Beginners Guide to Resistance Tubes

Aside from yesterday’s workout, it’s been a while since I posted about resistance tubes and I have to say that I’ve recently begun a love affair with resistance tubes, again. They are so versatile that you can get a full body workout that only would normally be available in a gym, or spending a ton of cash on a multigym for your home.

Beginners guide to resistance tubes

I’m going to cover the basics but first I wanted to talk about the difference between a resistance tube and resistance band. Though the word band is used interchangeably these days (by consumers, fitness enthusiasts, equipment companies, stores, heck even me and other fitness professionals!) there is a difference. A resistance band is flat, like these ones I featured on the blog recently, and a resistance tube is, well, tubular. Both can be used in similar ways but generally tubing has handles and is a little more versatile. Bands can come with or without handles, as one flat piece, or as a loop, and even in a mini version depending on your needs. I’ll be doing more posts and workouts with all of these soon!

As with all fitness equipment not all brands are created equally. In this post I’m going to show you this resistance tube set from NeeBooFit. Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for a fair and honest review, however all opinions are my own. Also links in this post may be affiliate links meaning I earn a small commision on sales made through those links. Meaning I get to buy more fitness equipment, or dog toys.

I’m probably gonna date myself now but back in the day resistance tubes came with attached handles. Each tube had handles and if you wanted a stronger tube then you bought a new one, and so on. Not a problem really but damn inconvenient when you’re in between strengths. Or you realize that your row is way damn stronger than your lateral raise. Buying tubes individually really adds up! Trust me, been there, done that!

Thankfully things have advanced in the fitneas world and we now have resistance tubing sets, like this from NeeoBooFit, that have one set of handles and multiple tubes with carabiner attachments! This means you get more variations on available resistance. Plus you can attach multiple tubes to the same handle for a greater resistance strength! The carabiners make changing out the tubing super quick and easy too! Making these perfect for men, women and children. Plus if you’re a personal trainer like me, they are great for clients, bootcamps and more!

When the tubes have attached handles it makes lower body exercises impossible. However with the caribiner sets, ankle attachments mean you can use them like you would cables at the gym for a lower body workout. I’ve also used these whilst lying down for a pilates reformer workout, without the reformer and saving myself thousands of dollars. Don’t worry I’ll be sharing that and more resistance tube workouts soon! A snug fit is important, as well as comfort. Look for cuffs like these from the NeeoBooFit set that have the velcro all around the cuff, especially if you have slender ankles (like me, and tiny wrists too! Anyone else?). I’ve used some that just didn’t fit snugly enough, and the cuff just rolled around while using it. In fact I could get it off, while fastened. Definitely invest in quality!!!

So you get your set, what next? Using the resistance tubing is easy. Most sets come with instructions and sample exercises. However there is so much information online, and I have resistance tube workouts (with more coming). Sometimes though you need to adjust your workout on the fly and that’s where resistance tubing is so versatile. 

Above you can see three versions of the same exercise with varying resistance levels.

1. Single foot in the tubing = easier
2. both feet in the tubing is a little more challenging.
3. both ends of the tubing on one handle for single arm exercise = harder

All three versions serve a purpose in your training plan. Especially when you’re transitioning between tubing strengths. Single arm is great for training a weaker side to “catch up”.

The best thing about these sets though is they require very little space. For a total body resistance training workout with weights, hitting all the major body parts, you’d need a TON of different strength dumbbells, or one of the adjustable sets. All of these not only cost a LOT of money but also take up a LOT of room (trust me, we have them!). The resistance tubing sets come in a neat little package, ready to workout anywhere! You can take these resistance tubing with you on vacation, work out at the gym, park, garden… anywhere really! One of my favorites is using them on the kids jungle gym as you have plenty of poles to attach them around, no need for the door anchor! Plus you can workout while watching your kids have fun and being active!

I have used resistance tubing for a while now and thoroughly recommend it as a form of strength training. If you are looking for a Fitmas gift this holiday season, these are a solid purchase. Put resistance tubing on your wishlist for Santa. 

Do you strength train?

If you are looking for a full review of the NeeBooFit resistance tubing please check out my video below, or on my YouTube Channel.