How Much Tension Should I Use

Okay, you’ve started working out with your resistance bands but you’ve hit a snag. You want the best results, however, you’re not sure if you’re using the right amount of tension, or how to choose the right amount of tension.

The solution to this dilemma is much more simple than you think.

Regardless of what type of resistance that you use, the principles stay the same: you will always want to choose a high enough level of tension that will overload and challenge your muscles.

In other words, you want to choose enough resistance so that your muscles are struggling in the last few repetitions of every set.

This creates an environment of physical adaptation. Listen, exercise training is an adaptive process. Your body will adapt to the stresses of exercise, but only if you challenge the muscles beyond minimal levels. You can’t just go through the motions.

To achieve maximum results, you must make sure that you overload the muscle with enough tension so that you place the muscles under new stresses. How will the muscle respond to the new stresses? By becoming bigger and stronger.

Is it possible to overload the muscles with Resistance Bands, as the tension level varies and is not EXACTLY the same as free weights?

The answer to that question is HECK YES!!

If you have Stackable Bands like the Bodylastics Bands System you can easily change out a lower tension band for one that generates more tension, or just clip on an additional bands to generate higher levels of tension.

The fact that Resistance Bands increase in tension throughout the range should not change anything in regards to how much tension you choose. Again, you will want to choose a band or combination of bands that cause your muscles to struggle on the last few reps of every set.

Now, let’s get to work!