Resistance bands are a great means of training explosive power and reactive ability and are extremely convenient and portable. Just stick them in your gym bag and you'll be ready to go! In this article I will outline five great exercises that you can do with bands that you may not have previously thought of.
Exercise 1: Banded Shoot
To add explosion and driving power to your takedowns, try this band resisted variation of a traditional wresting shoot. To perform this exercise, attach a band at either waist or knee level to a power rack, pole or other suitably sturdy anchor behind you. Next, thread the band through a weight belt and attach to your waist. Next, step forward until there is no slack in the band. From this starting position, perform a shoot as normal, making sure to be as explosive as possible to avoid being catapulted backwards mid-way! To increase difficulty, you can step forward moving the start position further from the anchor point, although it is not recommended to over-stretch bands so you may need to use a stronger band or double up.
Exercise 2: Band Single Arm push with Rotation
This exercise will help you to solidify the connection between hips and shoulders, adding power to your punches. Anchor the band behind you at around shoulder level, and grab it with one hand ensuring it runs under your elbow. Step forward until you have a decent amount of tension on the band - I like to use the rule of thumb of, if you can press the band out to a straight arm position using just your arm, there is too little tension. This exercise should be about forcing you to be explosive, not just going through the motions. From here rotate the hips and shoulders while pressing the band out with the arm, I find holding the end position and returning to the start position under control to be more useful for strengthening the torso and challenging the balance.
Exercise 3: Band Suplex
For this exercise, anchor the band low. You can either use the band alone, or attach a strap normally used for hanging leg raises to add a little comfort! Stand facing the anchor point, and thread one arm through the band. Cross the arms in front of the body to lock the band in place and perform 'suplexes' with the band. You can either do suplexes straight upwards, or over alternating shoulders. This exercise is great for developing the ability to rip your opponent off the floor and a good more sport specific variation of the power clean.
Exercise 4: Band Resisting Rotation
This is currently one of my favourite exercises for training the torso. It has a number of good points, amongst which are: it is performed standing, it involves the whole body and trains the muscles of the torso to stabilise rather than create movement, which is their main function. This will enable you to be solid from shoulders right through to the ground, which is useful in a clinch situation, for instance. To perform this exercise, anchor the band at shoulder height and face away ninety degrees so the band is either to your left or right. From here, hold your arms out straight in front of you (a little bend at the elbow is recommended to take the strain off the joint, but try and hold the band as far away from the body as you can), sit into an athletic stance (knees bent, hips back) and sidestep away from the anchor point until there is enough tension. At this point you should feel like you're about to rip in half, as the band is trying to forcefully rotate your shoulders away from your hips! Try to hold this position for time, and beat your time next time you perform the exercise. Ensure that there is enough tension that you can only last twenty to thirty seconds.
Exercise 5: Band Shoulder Throw
This exercise is similar to a judo throw over the shoulder. Anchor the band around shoulder height, and stand facing it, either in your fighting stance or with feet in line if you want to step into the move. From here twist the hips and bend at the torso to 'throw' the band over one shoulder. Again I recommend holding the end position for a second or so to ensure you finish the movement fully and to improve your stability in this position.
Alex Gold is a strength and conditioning coach and sports therapist specialising in working with sportsmen to increase performance. He can be contacted on 07931 561 807 or via his website, [http://www.hardcoresportstraining.co.uk] where you can also sign up for a free newsletter with training tips and more!
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