Final up to date on December eleventh, 2024
“Cease lifting weights,” wrote Dave Asprey, aka the “Father of Biohacking’, in a latest Instagram put up. He continued, saying, “Research have proven that resistance bands can improve muscle development thrice sooner than weight coaching.” These statements drew a response from Dr. Layne Norton, PhD, and champion powerlifter in early December 2024.
“In lots of instances, you will get comparable outcomes,” Norton admitted. “However there’s not one examine that reveals resistance bands are higher.”
Of their Instagram put up, Asprey claimed the physique desires to guard itself from gravity throughout weight coaching.
“Your entire physique is afraid of gravity.” Asprey wrote. “For those who decide up a barbell, it should wobble. Gravity makes [the weights] speed up, and the little sensors in your wrist, elbow, and shoulder sense that gravity is there.”
Dr. Norton highlighted inconsistencies in Asprey’s argument, responding, “You wobble a f-ck-load extra with resistance bands,” although Norton advocates for bands and all variations of resistance coaching. “If you push in opposition to gravity, it improves [health and aesthetics].
“[Muscles] don’t know methods to take care of [banded resistance] that modifications whenever you transfer,” Asprey asserted. “They get overwhelmed and develop extra shortly,” insisting bands supply a superior resistance profile with out gravitational intervention.
“Not likely. It simply modifications the energy curve,” Norton rebutted.
Bands usually fail to maximise pressure when muscle groups are most stretched, shortchanging beneficial properties. Furthermore, bands can’t replicate the identical masses as free weights, cables, or machines if resistance is uneven.
No research, together with those referenced, present that bands are superior to free weights for hypertrophy. (1)(2) “For those who don’t have entry to weights, bands are helpful…however they’re not higher,” Norton concluded.
Extra In Analysis
Featured picture: @dave.asprey on Instagram