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The Effect that Resistance Bands and Free Weights have on Muscle Development
Alix Parker
Ottawa University
Abstract
This bibliographic essay can be used to help an individual determine which type of
strength training will best enhance their muscle function. Resistance band training has become
more common in the training programs of individuals. The traditional use of free weights and
weight machines are now being examined compared to the less expensive, easier to transport
resistance bands. Studies are being performed to determine how resistance bands measure up to
traditional free weights and weight machines when an individual is attempting to enhance muscle
performance and muscle function. Studies have been performed throughout the last 20 years to
help individuals come to a conclusion based on their individual needs for muscle enhancement.
This paper includes studies performed on both older untrained individuals, sedentary women,
and trained Division-I college athletes. The articles examine the use of resistance band training
and free weight training in these different areas of trained individuals. The articles range in
scholarly articles to articles aimed towards a general audience. Sources are academic journals,
periodicals, and even a textbook chapter. The sources are all discussed thoroughly throughout the
paper and cited throughout and at the end of the paper for easy accessibility. These sources look
to help individuals better understand the different types of strength training they can choose
from. The sources also look into how each type of training enhances muscle function and which
type of training can be used to enhance individual muscle function. Scholarly sources can be
explained at a level that becomes easily comprehendible to the general audience that may
encounter this paper.

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Introduction
As resistance band training continues to grow, it is important to know how the bands
work to provide individuals with the resistance they need to strengthen their muscles. It is also
important to know how this type of training stacks up to free weights and machines traditionally
used to strengthen muscles. This growing popularity among resistance training has led to many
different research studies involving the development of muscle strength and the types of training
that effectively train these muscles. An important factor in any type of strength training is if
gender were to make a difference in how a training program increases muscle strength. It is also
important to question if age is a factor in how muscles are developed. These types of training
have both positives and negatives when it comes to muscle growth and the development of
strength. It is also important to examine if a combination of both resistance band training and
free weight training is better than either type alone.
Age
In the article published in the Harvard Health Letter (2012) titled The new Medicine:
Muscle Strength, it is made know that by age 70, most of us have lost a quarter of our muscle
strength. This loss of muscle strength accounts for many of the risk of injuries that we face as we
continue to age. The Harvard Health Letter article points out that various studies released in early
2012, suggest that older adults who are involved in strength training, any type, appear to have
improved cognitive function compared to those who do not (Harvard, 2012). The article
published by the Harvard Health Letter is not peer reviewed and has a general audience. The
only credibility provided is due to the fact that the Harvard Health Letter is published by Harvard
Medical School.

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Effects of short term elastic resistance training on muscle mass and strength in untrained
older adults: a randomized clinical trial (Martins, 2015) focuses on the effects of short-term
training with elastic resistance on muscle mass. The study also assesses if eight weeks of this
type of training are sufficient enough to change upper and lower limb muscle strength (Martins,
2015). There was a minimum age of 60 with this study and both male and female participants
were selected for the study. The results of this study failed to show a significant change in
muscle mass and muscle strength over the eight-week training period of elastic resistance
training in the older untrained adults (Martins, 2015). This article is scholarly and is peer
reviewed. It has no biased statements and all of the authors provide credibility by being members
of some sort of physical education department at universities in Brazil.
Gender
In another article written by Kraemer titled Effect of resistance training on womens
strength/power and occupational performance (2001), the study performed on the women in
military occupational specialties yielded significant differences in the resistance trained women
versus the untrained women. In general, the primary findings of this study were that the
periodized progressive resistance training was associated with continued significant
improvements in high-intensity physical performances. Kraemer (2001), points out that the
greatest improvements on the gender differences were seen in endurance capabilities both with
aerobic performance and in local muscular endurance. The study comes to the conclusion that 6
months of periodized, resistance training significantly diminished the initial gender differences in
physical performance capabilities including military relevant occupational tasks (Kraemer,
2001). As a result of this study, it can be ruled out that gender can affect the way in which
strength training can enhance muscle performance. It is important to note that this study did not

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focus on resistance band exercise but only free weight training and the U.S. Army physical
fitness testing performance exercises (Kraemer, 2001). This article has a scholarly audience and
has no biased comments towards either type of muscle development. This article is peer
reviewed which gives it credibility and the authors are a part of various exercise science
programs at various universities within the United States.
The article Effects of a Short-Term Resistance Program Using Elastic Bands Versus
Weight Machines for Sedentary Middle Aged Women (Colado, 2008) discusses how women
who were healthy, active, housewives were affected by a short-term resistance program using
weight machines. This study was done to determine if the elastic bands or weight machines
would help post-menopausal women with muscle development. The results of the study explain
that both the weight machine group and elastic band group developed their muscle endurance
and muscle power in similar manners (Colado, 2008). Colado does point out, however, that
muscle endurance for the upper extremities appears to be greater with weight machines than
elastic bands, but he also says that there are no statistically significant differences to confirm that
observation (2008). In Colados study it is easy to assume that the resistance provided by the
elastic bands is in fact less than the resistance of free weights or weight machines in the women.
With this study, an individual can come to only assume that the gender of the participants does
not affect the way in which elastic bands and free weight or weight machines work to increase
muscle endurance and the development of muscle strength. This article is a scholarly article and
is peer reviewed. Colado and his co-author N. Travis Triplett bring credibility to the article by
being members of the Department of Physical Education and Sports at the University of Valencia
in Valencia, Spain and the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian
State University in Boone, North Carolina.

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Resistance Bands
In order to understand which type of training better serves the individual, it is important
to know how the different types of training work. The article Resistance Properties of TheraBand Tubing During Shoulder Abduction Exercise (Hughes, 1999) focuses on the way that
resistance bands provide different types of resistance through different band colors. The main
focus and conclusion of this study comes from testing how much resistance the bands provide
when performing a shoulder abduction exercise. The article also explains how resistance band
properties are often compared to the dynamics of a spring. The resistive properties that elastic
bands provide during exercise are very important in how the individual will develop muscle. The
mechanical strains are unique to the thickness of the bands and the stretch rate of each different
type of band (Hughes, 1999). This article is a scholarly article and is peer reviewed in order to be
published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. Author Christopher
Hughes is a member of the Graduate School of Physical Therapy at Slippery Rock University in
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. His co-authors are also members of rehabilitation services at
various locations across the United States which ultimately provides credibility towards this
article.
In Jim Stoppanis Elastic Resistance vs. Free Weights, resistance bands are better
understood because it is made clear that the bands do not rely on gravity to perform an exercise.
This brings into account the fact that the resistance bands bring higher potential for use in
movement patterns that mimic everyday activities. Stoppanis article also points out that
resistance bands allow for individuals to perform tasks in a horizontal plane, side to side, instead
of the typical vertical plane used by free weights, the up and down movement (Stoppani). He
also explains that these types of horizontal movement are what allow individuals to better

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prepare themselves for performing daily tasks (Stoppani). The article Stoppani writes has a
general audience and is not biased towards resistance bands or free weights. Stoppani has a
PhD but his article is not peer reviewed which does not provide much credibility towards the
information within the paper. Stoppani does, however, provide a list of references from which he
has obtained his information; some of his references are the same as some of my resources.
In Colados article A Comparison of Elastic Tubing and Isotonic Resistance Exercises
(2010), a study using different resistance training techniques was performed on 42 women over
an eight-week period. The women were split into 3 groups, the Thera-band group, the weight
machine and free weight group and the control group. Colado points out that the results of the
study confirmed that the use of elastic bands in strength training in young and physically active
women is effective and can yield results that are equivalent to those obtained with weight
machines and free weights (Colado, 2010). Another conclusion that Colado comes to is that the
elastic devices and the exercise station with elastic tubing can become an inexpensive alternative
for strength training for individuals who do not have access to the more expensive or
sophisticated exercise equipment (Colado, 2010). Colado is a member of the Department of
Physical Education and Sports at the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain. His article is
scholarly and is in the peer reviewed International Journal of Sports Medicine.
Free Weights
The Harvard Health Letter (2012) contains The new Medicine: Muscle Strength
(2012), which says that the most common workout options for individuals are weight machines
and free weights. The article provides information that may lead an individual to be afraid to use
free weights because they are more risky and have a higher chance of causing injury to the
individual. To lift weights more naturally, in a natural arc, an individual should use a dumbbell, a

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free weight (Harvard, 2012). The Harvard Health Letter is published within the Harvard Medical
School Journal but it is important to note that this article is not peer reviewed. Its audience
appears to be general. The article has no author to provide credibility towards the information
provided.
In the article Strength Training Basics (Rouzier, 2013), free weights are defined as
dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls, or body weight. While these types of training provide
potential to increase muscle strength, they require the proper strength training techniques
(Rouzier, 2013); these techniques are not always taught to the individual or even taught correctly.
This article is peer reviewed and periodically reviewed when new medical changes arise. The
article has a scholarly audience and does not seem to contain any biased statements. Author
Pierre Rouzier is an MD and his co-author Lee Mancini is also and MD which ultimately brings
credibility towards the article because the authors are members of the medical field.
In the article Fundamentals of Resistance Training: Progression and Exercise
Prescription (Kraemer, 2004), it is made known that there are two types of free weight or
machine exercises that may be selected by the individual for resistance training. These types of
training are single and or multiple-joint exercises. Single joint exercises are meant to stress one
joint or one muscle group while, multiple joint exercises are meant to stress multiple joints or
muscle groups. Single joint exercises are thought to impose less risk of injury to the individual
(Kraemer, 2004). Multiple joint exercises have been used for power training for athletes
(Kraemer, 2004). This article has a scholarly audience and author William Kraemer is a member
of the Human Performance Laboratory and Department of Kinesiology at the University of
Connecticut in Storrs Connecticut.
Positives

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There are positives to both types of training, free weights and resistance bands. The most
influential has to be the potential for muscle growth and the possibility for gains in strength. In
The Great Debate: Free Weights vs Resistance Bands (Allen, 2012), one of the major focuses
is the positive similarities between both resistance band and free weights. The article states that
both resistance bands and free weights provide the resistance to increase muscle strength
(Allen, 2012). It is also made note that both types of training provide progressive resistance,
meaning that an individual can change the amount of weight or resistance to fit their own needs.
Allen also points out that while using resistance bands, an individual does not have to fight
gravity in order to perform the exercises. Due to the absence of gravity, to build muscle with
resistance bands, an individual must fight the tension in the bands and move the band freely. This
ability to move freely will allow the individual to mimic daily activities better (Allen, 2012).
With free weights, fighting gravity is what provides muscles with a force to fight against thus
allowing the individual to develop muscles. This article is aimed towards the general audience
and is not peer reviewed. The author does not provide any real credibility towards this field of
study.
A positive to both resistance band training and free weight training is loading. Kraemer,
in his article Fundamentals of Resistance Training: Progression and Exercise Prescription
(2004), points out that loading is the amount of weight lifted or resistance one exercises with.
Also noted is the need for heavy loading and when to start using heavy loads for training.
Kraemer (2004) points out that heavy loads are not required when an individual is first beginning
their strength training journey. When an individual begins to advance to intermediate or
advanced level training, heavy loading will be used for maximal strength gains. This article has a
scholarly audience and author William Kraemer is a member of the Human Performance

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Laboratory and Department of Kinesiology at the University of Connecticut in Storrs
Connecticut. The article does not contain any biased statements towards any type of resistance
training techniques.
In the article Why Resistance Band Training is Better than Weight Training (Schmitz,
2016), positives of resistance band training are examined by author Dave Schmitz. Schmitz
points out that resistance bands provide both a passive stretch by using dynamic stretching
techniques and an active stretch by challenging the body to go through full ranges of motion
during strength training exercises (2016). This article has a general audience and is not peer
reviewed. The author is a personal expert in resistance band training for speed, strength and
performance enhancement which leads to biased statements towards the specific resistance
training technique of using elastic bands.
Negatives
In Effects of a Short-Term Resistance Program Using Elastic Bands Versus Weight
Machines for Sedentary Middle-Aged Women (Colado, 2008), Colado points out that access to
machines requires both facilities and financial resources. Machines tend to be bulky and hard to
transport. This creates a difficulty for individuals who are constantly on the go in their daily
lives. This article is a scholarly article and is peer reviewed. Colado and his co-author N. Travis
Triplett bring credibility to the article by being members of the Department of Physical
Education and Sports at the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain and the Department of
Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
In the article Why Resistance Band Training is Better than Weight Training (Schmitz,
2016), we can find multiple disadvantages of free weight training when examined by Dave
Schmitz. Schmitz claims that free weights can only move in a vertical plane and therefore only

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train muscles in the up and down vectors. Muscles need to be trained in more than just this up
and down motion (Schmitz, 2016). This article has a general audience and is not peer reviewed.
The author is a personal expert in resistance band training for speed, strength and performance
enhancement which leads to biased statements towards the specific resistance training technique
of using elastic bands.
Conclusion
One study done by Corey Anderson (2008) called The Effects of Combining Elastic and
Free Weight Resistance on Strength and Power in Athletes looks into how a combination of
resistance band training and free weights could help improve strength more efficiently than either
type of training alone. This study covered seven weeks of resistance training with athletes from
mens basketball and wrestling teams and womens basketball and hockey teams from Cornel
University (Anderson, 2008). These individuals were split based on their team sport and then
from there, put in to either the control group or the experimental group. The control group would
use only free weights to perform a back squat and bench press while the experimental group
would use the free weights and elastic resistance bands. Anderson (2008) points out that the
purpose of the study was to examine the effect of using both resistance bands and free weights in
strength training during offseason training to enhance muscles more efficiently. The results
yielded that the combined resistance was significantly greater than the results of the free weight
training group in both bench press and back squat (Anderson, 2008). The results of this study
conclude that combining elastic resistance training with traditional free weight training, greater
gains in strength can be achieved. This article is peer reviewed and has a scholarly audience. All
of the authors are members of the Exercise and Sport Sciences at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New

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York. The article is published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and does not
contain any biased statements towards any type of strength training.
With all of the evidence presented in this bibliography, one can come to the conclusion
that resistance band training and free weight training can be equally effective in enhancing
muscle performance. In older individuals, it may be more effective due to low muscle mass that
these individuals face due to their age. In women, strength gains can be made by either type of
training, resistance band or free weight training. The final study that has been examined
establishes the conclusion that a combination of resistance bands and free weights can provided
the greatest strength gains and muscle enhancements for individuals of all ages and genders.

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Works Cited
Allen, Richie. "The Great Debate: Free Weights vs. Resistance Bands | Muscle Prodigy." Muscle
Prodigy. Muscle Prodigy, 13 Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
Anderson, Corey E., Gary A. Sforzo, and John A. Sigg. "The Effects of Combining Elastic and
Free Weight Resistance on Strength and Power in Athletes." Journal of Strength and
Conditioning Research 22.2 (2008): 567-74. Alt HealthWatch [EBSCO]. Web. Mar.-Apr.
2016.
Colado, Juan C., and N. Travis Triplett. "Effects of a Short-Term Resistance Program Using
Elastic Bands Versus Weight Machines for Sedentary Middle-Aged Women." Journal of
Strength and Conditioning Research 22.5 (2008): 1441-448. Academic Search Premier
[EBSCO]. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.
Colado, J. C., X. Garcia-Masso, M. Pellicer, Y. Alakhdar, J. Benavent, and R. Cabeza-Ruiz. "A
Comparison of Elastic Tubing and Isotonic Resistance Exercises." International Journal
of Sports Medicine Int J Sports Med 31.11 (2010): 810-17. MEDLINE with Full Text
[ProQuest]. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.
Hughes, Christopher J., Kenneth Hurd, Allan Jones, and Stephen Sprigle. "Resistance Properties
of Thera-Band Tubing During Shoulder Abduction Exercise." J Orthop Sports Phys
Ther Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 29.7 (1999): 413-20. MEDLINE
with Full Text [ProQuest]. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.
Kraemer, William J., and Nicholas A. Ratamess. "Fundamentals of Resistance Training:
Progression and Exercise Prescription." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 36.4
(2004): 674-88. Alt HealthWatch [EBSCO]. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.

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Kraemer, William J., Scott A. Mazzetti, Bradley C. Nindl, Lincoln A. Gotshalk, Jeff S. Volek, Jill
A. Bush, Jim O. Marx, Kei Dohi, Ana L. Gomez, Mary Miles, Steven J. Fleck, Robert U.
Newton, and Keijo Hakkinen. "Effect of Resistance Training on Womens Strength/power
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(2001): 1011-025. MEDLINE with Full Text [ProQuest]. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.
Martins, Wagner Rodrigues, Marisete Peralta Safons, Martim Bottaro, Juscelino Castro
Blasczyk, Leonardo Rios Diniz, Romulo Maia Carlos Fonseca, Ana Clara Bonini-Rocha,
and Ricardo Jac De Oliveira. "Effects of Short Term Elastic Resistance Training on
Muscle Mass and Strength in Untrained Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial."
BMC Geriatrics 15.1 (2015): n. pag. MEDLINE with Full Text [ProQuest]. Web. Mar.Apr. 2016.
Rouzier, Pierre, and Lee Mancini. "Strength Training Basics." CRS- Adult Health Advisor
(2013): n. pag. Alt HealthWatch [EBSCO]. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.
Schmitz, Dave. "Why Resistance Band Training Is Better than Weight Training." Resistance
Bands- Reactive Training- Pwerful Results. Resistance Band Training, 2016. Web. 21
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Stoppani, Jim. "Bands Vs. Free Weights By Jim Stoppani, PhD." RESISTANCE BANDS.
Bodylastics, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
"The New Medicine: Muscle Strength." Harvard Health Letter Oct. 2012: 1+. Harvard Health
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