Slastix resistance bands are the core product of Stroops’s innovative fitness line. With this guide, learn all about how your Slastix resistance band gives you an advantage in the gym, and how you can use your band to optimize your movement.
The term “Slastix” was coined by a Stroops employee in the late 1990s, combining the word “elastic” with the “safety sleeve” design invented by Stroops CEO Shon Harker. The goal was to create an elastic resistance band that can be used safely without users worrying about the band breaking and flying back at them to cause harm or injury.
With Slastix resistance bands, you can get a full-body workout safely and effectively, and you’ll have confidence in a product built for long-lasting durability.
Slastix resistance bands are manufactured in a variety of lengths and in five main resistance levels, from 10 pounds (Very Light) to 30 pounds (Very Heavy). Lengths vary from 12 to 72-inches, and we also offer one at 20 feet.
Slastix resistance bands are the future of elastic resistance bands in the fitness world. The safety sleeve is a multipurpose innovative solution for many of the issues that have surrounded resistance band exercise for years.
Unprotected elastic resistance bands are what we at Stroops refer to as “naked tubing.” With naked tubing, your band is not only an easily damaged product, it’s potentially a dangerous one. Over time, as naked tubing wears down, it is liable to snap during an exercise, which will send the band flying back towards you, causing harm, or causing you to fall, potentially injuring you during your workout.
Naked tubing also has no protection against the damage it incurs from nicks, cuts, tears, and other abrasions, as well as hyper-extension, arguably the most damaging effect on your band. All of this just makes the life of your band exponentially shorter and a break all the more inevitable.
With Slastix resistance bands, you have a safety sleeve encasing your band made with a durable fabric. This sleeve primarily serves to prevent a snapped band from hurting you by keeping it encased inside in the event of a break. The sleeve on your band also protects the band itself from those damaging effects of use, keeping the structural integrity of your band intact to maximize its life.
Slastix resistance bands are also protected by hyper-extension, since the fabric sleeve has a clearly defined limit to its extension up to 3-4 times your band’s normal length. You’ll have a wide range of motion while keeping your band within a sensible stretch capacity.
Lastly, you’ll also see a difference in your comfort level during use. Naked tubing notoriously sticks and grabs at the skin and hair, becoming an irritant during your workout. Say goodbye to that problem with Slastix resistance bands. Your safety sleeve keeps the elastic from rubbing against your skin, resulting in a more comfortable workout. If you have a latex allergy that has prevented you from working out with resistance bands in the past, you’ll be able to overcome that barrier as well.
Learn more about what makes the best resistance bands with our in-depth article.
Except for the Toner and Loop/Deluxe Loop, all Slastix resistance bands are made with at least one steel carabiner clip in order to securely anchor it for your workout. With your band, we highly recommend pairing it with one of Stroops’s many anchoring options, such as the Spine, Spine Strap, or Door Anchor. With these anchors, you’ll have a safe and reliable base with a high weight capacity.
Diversity in your anchor points also allows you to vary your line of pull, which is essential to maximizing your band use for a full-body workout. Anchors like the Spine Strap will give you points of different heights, intensifying each movement in a different direction.
Anchoring your Slastix resistance band at different heights highlights one of the best advantages of a resistance band over free weights. Free weights act against gravity, so the only way to use them is to lift upward. With Slastix resistance bands, you can get constant resistance in any direction simply by anchoring it correctly.
Stroops designed your Slastix resistance band to be as durable and long-lasting as you need, but part of that is learning to use your band as safely as possible. A big part of this is using safety zones. Safety zones determine the parameters of how to stretch your band far enough to challenge you and resist your movements but not far enough to rapidly wear out and break your band.
It can be challenging to consistently remember your safety zones without marking off your workout space. We recommend using Agility Dots, Stroops’s low-profile slip-resistant training markers, or any other markers, such as hurdles or an agility ladder.
Check out our shop to find the best options for you for anchors or agility markers.
The standard Slastix resistance band comes with steel carabiner clips on each side. This is so you can customize your workout with various attachments and different types of handles to make the best experience possible. Attachments with your resistance band help you alter your grip, line of pull, workout type, and more.
The best and most versatile handle attachment to get with your Slastix resistance band is the Textured Grip Handle. These handles have a non-slip surface and comfortable grip that can be used for almost any workout.
Other great attachments for the band are the Fit Stik or the Fit Stik Pro. These straight bar add-ons can either give you a barbell-like feel to lifting exercises, or you’ll be otherwise able to use it to work on swinging motions if training for sports like hockey or baseball.
Different kinds of cuffs can help you direct your movements towards the arms, abdomen, or your legs. A full range of attachments can be found on our Attachments Shop page.