May 31, 2022

Can You Get Big with Resistance Bands?

Tied with weight loss, muscle growth is ranked as one of the top fitness goals.

Most YouTube videos and “bro science” blogs tend to focus on one way of packing on the pounds: weight training.

But is that the only proven way?

Resistance bands are popular among people who are new to fitness or looking to increase endurance or leanness. They are also used in a rehabilitation setting.

So, is it possible to bulk up with bands?

Let’s take a closer look at how to build muscle with resistance bands.

Can Resistance Bands Replace Weights?

Can Resistance Bands Replace Weights?

The short answer: absolutely.

Studies show “elastic resistance strength training is able to promote similar strength gains to conventional resistance training.”1

And when done properly, with heavy weight and compound movements, resistance band training can even lead to superior gains.

This is important to point out because if you asked the average person which was better for muscle building, most would say traditional weight training..

Now, you can confidently invest in an elite pair of resistance bands with the goal of muscle building.

With that said, the question becomes, can resistance bands help you get big?

Can Resistance Bands Bulk You Up?

Can Resistance Bands Bulk You Up?

We know that resistance bands support lean muscle building, but can you get noticeably bigger using them?

Yes, but there’s a catch. You have to consistently do a few things and do them well. No slacking or half-assing it.

You Must Go Heavy

No matter if you’re using weights or resistance bands, you have to go heavy to stimulate muscle growth.

You might be wondering how that works with resistance bands. How can a seemingly flimsy piece of rubber produce enough force for you to grow?

It has to do with variable resistance.

Resistance bands are based on the principles of variable resistance training. This is pretty much what it sounds like.

The weight load or resistance changes as you move through the strength training exercises.

Let’s take the resistance band bicep curl as an example. As you lift the band up and toward your shoulder, resistance increases. This is also when you’re at your strongest range of motion.

As you lower the resistance band, the weight load decreases.

But that doesn’t explain the amount of force you’ll need to build bigger core muscles.

Believe it or not, best resistance bands can provide you with up to hundreds of pounds of resistance, depending on the quality and type of bands.

For example, the X3 Bar can provide you with over 500 pounds of force when the bands are doubled over.

And remember, this is going to be different from lifting 500 pounds right out of the gate.

When you’re lifting with bands, the resistance increases as you reach your strongest range of motion. This ensures that you’re lifting maximal loads when your body can handle it.

Focus on Protein in Your Diet

To build muscle with resistance bands, you’ll need to be as serious about your nutrition as you are with your training.

And if there’s one macronutrient that you need to focus on, it’s protein.

Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are the literal building blocks of muscle tissue.

I can’t stress enough how important protein is for optimal muscle growth. Studies have demonstrated that a high protein diet supports protein synthesis, muscle tissue repair, and hypertrophy (muscle growth).2

Dr. Jaquish, the inventor of X3 Bar, recommends at least one gram of protein per gram of body weight each day.

Always remember your diet should be based on whole food options. Eat a healthy diet of lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

With that said, supplements can complement a healthy diet.

One of the easiest ways to get in the recommended amount of protein is with a whey protein supplement.

I recommend taking whey protein about an hour before your muscle building workout. Take a second serving within an hour after your workout.

And if you are really serious about packing on muscle, you can take a serving of casein protein before you go to bed.

A portable, all-in-one home gym system

How to Build Muscle With Resistance Bands?

build muscle with resistance bands

To build muscle with resistance bands, there are a few things you’ll want to focus on during your training:

Compound Movements

Select different exercises that give you the most bang for your buck.

That means you want exercises that activate the greatest number of muscle fibers. For example, squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.

While isolation exercises for secondary muscle groups are important, compound exercises are the bread and butter of a bodybuilding routine.

Combine compound movements with resistance band training, and you’ll recruit more muscle fibers than weight-lifting ever could. Why?

Resistance band training prevents3 the neurological inhibition that occurs in the ‘sticking period’ when we attempt to lift weight in our weak ranges, and increases muscle recruitment when the body is strongest.

Full-Body Workouts

To trigger muscle growth with resistance bands, I would recommend full-body workouts several times per week.

This ensures all of the major muscle groups are being activated several times per week, providing the necessary stimulus for growth.

And before you think that’ll require you to train like it’s a full-time job, with strong resistance bands, all you need is 10 minutes per day.

X3’s 12-week training program splits total-body workouts into 2 simple routines, a push day and a pull day. Each triggers the total-body stimulation you need for growth, without requiring monopolizing your time.

Time Under Tension

It can be tough to focus on counting as you’re going through a challenging workout, but the amount of time your muscles are under tension during a set is crucial for results.

Dr. Jaquish suggests that the optimal amount of time under tension for muscle growth is between 48 and 60 seconds per set.

This is best expressed as two seconds during the lifting portion and two seconds as you lower the weight, for a total of no less than 15 and no more than 40 reps.

X3 Bar: Resistance Bands for Muscle Growth

Yes, you can get big with resistance bands alone. The X3 Bar is a proven resistance band system that provides over 500 pounds of resistance, allowing you to safely and effectively build the body you want.

Don’t take my word for it. Check out our Facebook groups to see some incredible before and after pictures from real-life users of the X3 Bar.

No Weights, No Cardio

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