Let's Talk About Bands

[LeoTC]

So, I've been using bands with compound movements for years. Reverse banding is a great way to overload Squats and Bench.

Huge assist in working on lock-out with the Deadlift or just teaching people how to activate G/H's.

But I've been dealing with an illness that has me backed off of going heavy for a couple weeks, so I've been playing with different movement's and equipment.

Banded cable pulldowns, prone cable curls, prone inverted rows, seated rows, etc.

Holy shit, I've been getting pumps like I haven't had in years. They really let you emphasize the contraction and the negative.

So...anything else I should give a go?

Like I said, I've used them for years with compound movements and as a rehab / teaching aid. But I miss having my arms and sleeves hate me.

What else can I do to take advantage of these guys?

 

[ickyrica]

Pantera. Da best. Oh shit, wrong bands

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I like doing adductors and abductors with bands. Tie one end to whatever and loop the other around your ankle.

 

[Demondosage]

I don't use them much, but here is a killer one ( you just have to be careful on the negative, don't even try to carefully lower it cause it'll fuck your shit up) :

Wrap a band on a deadlift from one end of the bar to the other. Stand on that shit and pull, I did 405 with a 100-120 lb max weight pull at top of lift. Banded deadlifts I guess they're called

 

[LeoTC]

I don't use them much, but here is a killer one ( you just have to be careful on the negative, don't even try to carefully lower it cause it'll fuck your shit up) :

Wrap a band on a deadlift from one end of the bar to the other. Stand on that shit and pull, I did 405 with a 100-120 lb max weight pull at top of lift. Banded deadlifts I guess they're called

Been using bands with compound movements for years.

Like banding block pulls and good mornings over conventionals though. Unless you're trying to absolutely murder yourself, bands don't really impact the lift until around 18-20".

Blocks keep you in that sweet spot with them.

 

[Demondosage]

Been using bands with compound movements for years.

Like banding block pulls and good mornings over conventionals though. Unless you're trying to absolutely murder yourself, bands don't really impact the lift until around 18-20".

Blocks keep you in that sweet spot with them.

What do you mean by blocks? Like you strictly do the part of the lift where the band's are pulling tension constantly? I'm just trying to visualize it for future reference

 

[LeoTC]

What do you mean by blocks? Like you strictly do the part of the lift where the band's are pulling tension constantly? I'm just trying to visualize it for future reference

I usually stick at around knee height. So I'll set up on top of a couple 45's, putting the bar just below that point.

Bands pick up tension right off the bat and really force me to hip through.

You can band them off the floor, and a lot of people do. I just find that their effect is negligible there unless that's your major sticking point.

 

[Demondosage]

I usually stick at around knee height. So I'll set up on top of a couple 45's, putting the bar just below that point.

Bands pick up tension right off the bat and really force me to hip through.

You can band them off the floor, and a lot of people do. I just find that their effect is negligible there unless that's your major sticking point.

Nah, I'm with you here. It doesn't start pulling until after abt knee height

 

[Test_Subject]

Rack pulls with bands are the truth. They'll have your traps screaming.

Banded inverted rows are also very, very good.

 

[nukklehead]

Dumbbell BP with 1 band wrapped around your back/or heavy banded push ups. Cable pull throughs banded ( I call those ball burners if you don't watch it) Cable machine flys will give a tight peak contraction on pecs--bands are fun, its fun to just make shit up sometimes with them. Speedy recovery to ya Leo

 

[FourOneDeuxFitt]

As mentioned above banded rack pulls are the truth. Same with dead’s from a deficit. I was never a fan or better said I never gave a shit about bands until I started using John Meadows programs where he has band work “sprinkled” in at various points. Once I bought the band pack I started exploring more uses for them. Pretty much any Hammer Strength machine you can use them with, leg press, hack squats, and even dumbbell shrugs in a rack you can use with bands as well they’re fire for traps, seated shoulder press with dumbbells and bands are wicked. Shit. Writing this is making me remember how much I used to enjoy using them. Only thing is the movements I feel become 2x as taxing. It’s not something I can use for an extended period of time. I may progress with a single movement for a period of weeks with bands but there’s always a scheduled deload.

 

[weighted chinup]

Lots of experience with accommodating resistance for hypertrophy.

My thoughts are, the less you use it, the better the results.

It is fun to do 500+lb reverse band yoke bar box squats for reps using a 3 sec eccentric every now and then. Train like that every week and you're taking 2 steps back - learned this one the hard way quite a while ago.

There was a great article I read a while ago asking elite raw PL'ers about their thoughts on accommodating resistance, and it was almost universal: the further they moved away from band/chain work and the more emphasis they put on specificity to the raw lifts - the better the results.