As a health enthusiast, I was looking for a supplement for weight training. Fortunately, I found resistance bands that are versatile and portable. It was indeed a valuable tool for at-home workouts, especially for me. But firstly, I was confused about what size resistance band would suit beginners.
The best resistance band sizes are yellow: black – 1/2: 7/8 inches. However, starting with a thin band is advisable, although you’ve worked with it or never used it before. If you are an active man or woman, the beginning level would be 4.7 inches (12 pounds).
However, the resistance band sizes vary depending on the exercise level. You will find different types and colors of bands as well. Let’s explore the myths related to resistance bands and their sizes.
Table of Contents
Resistance band size chart:
| Yellow | 5 to 30 pounds of resistance (1/2” – 41″ x 0.5″ x 0.18″) |
| Black | 20 to 55 pounds of resistance (7/8″ – 41″ x 0.85″ x 0.18″) |
| Blue | 35 to 70 pounds of resistance (1 1/4″ – 41″ x 1.25″ x 0.18″) |
| Green | 45 to 115 pounds of resistance (1 3/4″ – 41″ x 1.75″ x 0.18″) |
| Gray | 60 to 170 pounds of resistance (2 1/2″ – 41″ x 2.5″ x 0.18″) |
Different uses of resistance bands’ size:
Below mention are some of the uses of resistance band sizes:
Yellow Band (Lower resistance) – 1/2 inch wide
- Suitable for pulling
- Mobility
- Jumping activities
- Rehab & prehab
- Small muscle group strength workout (i.e., shoulders)
- Extremely light assistance for pull-ups
- Counting light resistance to barbell exercises like bench presses, overhead presses, squats, and deadlifts.
Black Band – 0.85 inches wide
- Stretching/Elongation
- Mobility
- Jumping workouts
- Short/medium muscle group strength training (such as bicep exercises and shoulder presses).
- Light assistance for pull-ups.
- Adding light-to-medium resistance to classic gym equipment like squats, leg press machines, etc.
Blue Band – 1.25 inches wide
- Complete body strength exercises (such as shoulder presses, deadlifts, and calve exercises)
- More inferior body muscle workout
- Mobility and pulling exercises
- Most good resistance bands are for assisted pull-ups, strict or kipping.
- Adding medium-heavy resistance to barbell workouts like bench presses, deadlifts, or squats.
Green Band – 1.75 inches wide
- Large muscle groups such as deadlifts and squats
- Lower body exercises – Lower Body Stretches
- Perfect for assisted pull-ups, strict or kipping
- If you are an advanced lifter, add weighty resistance to traditional gym exercises like deadlifts or squats.
Gray Band – 2.5 inches wide
- Comprehensive muscle group strength training.
- Extensive compound exercises like deadlifts.
- Great for people who need assistance with their pull-ups and bar muscle-ups.
- Adding heavy resistance to traditional strength training exercises like deadlifts or squats.
- This band is best for more severe body types and advanced lifters.
What size resistance band for beginners?
If you are looking for bands to provide resistance and do other exercises, you are confused about which one to choose. I would recommend you start with a thin band. Beginners are just beginning their fitness journey and have limited mobility.
It would benefit if you began with the red band and then went up to the green bar for a much harder resistance band.
It might be a little confusing for you to choose the resistance bands. The red one being the lightest, is the most versatile.
You can do almost anything with this one—many joint strength movements or warmups. The most significant bodybuilders warm up with this lightest (red) band; why don’t you?
What size resistance band do I need for pull-ups?
The 1/2 wide x 41 long (13mm x 1m) and 15-35 lbs (7-16 kg) is a highly versatile band size that can tone almost every muscle group on or off the pull-up bar—the best band for low-impact, high, and rep strength training.
Pull-ups can encounter and strengthen nearly your whole upper body through the straightforward motion of pulling yourself up to the pull-up bar.
It is an admiringly functional movement pattern requiring numerous muscle groups to work together. Like, you probably need a little pull-up help to get you going.
The most helpful way to improve at pull-ups is to do assisted pull-ups. Pull-up straps offset your body weight, so you get more reps and increase strength faster.
You’ll need less pull-up band assistance as you get stronger and can utilize a lighter band. To use resistance bands correctly on the pull-up bar:
- Fasten a resistance band onto the pull-up band by pulling one side through the other.
- Then place a foot or knee in the pull-up band. Using the foot makes it more accessible.
- Complete controlled assisted pull-up reps without swaying back and forth.
- After that, step out of the pull-up strap with one foot, then release the other to avoid snapbacks.
Best Resistance Bands for Building Muscle & Strength Training
Yes, you can build muscle with different resistance band sizes. All you need to grow is tension, adequate recovery, muscle adaption, and progressive overload.
Resistance bands are excellent for full-body muscle building: chest, back, hamstring, glutes, inner/outer thighs, quads, arms, and shoulders.
Nevertheless, building muscle with resistance bands is a lot easier said than done. It requires a lot of dedication, determination, and consistency.
In many ways, you can put more pressure on your muscles and work them longer during movements.
Best resistance band for arms
No gym? No problem with these excellent strength training exercises!
The most suitable type of resistance band is the 41-inch loop power resistance for arms. Resistance bands that are fantastic for warming up, mobility, stretching, working out, and pull-up assistance are 41 inches long. No matter what size band (i.e., what resistance level), they will all be 41 inches long. The width of the band determines the size/resistance level.
Best resistance band for chest
The resistance band row is a remarkable assistance exercise for chest workouts as it supports proper back positioning, builds back strength, and can help stabilize the shoulders during chest exercises.
For the chest, all three sizes will be helpful. The yellow (Lowest resistance – 1/2 inch wide) will let you be additional explosive when doing resisted pushups.
The black (0.85 inches wide) and blue (1.25 inches wide) will be excellent, and you can do this by landing the band or simply wrapping the band around your back. If you want to get one, you will need to determine your strength level.
Best resistance band for back
Do you want to strengthen your back and build muscle with resistance bands, and then you need to disclose your muscles for a lot of time beneath pressure.
The best resistance bands for exercises are 208cm in size. Resistance loop bands, also known as pull-up bands.
You can grab their grip on them differently, loop them close to your body or attach them to other objects. They come in diverse resistance levels, from very soft to extremely heavy.
Best Resistance Bands for Pull-Ups
The best type of resistance band for pull-ups is a pull-up assist band available in color codes, which is not included in significant resistance bands. It is incredibly lengthy in size and does not have grips.
It might not be challenging to find out which band size is best for you to start with, but I will help you choose which is most suitable.
- You can do a decent amount of pull-ups with yellow band size without assistance. The yellow band size is helpful for someone who almost has the muscle up down and will give the extra boost needed to perform the strength up.
- The black band size is suitable for people who can do a few pull-ups and want to get around 10-12 reps. This size is also ideal for someone working on their muscles.
- The blue band size is presumably the best band for about one good pull-up. This band size usually starts with people just learning to do a pull-up and new to fitness. These bands give you enough assistance to teach valuable forms, which will also be challenging.
- This green band size is better for someone a little weightier but of the same force as someone who uses the blue band size. Similar to the blue band but with a little more assistance. It will be
- The gray size band is perfect for someone who is overweight. This type of band offers A lot of assistance. During a workout exercise with this band size, you will need someone to help you by maintaining them pull the band down to feet level so that you can place your foot in it.
Best Resistance Band For Combining With Free Weight Lifts
Were you looking for bigger biceps fast? The way to do that is by combining weights with different resistance bands.
To combine resistance bands with free weights, like banded barbell squats, you should start with light band size even if you are an advanced lifter. It’s an entirely different dynamic; even the yellow and black band size will challenge you.
For this, it’s most beneficial to have a pair of bands of each size you intend to use, as the form is better when you have two band sizes.
So, if you start by combining resistance bands with free weights, a pair of yellow or black bands size is best. It will improve the tension by covering the band more when arranging up, so there will be more pressure from the beginning.
With more extra stress, you will calculate the counted resistance at the high end of the range – so for the yellow size band, it would be around 30LB on each side and the black band around 55LB.
For more advanced lifters, you can use a blue resistance band size, and you will likely quickly work up to a green resistance band size, and for those who are very strong and understand how to set up the bands for these kinds of lifts properly, the gray band size.
Best Resistance Band For Explosive Exercises
The blue and green band size is best if you want to do explosive exercises such as banded sprints and bear crawls.
The yellow or black size band will be better for explosive exercises like banded box jumps.
Best Resistance Band For Seniors:
The yellow band size will be best. You’d be able to get a full body workout with the yellow resistance band size, and it will be challenging even for larger muscle groups as long as you keep your muscles engaged throughout the movement.
If you are a senior, definitely start with a yellow band. If you feel advantageous, you can get a yellow and black band.
Best Resistance Band For Physical Therapy
For physical therapy, the yellow resistance band size is also the best option. It will give you the proper resistance to strengthen your muscles, joints, and tendons. You don’t want any more tension for many physical therapy exercises, as they don’t intend to build significant muscle but to create normalcy in your joints and muscles.
How do I choose the best size resistance band as a beginner?
Resistance bands are much more effective if you are a beginner and not fond of weight training. You can even see some muscle growth by using resistance bands consistently.
Resistance bands come in various sizes and lengths, but you can always wrap them around your anchor or feet more than once to artificially make them shorter if necessary.
Start with the slightest resistance band size and do 15 reps to see how you feel. Grab the band with the lowest resistance level if you’re new to working out resistance bands.
Do 15 reps of whatever activity you plan on doing. If it’s too comfortable 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.
Where to buy exercise resistance bands?
Resistance bands have multiple benefits; they are compact, portable, lightweight, inexpensive, and can be used anywhere—the gym, at the park.
You can buy them online; resistance bands are available at low prices. All these exercise resistance bands are available in Apollo, MDBuddy, LIveup brands, Amazon, and Alibaba stores.
Read more about: How to Use Long Loop Resistance Bands.
FAQ:
Should I get 9-inch or 12-inch resistance bands?
It’s essential to make sure the band isn’t too short, or you’ll risk the potential for a band breaking.
The pre-cut length of five feet works for most people. Use a band length equal to the limb you’re exercising. If you want to lose 30 lbs. or more or are over 5’10” tall, choose the 12″ loops. Otherwise, choose the 9″ loops.
Are thicker resistance bands more useful?
There are various resistance bands to choose from. A helpful direction of thumb when buying is that heavier, wider bands are best for bigger muscle groups, like legs, lats, and glutes, while thin bands are better for smaller joints and muscles.
But whether you use a thicker or thinner band size usually depends on strength levels and goals. If you require a lot of resistance to assist you do pull-ups and dips, then you’d use a thicker one, and if you don’t, you will use the thinner one.
Are resistance bands suitable for weight loss?
Yes, you can lose weight with resistance bands. Resistance bands not only build muscle. It can also help melt away fat.
Resistance bands allow both men and women to lose belly fat and build muscle. Resistance band exercises help reduce body fat in overweight people better than other training conditions, including free weights and bodyweight workouts.
What are the best resistance band-back workouts?
I always do one exercise with a heavy resistance band for my back. It’s called the Splitter. You grab a band, hold the band with both hands shoulder-width apart, pull the band out while keeping your arms straight, and contract your shoulder blades. You should feel a burn. Your arms should look like a W when fully tightened.
How long do resistance bands last?
From personal experience, a resistance band’s average lifespan or durability of resistance bands are between six months and two years. It usually depends on the frequency and intensity of usage of these bands.
Final verdict:
Before ending, I want to tell you that resistance bands could benefit in many ways. But at the same time, you need to think about the size of your resistance bands to get better results in time. If you are a beginner, then it’s a must to talk with a physician to know what size of bands would be best for you.