Looking to Buy Resistance Bands?

Go to the Performance Training store where you can find Jump Stretch Flexbands, the resistance bands used by professional athletes as well as recreational athletes.
________________________________________________________________________________


The Quest for Power

The ability to generate force at high rates of speed (power) is one of the keys to sporting performance. Power is achieved when an athlete trains using two different methods; lifting maximal weights at sub-maximal speed or the Maximal Effort method and lifting sub-maximal weights at maximal speed, the Dynamic Effort method (Zatsiorsky 1995, Siff and Verkhoshansky 1999). It has also been established that sports training should consist of mostly ground based, multi joint, multi plane exercises and that free weight is superior to machines when it comes to sports training (Bompa 1999).

There are two inherent disadvantages of training with free weights in regards to power development:

1. A large deceleration phase at the end of the concentric motion as the body tries to protect itself from hyperextending the joints. This deceleration phase can take up to 51.7% of the concentric portion of the lift. (Elliott et al 1989, Newton et al 1996) This problem is not solved by ballistic training methods (medicine ball throws, squat jumps) as these methods utilize a relatively small load whereas in many sporting events the athlete must deal with larger loads.
   
   
2. A less than optimal loading of the muscles throughout the range of motion in any exercise that involves extension of the limbs or the lower back. This is largely due to the mechanical advantage of muscles which means that muscles generate their peak force at or near the position they normally maintain in the body. (Edman 2003). This means that in extension type exercises like the squat, bench press and so on, an athlete is much stronger towards the end of the lift (lockout position).

We solve these two problems by combining Flexbands® with free weights in every extension type exercise. Flexbands® increase the resistance throughout the range of motion forcing the athlete to accelerate the movement and exert more force as the mechanical advantage of muscles enables it. (Simmons 1999) Flexbands® apply more load where the athlete can handle it and less where he/she can’t. These principles have been clinically proven by several studies including Wallace, Winchesterand McGuigan 2005 who showed an increase in peak power of 24% and an increase in peak force of 16% among the test group that used the combination of bands and free weight in the back squat exercise."


Another positive effect of combining Flexbands® with free weight is the stabilization and body control that one must exert in order to compensate for the added kinetic energy produced by the bands. The bands not only produce resistance but they are actually trying to pull and accelerate the bar to the floor. The athlete’s effort to counter this effect will greatly increase his/her ability to stabilize and control body movements. In the following pages of this section you will find more than 25 exercise variations using the above mentioned principles.

References:

1. Bompa, T.O, Periodization training for sports. Champaign IL, Human Kinetics, 1999

2. Edman, P. Contractile performance of skeletal muscle fibers. In: Strength and power in sports (2nd ed). P.V Komi, ed. Bodmin, UK: Blackwell Science, 2003.

3. Elliott, B.C., G.K, Wilson, and G.K Kerr. A biomechanical analysis of the sticking region in the bench press. Medial Science Sports Exercise. 21:450-462, 1989

4. Newton R.U., W.G Kraemer, K. Hakkinen, B.J. Humphries, and A.J. Murphy. Kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation during explosive upper body movements. Journal of applied biomechanics. 12:31-43. 1996

5. Simmons, L.P. Bands and chains. Powerlifting USA.22(6): 26-27. 1999

6. Wallace, B., Winchester, J., and McGuigan, M. 2005: Effects of Elastic Bands on Force and Power Characteristics During the Back Squat Exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vol. 20, No.2, pp. 268-272