Bodylastics Resistance Bands Review

Over the years I've tried several different kinds and brands of exercise bands, and I've discovered, unsurprisingly, that not all are created equal... not by a long-shot! Some broke after just a handful of uses, while others were overpriced with limited use.

It was 7 years ago when I bought my first set of Bodylastics workout bands, and I gotta say I was loving them from day one. At the time I couldn't afford dumbbells nor did I have the space for them. I needed something for P90x (a good exercise program by the way!), and I needed it quick because the garbage exercise bands I was using broke during bicep curls, shoulder presses, and standing triceps extensions after only a couple of weeks or so of use.

I remember when my last band I had broke while doing a P90x workout. I ended up having to finish the workout with the only option I had left... 5 lb dumbbells. Needless to say, the rest of the workout was sub-par.

Afterwards I decided I desperately needed an upgrade, which is what led me to Bodylastics. I was tired of having garbage workout bands that would make me worry about having it snap in my face. At the same time though, I was didn't want to risk wasting anymore money on junk resistance bands.

I didn't want to risk wasting money on poor-quality exercise bands again, so I read some reviews and found out about their lifetime warranty. The lifetime warranty comforted me a bit so I decided to buy and try out the cheapest resistance band package they had.

After opening the package I could immediately see the difference in quality. My P90x workouts improved significantly because I was able to add or remove the elastic bands to increase or decrease the resistance level.

Being able to clip multiple bands to the handles is really what sold me on these, because I needed a way to progressively increase resistance in my P90x workouts. They allowed me to do just that! I found myself getting stronger and losing weight, 11 lbs to be exact.

Fast forward a few years and I still love Bodylastics. I have since replaced my old, worn-out set of bands (they never snapped!) with a fresh, upgraded set of Bodylastics. My newer ones are what I will be reviewing in this article.

I thought my first set of bands from them were great, but these newer ones are even better! It is nice to see a company not settling and instead working to make their product better. I'm very excited about the anti-snap guard technology they added!

The handles are well-made and durable. The blue grip part is made out of strong nylon and is covered in a textured black rubber so you can get a firm grip that won't slip, even if you have sweaty hands. The straps are made of woven nylon and connect the heavy gauge welded ring. You can clip a band or even multiple bands to the ring. Use these handles for a number of upper body exercises like shoulder presses, bicep curls, and overhead tricep extensions, and also lower body exercises like squats and lunges.

These ankle straps are big enough that I can strap them to my lower thighs for exercises like assisted pull-ups. They can also be used on the wrists. There is a comfortable inner neoprene layer and they stay securely fastened with velcro. These are very useful for hamstring curls and a number of other leg, butt and hip flexor exercises. Single or multiple exercise bands can be attached to the ring.

It's surprising how many possible exercises this simple accessory can add! This is used in a closed door at different locations for different exercises. It can be placed at the top, bottom, or hinge side of the door. The strap where you loop the elastic bands through is lined with neoprene so that the bands are protected some from friction wear. The foam part that surrounds a hard nylon core goes on the other side of the closed door, and keeps the door anchor from slipping out. The foam also prevents any damage from occurring to the door.

This is small enough for small poles. Just make sure whatever you anchor to is strong and won't move. I honestly haven't used this yet, but I plan on using it outdoors one of these days. There is neoprene padding in the loop to protect the bands from friction wear.

I don't have one of these, but I can imagine how nice it'd be to have one when you are outdoors and can't find anything small enough for the small anywhere anchor to be used on. The large size of this makes it big enough to be looped around a tree. There is neoprene in the loop to protect the bands from friction wear.

This is used to protect the bands from damage caused by rough surfaces. Lets say you have rough carpet or you're on pavement and you are concerned your bands will get damaged from standing on your bands on those harsh surfaces. That is where the band barrier comes in. It is padded on the inside with neoprene, and the outside is made of nylon fabric. It has velcro on it so you can wrap it around your band(s) before use so they don't come in contact with rough surfaces.

This beast wraps around a door and provides 24 anchor points for you to loop or attach your bands to. I don't have this yet, but wouldn't mind having one someday because of it's convenience and versatility once it is set up. It provides a lot of options. There are 13 neoprene padded loops and 11 heavy gauge welded D-rings.

This is an awkward exercise at first, but in a difficult way. With elastic bands, chest presses are difficult because you have to brace your entire body in order to do them, which brings core strength into play.

This exercise takes advantage of the versatility of Bodylastics by adding ankle straps to your biceps, which allows you to attach an additional band. You'll be holding handles with a band attached, and then have a band attached to the ankle straps placed above the elbow. This creates two points of resistance, creating an effective chest exercise with a completely unique feeling.

My hamstrings are a weak-point that I've been trying hard to correct. Resistance band exercises that target my hamstrings are killer and they feel completely different than hamstring curls on a weight machine.

I like doing this one because it really blasts my hamstrings while working on my balance.

I had a really hard time being able to do more than 7 pull-ups. When I learned about these, I was able to use a band to help me do more than 7. Over time I found doing assisted pull-ups helped me break through my plateau and I was finally able to do more than 7 unassisted. I still like to do assisted pull-ups when I am fatigued and want to do additional sets of pull-ups. 

This exercise utilizes the ankle straps. You strap them just above your knee and then place the band over the pull-up bar and clip it to the ankle straps. It's a bit awkward to get set up, but it works great.

in a quest to build up my back and rear shoulder musculature, I have begun doing more exercises like these. This one is a simple, yet effective exercise for the middle-upper back muscles and the rear shoulders.

This is an exceptional core exercise that will get your abdominals and your sides. Most people don't do enough rotational core exercises, so this one is a great one to add to your workout.

Push-ups work the triceps, front shoulders and the chest muscles. By wrapping a band around you it will make them more difficult. This is a great way to increase the intensity of the classic push-up.