Muscle Resistance Is Muscle Resistance Is Muscle Resistance.

Richard Sullivan at age 59.

In a desperate attempt to gain likes and viewers, so-called “fitness experts” online make all kinds of outlandish claims about workouts, foods and supplements.

One common claim is that one workout tool—barbells vs. dumbbells vs. machines vs. fitness bands—is superior to another. The fact is, muscle resistance is muscle resistance. Your target muscle doesn’t know the difference.

Performing biceps curls using a barbell, for example, locks you into an arc you cannot deviate from, which can detrimentally impact your shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Using dumbbells instead allows each arm the freedom to arc independently of the other, avoiding injury and wear and tear on joints and tendons, thus providing a superior flex, pump and result.

Using fitness bands for biceps curls, as well as some biceps machines, eliminates the “resistance dead zone” that is part and parcel of the pathway that dumbbells and barbell take, thus providing resistance throughout 100%, rather than 80%-90%, of the arc of the movement.

The biggest mistake we make with regards to our workout is not mixing it up, not trying new exercises or re-working the old favorites. There are literally thousands of videos on YouTube in the bodybuilding/workout/fitness genre, all free for the viewing. 

The main reason for people’s progress leveling off is their lack of self-education work done OUTSIDE the gym, which most efficiently can be accomplished by auditioning videos to determine what might work best for you.