a multitude of ways to get a full workout at home.
- Be sure to anchor the resistance bands properly—you could be injured if you fall while you're using them.^{[16]
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  Expert Source
  
  Brendon Rearick
  Personal Trainer & Strength Coach
  
  Expert Interview. 30 July 2020.}

Question 7 of 7:

Do resistance bands build muscle?

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Absolutely; in fact, they might be better than free weights! Free weights are fixed while you’re using them in the sense that a 20 lb (9.1 kg) dumbbell stays the same weight while you’re using it, regardless of where you are in a movement. Resistance bands get harder to use the more you stretch them. As a result, your muscle experiences more strain as you extend your range of motion. Not only is this gradual increase in resistance safer for your joints, but this may increase your overall gains.^{[17]
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- Don’t use a really high level of resistance if you aren’t ready for it just because you want to bulk up. You can achieve a nearly-identical level of muscle gain by doing a large number of reps so long as your muscles are exhausted by the end of the workout!^{[18]
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- Eventually, you might need to switch to weights as you get stronger, but weights can be a great way to get started training.^{[19]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Brendon Rearick
  Personal Trainer & Strength Coach
  
  Expert Interview. 30 July 2020.}