Comparing Home Gym Resistance Methods

Bows, bands, bodyweight and stacks

Strength training relies on resistance to challenge you muscles, but where that resistance comes from can vary. When you lift something heavy, pull a rope attached to something heavy or pull something that becomes more difficult as it stretches, your muscles are working hard. As muscles fatigue they suffer microscopic tears. During recovery the body repairs the tears and makes the muscles stronger so they can more easily handle the same amount of work the next time.

In general it doesn’t matter what kind of resistance your body works against, only that it’s enough to challenge your muscles to exhaustion. And once they have become strong enough to work against the resistance easily, they require more resistance. It’s as simple as that - for the most part.

There are pros and cons to each method of resistance and some people swear by a specific one. But all that matters is whether you benefit from it, so find out more about each before making a hasty decision that you might later regret.

Home gym resistance methods

• Weight stacks - The traditional home gym resistance method, weight stacks are being replaced by increasingly lightweight and innovative alternatives. Some people still swear by weight stack machines though, or just prefer the feel of actually lifting something heavy.
• Bows - Popular brands like Bowflex and Weider have raised the profile of home gyms that use bows from novelty to mainstream. The strong flexible bows that provide resistance are said to provide a workout similar to free weights without the associated risks.
• Bands - Instead of sturdy flexible bows a band home gym uses a number of bungee cords or resistance bands connected to cables to create resistance.
• Body weight - Absolutely no external resistance is needed to make a workout on a bodyweight gym challenging. Your own body provides the weight, as you use your feet, hands and pulleys to move your body up and down a variable incline.
• Dumbbell stacks - Along the same lines of weight stacks, this type of gym uses physically heavy objects to provide resistance, namely dumbbells. The beauty of a dumbbell stack home gym is it doesn’t require an additional form of resistance, making it a space-saver. You can use the dumbbells for free weight exercises, then load them onto the gym’s weight cradle for a challenging pulley workout.