Bands!!

[thewicked]

for all you wanna be big benchers out there or all the powerlifters looking for a leg up! GET BANDS! I LOVE THEM! I've been using them for a few months now and my power has blown the hell up! For those wondering if they're worth it..


trust me.. best investment i've made in my lifting next to a gym membership!

[GenePool]

I love band presses, they are a bitch at the end of a session. wish my gym had them still. CHains are another great add on.

[thewicked]

I'm mixed on chains.. they're nice if your gym is setup to use them.. but you have to have special apparatus to hook them up AND not only are they heavy to lug around in a gym bag if your gym doesn't supply them but you also get almost double the poundage out of bands that you do out of chains.

[Shawty]

I <3 bands!!

[ironmaidn]

Hmmm I curious...I must try. I only have bands that I travel with when not able to get to a gym or need a quick "pump up". Yeah, I am a dork. But "bench press band style", I have seen done at one of my gyms, just never tried. Sounds bad ass!

[Shawty]

Hmmm I curious...I must try. I only have bands that I travel with when not able to get to a gym or need a quick "pump up". Yeah, I am a dork. But "bench press band style", I have seen done at one of my gyms, just never tried. Sounds bad ass!

It is orgasm-worthy! I freaking love bands! You'll be sore as FUCK though, so don't expect to be able to wash your back for a while. :eyebrows:

[ironmaidn]

It is orgasm-worthy! I freaking love bands! You'll be sore as FUCK though, so don't expect to be able to wash your back for a while. :eyebrows:

Ha ha....you just made it even more inticing!!! So we train chest while at Arnold now!

[Shawty]

Ha ha....you just made it even more inticing!!! So we train chest while at Arnold now!

I have a set of minis that I carry around in my gym bag, so it's game on biotch! Name the night and we'll do it up!

I'm warning you though, you'll be sore in muscles that you didn't even know you had!!

[ironmaidn]

I have a set of minis that I carry around in my gym bag, so it's game on biotch! Name the night and we'll do it up!

I'm warning you though, you'll be sore in muscles that you didn't even know you had!!


Okay, you scared me now....let's do legs or back instead :o
Your an animal, you will kill me in the gym!!! Or perhaps you can demo for us? This band concept is neat to me.

[Shawty]

Okay, you scared me now....let's do legs or back instead :o
Your an animal, you will kill me in the gym!!! Or perhaps you can demo for us? This band concept is neat to me.

LMFAO! If you ain't dyin, you ain't tryin!!

I'll demo for y'all, but I will put you girls under the bands, you'll love it!

[nikhi19]

I must be using my bands wrong because I am never sore after using them, no matter how hard it is or how much I push. I only use them for when I'm traveling and can't get to a gym.

[Squatch]

When you incorporate bands into a pl type of workout, you add the bands to the bar...so the farther you move away from the body when benching (or floor when squatting) it becomes more difficult.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uVU5jBhFPI

Same idea with chains. You hang chains off a bar, the farther the bar moves from the floor, the more chain it has being pulled on by gravity, and the more weight you have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nPQi3f70xA

[Shawty]

I must be using my bands wrong because I am never sore after using them, no matter how hard it is or how much I push. I only use them for when I'm traveling and can't get to a gym.

LMFAO!! We're not talking about your average exercise bands.......as Seth said, they are added to the bar. :D And all the weight you already have on the bar!

[thewicked]

I must be using my bands wrong because I am never sore after using them, no matter how hard it is or how much I push. I only use them for when I'm traveling and can't get to a gym.


Yeah see no matter how much band work I do I don't ever get sore either..but if you use them and take them off and continue on with the same exercise your CNS gets fucked up fro sure! HAHA

[Shawty]

Yeah see no matter how much band work I do I don't ever get sore either..but if you use them and take them off and continue on with the same exercise your CNS gets fucked up fro sure! HAHA

LMFAO!! Oh yeah, that shit is CRAZY!!

[RaptorMkII]

...

why did I have to read about this AFTER Christmas?


oh well, I've got about $200 sitting around not doing anything (and a paycheck coming in) I'll have to see what I can get :D

[thewicked]

prowriststraps.com baby! that's where I get all my bands at!

[C*O*D*I*E*S*E*L]

Im Sponsored By Apt Pro Wrist Straps :)

[thate]

squatch

on the band vid, is that something you do at the tail end of a workout or do you put real weight on there with the bands too?

135 with the bands and only 3 reps doesn't sound much but I've never tried it either.

[Squatch]

It depends on the training. I always did bands at the end of my speed day workouts. That guy wasn't using much weight with the bands.

[thate]

Do you have any example band routines for bench?

[Squatch]

Bands are used to help build speed, to help with lockout, and are typically used with a lighter weight. Some people (mostly powerlifters) break their chest workout into two days, a light day, and a heavy day. Heavy day would consist mostly of several sets of singles after you are warmed up. Light day would be to build explosiveness (hence the bands). When I trained that way, I used about 50&#37; 1rm with bands, and did clusters of 3s. 3 explosive reps, rest 1 min. I usually did 6-8 cycles of that.

Westside Barbell has a pretty well known template for PL if you want to check it out.

[Squatch]

http://www.criticalbench.com/bungeebands.htm

http://www.westside-barbell.com/Articles&#37;20Top%20Ten/PDF.Files/06PDF/BenchPressWorkout_03_06.pdf

[thate]

thanks bro

I guess that explains why that guy was only doin 3's.

Powerlifting isn't a main concern of mine but always looking to get stronger.

[Squatch]

You don't have to train for PL to use bands. Incorporating them every now and then into a bodybuilding routine will be beneficial.

[thate]

Sweet I just got some bands like the ones below, how many should I use?



http://www.crafthobbywholesale.com/itempictures/OR103.jpg

[RaptorMkII]

:lol:


you may want to start out with one per side and increase as it gets easier

[Connors]

Bands are probably the best thing I've ever purchased lifting wise next to a set of gymnastic rings.

[thewicked]

i wouldn't be where I am today without bands. PERIOD!

[Shawty]

Again, I <3 bands. When my old team did them, we would alternate our speed days (one week bands, one week regular, one week chains, one week regular).......etc.....

Since now I only have bands, *sighs* what's a girl to do! LOL! :happy:


They're even more fun on squats!! *waits for the oooooof video although I wasn't using bands in that one we all know seth is thumbing through his youtube faves right now*

[thewicked]

my band advice..i take it since you're asking about them that you're not a big bencher already and are just getting started. The ONLY bands you will ever need are those rated at 30 as in the mini bands..or 40 for hte monster mini's..that's IT!

you can SERIOUSLY over train using bands. You want to use them predominately on Dynamic effort day where you work on speed, form, and explosiveness which adding bands does WONDERS! If you plan on using them...and you have a bodybuilding type of workout instead of powerlifting.. I'd do them for only ONE exercise of your choosing. HOWEVER when you add them onto an exercise..don't take them off and continue that exercise. They tend to fuck up your CNS when you do that. Speaking from experience.

Bands help speed, explosiveness, lockout power, and condition your body to become all of those things in a VERY short time. Took me a month before I started seeing results in my bench and they were NOTICABLE!


when you work with them..you want your BAND tension to be ZERO at your chest and whatever at the top..for instance using monster mini's choked on my dynamic benching. I WORK with 50&#37; of my max which atm is 200 with bands added. WHICH Means at my chest...the weigh is 200lbs and there's only enough tension to keep the bands on the bar..and at hte top it's rated at 80extra pounds. so I'm not benching the full 280..it just gets progressively harder through the press.

YOU CAN pick the wrong band sizes..you want just enough to add tension but you CAN over do the bands. Don't go over 40lbs per band on teh rating.. anymore than that and you'll see NO results. Unless you're pressing 500lbs or better raw..that's what recommended.

my current bench routine...

sunday-

50% of my 1RM plus bands..

barx20x2 warmup
135x10x1
200x5x1
add my bands...
200lbs plus the bands for 8 sets of 5 with 30 seconds of rest between each set. The first 4 sets I do as fast as possible WHILE maintaining good form and bar groove. The LAST 4 sets I do slow and controlled. I bring the bar down with good speed...pause at my chest for a thousand count..and explode up as hard and as fast as possible!

wednesday is my HEAVY bench day.

I work up to 90-96% of my max in a 4 week cycle

1st week 90
2nd week 92
3rd week 94
4th week 96
5th week retest my max...

so THIS upcoming wednesday my workout will look like

barx20x2
135x10x1
225x6x1
315x3x1
335x3x1
(90% of 405 is 365)
365 for 6 sets of 2 reps for doubles...

my current benching thoughts...are you won't get stronger unless you're working in the 90% or higher range..everything else is just warming up. The more muscle fibers you recruit which comes from using heavy weight..the more growing you'll do.

Benching this way allows you to bench TWICE a week wihtout overloading your system and giving your central nervous system time to recover and at the same time work on your fundamentals.

You can MAX WITH bands every so often..but I personally don't do that. Bands open up a SHITLOAD more exercises to you as well. I only use my bands when doing speed and dynamic work.

you can pick them up CHEAP at PROWRISTSTRAPS.COM!!!

[Shawty]

I'd do them for only ONE exercise of your choosing. HOWEVER when you add them onto an exercise..don't take them off and continue that exercise. They tend to fuck up your CNS when you do that. Speaking from experience.



Though that feeling is quite hilarious!!!

[thewicked]

Though that feeling is quite hilarious!!!

yeah i feel like i'm on pain meds....without the meds

[Connors]

Quesiton
do you guys use two bands on one bar? Like I have bands, but I only ever hooked them to a heavy dumbell underneath and then to the bar.

I was wondering if you could use one band and pull it from one side of the bar to the other. Will they hold up?

I have a set of purples btw

[thewicked]

Quesiton
do you guys use two bands on one bar? Like I have bands, but I only ever hooked them to a heavy dumbell underneath and then to the bar.

I was wondering if you could use one band and pull it from one side of the bar to the other. Will they hold up?

I have a set of purples btw

you mean like run it under the bench? As long as everything is secure it's not a big deal. I always use a heavy dumbbell like you do or wrap them around the base of the cage once or twice depending on what we're doing. I just wrap them twice on each side and hook'em up to the bar instead of using just one band. Do what feels good. Just make sure that bench is secure when you run them under I've had a few benches lift up HAHA

[Shawty]

you mean like run it under the bench? As long as everything is secure it's not a big deal. I always use a heavy dumbbell like you do or wrap them around the base of the cage once or twice depending on what we're doing. I just wrap them twice on each side and hook'em up to the bar instead of using just one band. Do what feels good. Just make sure that bench is secure when you run them under I've had a few benches lift up HAHA

LMFAO!! That's always nice! It's times like this I miss my old gym......

The dude I lifted with actually custom made his monolift/power rack......he had hooks on the side and some of those "D" clips on all our sets of bands. Made everything soooooooooo easy. :happy: But yeah, you can run it under the bench, but it will make the bands tougher to push, so you might have to lighten up the weight your adding to the bar. LOL!