Rubber loops: what are they for, where to buy + 25 exercises (photo)

Rubber loops are universal equipment that replaces barbells, dumbbells, weights and are easy to take with you anywhere. Find out how to choose them correctly and how to exercise to get rid of excess weight.

Author: Kristina Lobanovskaya, doctor, practicing nutritionist Article updated: 11/11/2021

Every year, more and more different devices are invented for sports: exercise machines, fitness bands, weights, expanders, hardware and others. Today, rubber loops are increasingly used for training.

Exercising with sports equipment based on the “stretching and squeezing” effect is not new for a long time. Back in Stalin's times, expanders and tourniquets were used to train athletes, but over time, scientists developed a more universal accessory consisting of 100% latex - rubber loops.

This popular accessory is in demand in almost all types of sports activities: bodybuilding, fitness, gymnastics, athletics - you can’t list it all. Exercises with rubber loops are an excellent solution for people who constantly keep themselves in good physical shape. This equipment is convenient to use during classes in the gym, at home and during outdoor training.

Hundreds of exercises can be performed using athletic rubber loops. They are an excellent auxiliary element, made in the form of a closed ring; the loops are easily attached to bars, crossbars, and are also conveniently fixed in the hands and feet. Latex equipment is indispensable for people who are constantly involved in fitness or other sports training. The loops are compact and can easily be taken on a business trip or long journey.

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits of using latex tapes

• Convenience. The loops can be taken with you, but they do not take up much space and are light in weight. You can exercise with them everywhere: at home, in the gym, on the street.
• Different loads. By choosing a set of rubber, you can alternate loads or increase them gradually without causing harm to the body.
• Safety. Despite the fact that loops have high resistance, training with them is considered the safest. Working with shock absorbers, the athlete has complete control over the tension and can smoothly reduce or increase the load.
• Gradual increase in loads. When working out on strength training equipment, the main load on the muscles occurs at the moment of the jerk, and decreases at the end. Resistance bands, on the contrary, allow you to increase resistance evenly.
• Diversity. Rubber is used as a strength training device, a device for stretching and warming up, and an object for mastering new exercises.

In addition, working in a space with latex loops allows you to improve coordination of movements.

There are practically no disadvantages to rubber bands. The only disadvantage of using it is the not particularly pleasant sensation on the skin during stretching.

It is worth noting that training with rubber bands will not replace strength training. If you want to seriously pump up your muscles, then exercises with loops need to be combined with work in the gym.

Abdominal exercises

Abdominal training with loops will allow you to get six-pack or a flat stomach. A strong core also strengthens your lower back position, which reduces the likelihood of a back injury. The absence of fat deposits on the abdomen is a marker of health: the deposition of fat on the abdomen indicates that the body has “packaged” fat deposits wherever possible, and now this “warehouse” is causing damage to your life.

The program for pumping the press will look like this:

Comments:

1. You can add jumping rope to your abdominal workout. Aerobic exercise will speed up fat burning and help you see your abs faster;
2. Loop twists target the obliques. Do not overuse them if you do not want to expand your waist.

How to choose athletic rubber loops

At the moment, there are many manufacturers of rubber loops on the sports market. Popular companies are Rubber4Power and WORKOUT RUBBER BANDS.

Which hinges are better R4P or WORKOUT?

There is no fundamental difference between the rubber loops of both companies. Accessories differ in the following indicators:

• durability;
• quality;
• withstand high loads;
• Wide choice of resistance strength.

In any case, it’s up to you to choose the manufacturer of sports equipment, but according to numerous reviews from athletes, these two companies produce the highest quality sports accessories.

Which hinges to choose?

To answer this question you need to understand the types of expanders. They have different degrees of resistance and different colors. For example, here are the hinges produced by WORKOUT:

• Light orange: resistance force from 2 to 22 kilograms. Available in one centimeter width.
• Yellow: resistance force from 5 to 25 kilograms. Available in a width of two centimeters.
• Lilac: resistance force from 11 to 36 kilograms. Available in a width of three centimeters.
• Green: resistance force from 22 to 54 kilograms. Available in a width of four and a half centimeters.
• Blue: resistance force from 27 to 68 kilograms. Available in a width of 6.3 centimeters.
• Dark orange: resistance force from 32 to 77 kilograms. Available in a width of eight centimeters.
• Black: resistance force from 37 to 90 kilograms. Available in a width of ten centimeters.

The length of the loop in each case is 104 cm, in the cut - 208 cm, and the stretching length - 209 cm. The thickness of each tape is 0.45 cm.

All companies have approximately the same gradation of loops in terms of resistance level.

You can buy rubber loops at any sports store. Equipment is also purchased through branded online stores or official distributors of the manufacturer.

What does the resistance number on the tapes mean?

The main thing when purchasing loops is the choice of equipment resistance, which is expressed in kilograms. The two numbers indicated on the surface of the rubber mean the following:

1. The first number is the initial resistance, that is, if you take the blue tape and start stretching it, you will initially feel a resistance weighing 27 kilograms.
2. The second number is the maximum load. When the tape is stretched to its full length, the resistance force will be 68 kilograms.

How to choose for yourself?

Determining the right loops is very simple, since each type is conventionally designed for different types of exercises:

• Light orange: suitable for beginners or people recovering from injury.
• Yellow and lilac: also used for rehabilitation, light warm-ups, and basic exercises.
• Green and Blue: Used by experienced athletes to increase their standard load.
• Dark orange and black: used only in professional training.

Latex loops for training are not recommended to be stored at temperatures below -40 degrees. If you left the equipment on the balcony in the cold, then first you need to warm it up to room temperature, and then slowly stretch it for several minutes. Also, do not leave shock absorbers in the sun; heating breaks the structure of latex, making it less durable.

Price?

Buying a set of rubber loops for training will help you get rid of a large number of devices; they will replace dumbbells, barbells, and various weights.

If you want to immediately purchase a set of elastic expanders, then it is better to pay attention to ready-made sets of 4 rubber loops. As a standard, they include tapes with a total resistance of 2 to 54 kilograms. By choosing several shock absorbers at once, you can save money and effectively increase the load by training the whole body.

The cost of accessories varies from 500 to 3000 rubles per ribbon. The price for the kits is from 3,000 to 10,000 rubles. For example, tapes from the company WORKOUT from an official distributor have the following price tags:

• red loop with resistance 3-15 kg – 600 rub.;
• yellow loop with resistance 9-29 kg – 700 rub.;
• green loop with resistance 17-54 kg – 1400 rub.;
• black loop with resistance 45-90 kg – 3100 rub.

Also, in sports stores, in addition to shock absorbers, they purchase additional equipment to work with them:

• handles for expanders;
• ankle straps;
• foot straps;
• door fastenings;
• carbines.

It is important to know that when you unpack your shock absorbers, you should not immediately start training with them. Each loop must be gradually stretched several times.

Where can I buy

Rubber bands are manufactured in factories in China. Manufactured at different factories, tapes sometimes differ in quality characteristics. The difference lies in the production process (rubber quality, technological process, temperature control, etc.). Try different loops and draw conclusions.

It is more advisable to purchase kits from online stores of manufacturers or suppliers specializing in promoting hinges on the Russian market. These include:

• BAND4POWER
• R4P.ORG
• ATLETIKA24
• WORKOUT Store
• HVAT.RU
• Way4You
• SupremeAthletics
• SmartElastic

To attach the tape, it is more advisable to purchase special carabiners - this will increase the service life of the rubber belts. To increase the load, it is not necessary to purchase an additional kit. To do this, fold the tape you are using in half.

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Exercises with loops

Exercises with loops can be built on the basis of almost any exercise, because shock absorbers are universal. With their help, you can develop and tighten all the muscles of the body, practice punches and throws, do fitness, replace the barbell, and train on the uneven bars.

Constantly check the hinges for damage. Small cuts and abrasions can lead to equipment breaking at the most unexpected moment. Carefully inspect the bars and rods before attaching shock absorbers to them.

Basic exercises

The most popular and effective exercise for the entire body is the pull-up, but not everyone can do it. With the help of rubber loops, you can master the technique of the exercise and progress in this direction in the future.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups are a great exercise for developing your core and arm muscles. There are several ways to learn it at the moment:

• with the help of a friend who will support your legs;
• using the special “Graviton” simulator;
• using loops.

Shock absorbers will become an alternative for training, as they can be used independently, without spending money on a gym membership.

To do pull-ups you will need to find a flat bar. You need to secure the tape on it with a loop so that you can place your feet in the free end of the rubber. Once your legs are fixed, you can begin to pull yourself up. The latex will create resistance, helping the body rise up. For training beginners, it is best to choose loops of medium hardness, however, determining the required type of rubber depends on the athlete’s body weight.

Once you learn to lift your body with your arms, you will never lose this skill. After you have mastered pull-ups with a classic grip, you begin to work on pull-ups with a reverse grip and mixed grip in the same way.

Manufacturers do not recommend stretching loops more than 3 meters!

Squats

Squats using rubber loops are also interesting. There are several basic exercises for squats with a rubber band:

• Classic: to perform, you need to step on the loop with both feet, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, you need to sit down and throw the second end of the shock absorber around your neck. During the rise, hold your breath and slowly straighten up, then exhale. When squatting, the athlete looks straight, breathes calmly, does not lift his legs off the floor, keeps his back straight.
• Lunges: the right leg is placed in a loop and a step is taken one and a half meters forward. From the starting position, you need to kneel on your left leg and throw a ribbon around your neck. The loop is held with your hands at chest level. The squat is done while exhaling, the center of gravity is on the right leg. You need to get up to the starting position while inhaling.
• Overhead squats: a loop is fixed with both feet on the floor, the rest of the band is held with your hands above your head. When lifted, you should get a kind of rectangle. During a squat, the shoulders are pulled back and the torso is tilted forward.
• Front squats: the band is held by the feet on the floor, the upper part is clinging to the shoulders. Cross your arms over your shoulders so that they hold the shock absorber in place. During squats, your elbows should be raised as high as possible.

For training beginners, loops with a load of up to 54 kg are recommended.

Exercises with an anchor

With rubber loops you can achieve high results in training. An elastic band will allow you to effectively train your body without turning to expensive personal trainers or buying bulky exercise equipment.

An anchor is a kind of support to which a special cuff with a carabiner is attached, to which an elastic loop is subsequently attached. An anchor is: doors, a sofa, radiators and any objects that will not move under physical influence.

Exercises with an anchor include:

• Belt pull. Attach the expander to the anchor at waist level. Hold the edge of the tape with one hand and pull it towards your torso. At the level of maximum voltage you need to freeze for one or two seconds. Afterwards the hand smoothly straightens.
• Biceps workout. The loop is attached to the anchor. The hands perform movements similar to lifting a dumbbell to the shoulder in front of you.
• "Woodcutter". The tape is attached at a height of half a meter to a meter above the head. Body position: side to the anchor, the end of the loop is taken with both hands. You need to perform the exercise as follows: holding a rubber band in your hands, you need to take a step forward with a squat on your front leg, while turning 45 degrees, that is, visually the movement looks as if a person is pulling something large behind him.
• Bench press. This activity will perfectly replace bulky dumbbells. The loop is threaded under the bench. Body position: lying on a bench with your back, holding the ends of the tape in your hands. The movements are made as when working with dumbbells, that is, the loops are pulled out with straight arms through the sides.
• Office exercise. It requires a band with little resistance and a chair to act as an anchor. Rubber is attached to the legs of the chair, the free part of the tape is put on the legs. Leg lifts are performed 45 degrees upward.

When training with rubber loops, special attention is paid to the speed of movement. When pulling the tape, you should not immediately relax; you need to release it smoothly and calmly, otherwise you may get a rupture or sprain of the ligaments.

You can diversify and complicate many exercises using elastic bands. Classes are limited only by your knowledge and imagination.

Set of exercises

In fact, more than a hundred exercises are performed with rubber loops, but most often loops are used by women in fitness to tighten their bodies.

For example, you can create a lesson according to the following program:

• Romanian get-up: feet are placed on the rubber band shoulder-width apart, the edges of the loops are grasped with your hands, and the body is straightened. The shoulder blades are collected, the pelvis moves forward. Inhalation is done in a bent position, exhale in a straight position of the body.
• Wide Squats: Do classic squats with a wider stance. The main thing is not to lean your body forward.
• Lunges.
• Hip flexion and extension while standing: the expander is attached to an anchor. The second end is put on the leg. Swings are made back 20-25 degrees.
• Retraction of arms through the sides: in this case, two shock absorbers will be required. The exercise is performed standing, feet shoulder-width apart. The ends of the ribbons are placed on the feet. The free parts of the rubber are taken into the hands so that an overlap is formed, from this position the arms are raised up and to the sides. The main thing in this exercise is to raise your elbows higher than your hands.
• Back muscles: an elastic band is attached to an anchor, the exercise is performed while lying on your back. Hands grab the free parts of the expander and pull them towards the legs parallel to the body.
• High horizontal traction: in a sitting position on the floor facing the mount, the rubber is attached to the anchor. Using tassels, take the free ends of the loops and pull them towards you. The elbows are pulled back and up.
• Horizontal chest press: the expander is attached to an anchor, in a standing position with your back to the attachment, the ends of the loop are pulled forward with your hands.
• Press: the loops are attached to the anchor, lying on your back with your back to the fastening, the free end of the rubber is grabbed by your hands at shoulder level. The torso rises 15-20 degrees from the floor.

The complex is repeated 4 times, each exercise is performed 12-15 times. Such workouts are carried out three times a week; they go well with cardio exercises.

To find out the effectiveness of using such sports equipment, you can study reviews from experienced athletes.

For newbies

Basic exercises for beginners include:

• Push ups. Do it from the same position as a classic bench press. The ends of the loop are pressed to the floor, the rest of the rubber is on the shoulders and back.
• Extension of arms from behind the head while standing. Feet are shoulder-width apart, the tape is fixed with the feet. Using your hands, the rubber is pulled upward behind your back.
• Standing horizontal press. The expander is thrown over the shoulder blades, and its ends are held with your hands. At the same time, the elbows straighten and bend. This exercise is also done without bending your arms, that is, you swing your arms out to the sides.

Such exercises are great not only for beginner athletes, but also for women who are involved in fitness.

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Comparison with other projectiles

Rubber loops can be used to pump up the entire body, including the pectoral muscles. They are often compared to dumbbells and barbells. In general, you can use any apparatus, but elastic bands have several advantages over dumbbells and exercise machines:

• the ability to independently control the tension, which means changing the load directly during the exercise;
• large range of movements;
• accentuated load on a specific muscle group.

When working with dumbbells, a person is limited by technique. Working with loops in this regard is more flexible, since any exercise can be slightly adjusted directly during execution. In addition, with loops, the opportunity to help yourself with your body is eliminated, as often happens when performing swings and rows with dumbbells.

Unlike exercise machines, in which the range of movements is limited by the equipment itself, with loops the load and range of movement is controlled by the athlete himself directly at the moment of execution.

Another undoubted advantage is the compactness of the projectile. Rubber loops allow you to exercise anywhere, and thanks to their affordable price, anyone can buy them.

Using such a projectile you can really pump up your pectoral muscles. Moreover, due to the greater range of motion, which is not limited by the weight of a dumbbell or exercise machine, it will be possible to pump up muscles with loops faster and more efficiently. The effectiveness of such products for training is evidenced by the fact that they are preferred by many titled bodybuilders, both as an additional equipment and as a full-fledged replacement for dumbbells.

Reviews and results

Alexey, 22 years old

Six months ago I decided to diversify my training with rubber loops. I purchased the complete set. True, I didn’t need them with a small load, so I gave them to the girl. I myself started training with rubber with a resistance of 30 kg. I realized that this is a great way to train when it is not possible to visit the gym.

Peter, 33 years old

I constantly travel on business trips and used to carry dumbbells with me. Friends laughed that my bag looked not like a suitcase, but like a sports equipment store. I saw rubber loops on sale. Now they travel with me because they take up less space and are much better in functionality than regular hardware.

Yana, 19 years old

I constantly go to the gym and have already become bored with the monotonous movements. I decided to work on rubber shock absorbers. This is a thing! In three months I gained obvious relief and even learned how to do pull-ups!

Olga, 37 years old

I have been involved in sports for 10 years. In my opinion, rubber loops are a marketing ploy. Old expanders have been modernized, painted in bright colors and sold at exorbitant prices. I don’t believe that elastic bands are ineffective or useless; on the contrary, thousands of athletes around the world train with expanders and achieve results. But such promotion of goods is not for me.

Decide on your goals

Before you decide which resistance band exercises to include in your program, think about your goals. Depending on your training goals, programs can vary greatly

:

1. Training with rubber loops to gain muscle mass - emphasis on basic exercises that involve a maximum of muscle fibers;
2. Losing weight is high-repetition work. Basic exercises with rubber loops are used, an aerobic component is added;
3. Keeping in shape is a mixture of basic exercises and isolation exercises. You can add running and jumping rope;
4. Accelerate recovery, conduct light training. We repeat the exercises that were performed during heavy training.

TRX loops – contraindications

Like any other fitness exercise, TRX loops for functional training also have contraindications for use. This list includes:

1. Heart and vascular diseases, high blood pressure.
2. Any infections and chronic ailments in the acute stage.
3. Pathological conditions of the kidneys and liver.
4. Epilepsy.
5. Haemorrhoids.
6. Condition after surgical interventions.
7. Pregnancy.
8. If you have injuries to the musculoskeletal system, you can only train under the personal supervision of an experienced trainer or rehabilitation doctor.

TRX loops – what are they?

In almost every sports store you can find a TRX suspension trainer - a system of slings with handles connected to each other, fixed on any convenient vertical surface. The history of this fitness equipment is quite impressive:

1. In 1997, Captain Randy Hetrick of the American Navy Seals special forces made special loops from parachute lines and his own jiu-jitsu belt, with which he trained in military field conditions.
2. After retiring in 2001, he patented his invention, which he called the Travel Resistance X training loops, and developed his signature TRX®Suspension Trainer™ training system.
3. In 2011, the method was purchased by the US Department of Defense for use in the training of specialized troops.
4. However, Randy Hetrick does not stop there and creates a training course for fitness trainers, Rip training, and a rehabilitation program after injuries, Suspension training course. In 2015, he opened the TRX Academy.

What are TRX loops made of?

The design of TRX hinges is as simple and ergonomic as possible:

1. The base is three rigid lines connected to each other in a Y-shape, reminiscent of parachute lines. At one end they can be attached to a horizontal bar, doorway, tree or any other surface.
2. For the convenience of training in different conditions, TRX loops have extension inserts, carabiners and loops.
3. The opposite ends of the straps are equipped with length adjusters, loops and handles, which you can either hold with your hands or secure your feet with.

What are TRX loops for?

Exercises on TRX loops have become so popular due to the fact that instead of weights, the athlete uses his own body weight, fixing his arms or legs in a suspended state. That is, the training turns out to be as natural as possible without unnecessary stress on the musculoskeletal system and joints. Each person can adjust the intensity and level of difficulty of the exercises individually by adjusting the length of the strap, body position or inclination angle, for example:

1. An advanced athlete can perform complex push-ups on TRX loops while keeping the arms firmly at the desired width.
2. During rehabilitation, a person fixes his legs in loops, which removes the load from the back and when doing push-ups, only the arms and chest work.

Basic advantages

If we compare sports training loops with absolutely non-compact and expensive cardio or strength training equipment, belt devices are more functional and effective, and they are cheaper than traditional exercise equipment.

The advantages of loops for training include:

• Portability. The trainer, which includes straps, a carabiner, etc., weighs about a kilogram. If there is somewhere to attach it, classes are possible virtually anywhere and everywhere.

• Functionality, novelty.
• Versatility. The simulator is ideal for both neophyte and experienced athlete. It can be configured to perform a wide variety of tasks to improve the body, organize various types of training: cardio training and strength exercises, exercises that improve stretching.
• Easy to install.
• The principle of using hanging belts with loops is completely simple the first time.
• High reliability. Typically, the carabiner can withstand a load of 180 kg.
• Possibility of use in cases where exercise with additional weight is prohibited.

An undeniable advantage of training loops is safety: the load is limited by body weight. In addition, it is not localized, but distributed over all muscles, the spine does not experience axial load.

A huge advantage is the versatility of the simulator, which gives the opportunity to train for those who have not been seriously involved in sports.