Band Training Is Not Just About Strength

One of the biggest reasons I love band training is that it allows me to exercise the body in so many ways. Bands also create unique responses that I can’t get training with any other resistance tool.

For example, by attaching the band to my body, it does not require me to have to hang on to a weight. As a result, I can use my upper body to drive different lower body muscle reactions. In contrast to that, I can also use bands to facilitate lower body power that helps me drive a strong upper body strength response.

Band training allows you to train the body as a complete kinetic chain.

Training the body as a complete kinetic chain is important if your goal is to be able to keep doing all the things you enjoy on a day-to-day basis well into your 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Being strong is good, but having muscles working together to create strength is what will keep the body performing at a high level for a very long time.

5 Unique Training Approaches

Below are 5 examples of unique training approaches that enhance muscle communication and integration.

1. Lateral Lunge Reach

In this movement, the dynamic stabilizer will drive glutes to accelerate in the front plane. This is while the arm reach drives the hip muscles to work harder while dealing with a rotational momentum force.

2. DB Front Squat

Combining a vertical force with a horizontal force challenges muscles to learn how to deal with multiple forces simultaneously.

3. Split Squat with Medicine Ball Rotation

The split squat creates a vertical vector force while the band creates a horizontal force. Combining that with a rotational movement of the sandbag brings in all planes of movement. This simulates how the body must respond when sprinting.

4. Hip Extension with DB Training

The key to increasing overhead press strength is getting glutes to fire more aggressively and, in turn, creating greater hip extension power. Greater hip extension power allows the shoulder girdle to generate a faster momentum to drive a heavier load overhead.

5. Vertical Load Driver

Another great way to load the body with bands is using the crossover setup. Like all previous setups, the crossover setup leaves your hands free to apply a complimentary exercise. Any movement that requires the body to squat to some level will benefit from this setup.

All Setups Discussed Above

Summary

Band training goes way beyond making muscles stronger. Implementing some of the above training concepts and exercises will train the body to get stronger, move better and continue performing at a high level as a complete kinetic chain.