So, you’ve been doing squats at home for some time now, and you’re thinking about increasing the intensity? Maybe your results have tapered off, or you’re running out of time and can’t simply keep adding more and more sets and reps. There are a variety of ways to add resistance to your squats. Free weights are bulky and expensive, and for most people gym equipment is out of the question. Resistance bands offer an inexpensive and effective way to make many exercises more challenging. But are resistance bands good for squats?
Resistance bands are a great way to add intensity to your squat workouts. There are a variety of different ways to use bands, and ways to place them on your body for a multitude of effects and enhanced results. Not only are resistance bands a good way to make your squats more difficult, and can provide joint support and stability, but they also align with the power curve of your muscles. That is, the band will provide more resistance at the top of the movement where the band is stretched the furthest and where you are the strongest.
So, there are several ways in which resistance bands can enhance your squats. Let’s explore a little more.
Where do resistance bands go for squats?.
There are countless variations, but the most common ways to use resistance bands are as follows:
- Band with handles held at waist or shoulder height to provide additional resistance on both the concentric and eccentric portions of the exercise.
- Around the lower thighs to engage the hip flexors, and abductor muscles more. This will also allow more control over your descent and may assist those with knees or hip problems.
While there are many uses for resistance bands, and a number of ways to include them in your squat workout, these are the primary methods. Ultimately, to continue to progress in your mission to build stronger, more muscular legs, you’ll need to add weight or resistance in one form or another, beyond bodyweight. Resistance bands are a safe, affordable way to do just that.
What are the benefits of resistance bands for legs and glutes?
Taking full advantage of the muscles’ natural power curve, resistance bands will challenge you where you are strongest and gently support you at the bottom of the movement.
Resistance bands will simulate added weight when you do your squats. This will mean that the muscle-building effects of your squat workout will continue long after you have plateaued from using bodyweight alone. With heavy duty bands, you can develop incredibly muscular and powerful legs.
Also unlike barbell squats, bodyweight squats don’t really work the lower back in any meaningful way. When you hold a resistance band to shoulder height, you add a level of resistance to the whole movement, not just to the motion that the legs contribute to.
Placed around the knees or thighs, a resistance band can help correct poor form and posture problems, while also working the hip abductors while simultaneously stimulating all the major muscle groups that squats typically target.
What does a resistance band do during squats?
If held at shoulder or waist height, a resistance band (with handles) will add resistance to your squats. As a highly versatile piece of equipment with adjustable bands and those of many different ‘weight’ equivalents available, you can make your squats as difficult as you would like.
Resistance bands provide no resistance until stretched, and then that resistance increases until the band(s) are maximally stretched. So when you squat down, and the most pressure is on your knees and your quads have to work the hardest, the resistance is minimal.
As you extend your legs, the band is stretched and the resistance increases until your legs are fully extended and you are upright. The part of the movement close to full extension is the power zone of the exercise and your quads and glutes will be ready to handle more weight/resistance than they could at the bottom.
Are banded squats harder?
Yes. The need for more resistance means that you have graduated past regular bodyweight squats and have progressed to the level where your muscles need more to continue to grow.
While they may be a little awkward to get used to at first, you may find yourself constantly adjusting during your set. But the benefits of the (highly cost-effective) use of resistance bands make it worth a little patience to get used to them.
Making a resistance movement like squats ‘harder’ is the only surefire way to ensure that you continue to get results from that exercise. By overloading the muscles with the added resistance coming from the bands, you will stimulate new muscle growth.
Using handheld bands will also engage the upper body, requiring additional effort and coordination. Holding the band’s handles will force your hands and shoulders to control and stabilize the bands.
Do resistance bands build muscle?
Resistance bands can definitely help build muscle. If a band of sufficient strength is used, the resistance provided will be plenty to overload the muscles and stimulate new growth.
The resistance curve of bands is great for working the muscle most thoroughly in its strongest range. This is at the top of most movements, which coincides with the band being at its most stretched. As you lower the handles to the starting position, the resistance will dramatically reduce, and you’ll be easier able to handle the load at the bottom, weaker, part of the movement.
As the bands age and get worn out, the resistance they are claimed to provide, when new, will inevitably fade as the bands lose their elasticity. This is okay as it is not important exactly what equivalent poundage you are using on your squats, just what your effort level is. As long as you are being challenged by the added resistance that the bands provide, and it is not easy to more than 15-20 reps per set, then you will see a difference after repeated use.
Compared to bodyweight squats, you will probably experience some increase in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and will likely feel your weak points the morning after your workout. While severe soreness means you went a little too far, generally a little soreness is almost a good thing, as it means you have thoroughly stimulated the muscles and, with proper nutrition, the growth will follow.
Resistance bands are also a much safer alternative to free weights. You’ll never need a spotter, and you will probably never get pinned underneath a band the way you might get pinned under a barbell! There’s nothing to drop, and you won’t need a lot of space, money, or equipment to get a great workout done.
All this means that resistance bands are not only a great idea, but are a necessary next step once you have been doing squats for a while. So invest in a set of inexpensive resistance bands and start using them during your squat workouts. With persistence, after a few weeks or months you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Don’t forget to check with your doctor before starting this, or any other exercise program to be sure you are healthy enough to exercise.
If you don’t have any bands yet, here’s a quality resistance band set I’d recommend from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Related Posts:
Can Squats Help You Lose Weight?
Squats are a fantastic form of exercise in so many ways. They will build lower body muscle which, in turn, will cause you to burn more calories all the time. Stimulating the large muscles of the legs will also help create a favorable hormonal profile by boosting growth hormone and testosterone. Squats will burn a significant number of calories, although not as many as a traditional cardio workout such as running. Even a fairly high volume (reps) squat workout will take significantly less time than a cardio workout, which makes it a great time saver. Yet squats have the added benefit of boosting your metabolism for hours after your workout. So long as you keep your diet in check, squats can definitely help you burn some fat. So, while not the fastest way to burn calories, doing squats regularly can certainly help you lose weight.
How Many Squats A Day Will Make A Difference?
While nearly any number of squats will make some difference, the higher the number you do, the greater the results. This carries true until you get to really high rep numbers, i.e. over 200 squats. If you are out of shape, even 10-20 squats per day will have a significant impact on the strength of your legs, back, and on your energy levels. It is difficult to overtrain with bodyweight squats, so do plenty of them. 100+ squats a day is a great level to be at. If you want more muscular legs, try to work your way up to at least 50 per day, every other day and you will not regret it!
