I’ve got a question for you guys who’ve been training with bands for a while.
Because of the accentuated eccentric that bands provide, does that mean bands lead to more hypertrophy?
I’m assuming the idea that the eccentric is important for hypertrophy is correct.
If this is true, does that mean it would be a good idea to add bands to your rep work if you need to add some mass?
Thoughts?
Bands are tough on your body. I would imagine doing rep work with them would be pretty taxing.
The only thing I can think of that I’ve seen people do rep work with is band-through-belt squats.
Do it and see what happens
Bear
I think it depends on a lot of factors. The most important factor would probably be your recovery ability and work capacity. Louie Simmons has said that he uses bands on a great deal of his assistance work…but then again, he’s said to have the highest work capacity in Westside.
I think that they could lead to strength gains and therefore hypertrophy gains.
-MAtt
There are three basic and very different ways to use bands which produce different results.
Is to just use bands, full length, (not doubled over)or perhaps choked, and to use the bands in direct line with the line that you will be lifting. In other words, the pull of the bands is straight down. This provides virtually no tension at the bottom of most movements, but the tension rises quickly. In the squat, for example a pair of Iron Woody’s blue single choked will give you only about 30-60 pounds of tension at the bottom, but 180 at the top. For the squat, this will help for hypertrophy because you are so much stronger at the top, so you have to keep pushing longer, and it also keeps the bar from flying off your back. For most other exercises, since you are not THAT much stronger at lockout (and sometimes even weaker) they jsut teach you to push faster and longer to get through the sticking point. With the bench, for example, you are just going to make the triceps even more of a weak link in the exercise, so you don’t get as deep into the chest reserves.
Doubled bands provide greater force through the entire range of motion, and increase the free-fall acceleration of the weight. This creates an intense plyometric effect, but you end up having to be so fuc*ing fast (or failing) that there is little TUT. Personally I have benched 145 with a pair of doubled greens, and 220 with doubled blues. Higher reps are virtually out of the question because the power needed with this kind of tension is going to drain you within 2-3 reps max. They are essential for building tendon strength though which can be translated into hypertrophy later.
The method that works great for hypertrophy is to use free weights in conjunction with bands, but to have the bands at an off-set angle of pull to create continuous tension and emphasize a particular muscle group. If you have seen some of my postings of offset band exercises, you know what I mean.
My suggestion for all around results is to use a three part method for each muscle.
First, a heavy, maximal, isometric hold like CW’s suggestions (although I use foam pads to provide for a more “active” isometric and gun for 10 seconds.
Second, doubled bands for singles, doubles or triples, 3-6 sets total.
Third, an exercise with off-set band resistance to accentuate the target muscle and provide continuous tension. 2 or 3 sets in the 6-12 rep range.
Once you get it down, you can usually hit a heavy iso in 5 minutes, do your doubled band sets in 10 counting set-up, and do your band accentuated sets in 10 more, or 25 minutes total for one bodypart.
If you haven’t seen some of my postings of off-set band accentuated exercises, I will put several of them together and post them.
Below is a link to an interview with Louie Simmons on how one could use the Westside Method for Bodybuilding (which includes using bands)
Christian Thibaudeau wrote an article on bands and hypertrophy…think its in the archive somewhere.