posted Sun, 07/12/2020 - 17:49
1730
Gyms here are closed. Is it worth using AAS if you only have access to resistance bands?
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I just ordered a cycle's worth of gear. My plan is to wait until the gyms are back open. It's dawning on me that they might not open until a covid vaccine arrives. Would I be wasting the gear by doing resistance band training? I'll be able to suspend them from a jungle gym nobody uses in my apartment's courtyard, so that could help with some versatility.
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AnonHaven't we all heard a story of a guy getting out of jail after months or years and being yoked despite having no weights, supps, gear, or good food? Just calisthenics and 3 meals a day.
Is it a waste? Not if you get creative and bust your ass.
There is a long list of rotator cuff tendon exercises you can do with resistance bands, like internal rotation and external rotation. And doing them can prevent future shoulder issues. Get creative and overhead press a cinder block, use work gloves and grip the block for curls, one armed bench rows... A cinder block weighs 35lbs and cost $2. You can buy a couple cinder blocks and work gloves and do all kinds of workouts. An 80lb bag of concrete mix cost $5, you can fill one or both holes in a cinder block with it to increase the weight. Adapt and overcome.
Remember when I was a teenager there was a park with the post up for a swing set but no swings on it.
Some dude that got out of prison would carry his own heavy bag.,which is I think 70 lbs or so.., and hook it up to it.
Dude would just go for a long ass time on that bag.
If I had not been able to train for 4 or 5 months I'd be going absolutely F'in nuts!! I'd be doing ANYTHING to train, keep muscle and still feel good. Whether that be 2/300 press-ups a days, chins off a door frame, broad jumps, shoulder stands against the wall, slow paused bodyweight squats etc.
How bad do you want to train is all it comes down too .....
Waste of gear
Not sure of your cycle history but you can cruise on low test.
Resistance bands and a jail house calisthenics program can keep you in shape. Dips, pull ups, push ups, band work, etc. Can give you a decent build if diet is in check.
But as mentioned don't go on a full cycle until you have access to real weights.
Plus the bands can be used for mobility work and get some blood flowing to the muscles. Laying around your body will end up feeling like a senior citizen. Which will increase risk of injury when the gyms do open if you go crazy right off the bat.
Resistance bands are like a street race dont waist the the race fuel on it
Weight lifting is like a drag race on the track thats when you want to use the race fuel
Just stash it for now if it goes bad by the time they open so be it sont put your body under stress if its not worth it
I was in the middle of a cycle when the gyms closed. I rode out the cycle while doing resistance band exercises at home. I lost strength and muscle mass while seeing an increase in fat storage. The steroids helped reduce the severity of these issues. You will really have to bust your ass with resistance band exercises if you want to see results. That means lengthy workouts with lots of reps. I honestly don't think doing a cycle is worth it. I would cruise on testosterone and then jump on a cycle as soon as the gyms open in your area.
When you say cruise on testosterone, you mean TRT?
Cruising to me is 250mg or less a week of testosterone. It would be comparable to doing a TRT dosage. My thinking is you want the benefits of increased testosterone even if you don't have access to a gym. You'll have energy, mood enhancement, fat loss, muscle mass and libido. You can reduce the loss of muscle mass and strength. I honestly hate resistance band exercising. It is almost as tedious as body weight exercising. You have to do these long workouts that give a fraction of the results of actual weight training. I didn't have the patience or motivation to do the workouts to the extent needed for optimal results. I had least maintained enough muscle to make my return to the gym bearable. The gyms were closed for months were I live.
AlphaStrength50It depends on how much you're willing to push yourself. If you know you can get a solid workout in with resistance bands and have the same good clean diet then I wouldn't call it a waste. If you know you won't be lifting as hard then I'd say wait.
Depends on your goals. If your looking to cut, you really don’t need a gym- just get creative and get your diet in check. If it’s a bulking cycle, I personally would wait ( unless you have access to some type of exercise equipment). It’s really up to your overall goals. I know a lot of people who hit the junk yard to find a tire to flip. Also you can go on Craig’s List and find workout stuff for cheap or even free.
Also hit up hardware store and get two heavy ropes for battle rope exercises. Without a gym, you can be creative and still have a great workout. My wife and I did CrossFit with a couple weights we had lying around, a weighted ball, and a punching bag- perfect for cutting.
Hope they open soon buddy. Keep staying healthy
I'm not sure how much resistaonce you can get from bands but you can get a good workout with calisthenics. Grab a weight vest and do pullups on that jungle gym for instance. If you aren't strong enough to do 30 body weight squats on 1 leg guess who can still benefit from bodyweight squats? How many hand stand push-ups can you do against a wall? Most people can't do many and it isn't whether you are using iron plates or your own body as the load it's the rep ranges and volume. Your body and a weight vest can get you a long way. Buy a bar and plates so you can deadlift off the floor too and you're golden.
X2 on the weighted vest or I use a belt to hit dips and pull ups and I’ve managed to stay in shape. Gained some fat at the start of lock down but fixed my diet and cut a load of fat looking strong ready to start the gym in a couple of weeks. Legs is a little more tricky but I’ve been hitting lunges with 25 litre water containers which burns after a few reps. Add some bag work and you’ve got yourself a decent set up to maintain your physique.
I might get some heat saying this but I’m only being honest.. if my gym wasn’t going to open for a year + I would definitely run a cycle as long as I could keep a strict diet and consistent training routine, too many people have used this pandemic to be get out of shape.
As seen as you aren't on gear currently, wait. Keep your body conditioned and limber using the bands in the meantime. I'm sure it won't be long now until they open again properly - Its gonna be 2 weeks in the UK from now and it may take the same amount of time also for your cycle to arrive :-)
I wouldn't use gear for resistance bands. I dont feel like it would allow one to maximize their training. You'll definitely gain some strength and a little size if you're on gear, but nothing like good old weight training will do for you. If you can, wait it out and use the bands while eating good. The gear will be that much more rewarding when the gym opens back up. Just my opinion though.