Accommodating Resistance options with Power Bands

A solid lifting rack, whether it be a Matrix or Vector cell, a Zenith rack, an Iron Cage, the Assault Rack or the Power Cage should stand as the corner stone to any serious performance set-up. After all they stand as supportive structures for building serious strength on, offering a pillar in which to support a plethora of barbell based strength exercises, as well as lending a strong hand for keeping athletes safe by catching those failed attempts and wayward bars. Naturally, each unit has its own unique build specifications and distinctive characteristics, giving options for athletes and facility owners to customise their training spaces to suit their specific needs. One such feature though, lying at the heart of the Power Cage, Iron Cage and the Assault Rack, is the additional functionality of Band Loading mounting points. These specific points, significantly increase the overall versatility of these units, by allowing athletes to incorporate Power Band Variable Resistance Training or Accommodating Resistance options seamlessly into their training programs. In this article, we will be looking at loading options with the Power Cage.

The Path of Accommodating Resistance

The Role of Accommodating Resistance or Variable Resistance Training in strength training programs is a well-documented and unique one, giving rise to additional stimuli and variability for progressive overload in training. Powerlifters have been utilising these methods of periodised strength training for years, helping them to accelerate their training goals and increase their max lifts to higher and higher levels. These methods have been popularised and explored extensively by Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell, where Accommodating Resistance methods have formed strategic elements for developing high levels of strength in the Squat, Bench and the Deadlift.

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Essentially, Accommodating Resistance is the special means to accommodate resistance throughout the entire range of motion rather than a specific point1. This means that Power Bands provide a variable resistance that increases from the bottom to the very top of the said lift, adding a progressive and incremental overload throughout the entire range motion. So as the body reaches a position of increasing mechanical advantage for producing maximal amounts of force, bands provide additional resistance to overload those points. Also, bands increase the demand for acceleration and deceleration in various movements as well. For example in the Banded Barbell Squat, standing at the top of the movement with the bands looped around the bar and connected to the bottom of the rack, the Bands will be stretched out between these points, placing an increased load on the body that feels like it wants to pull you into the ground, forcing you to eccentrically control the decent until the bands reduce their resistive stretch at the bottom. Once at the bottom, the Bands will be at their shortest length, allowing you to drive upwards with less weight on the bar. However, as you rise toward the top position, the weight on the bar will increase as the bands begin to stretch, forcing you to accelerate harder and harder as the bands continue to stretch out. This idea of increasing resistance is also known as Variable Resistance Training, and has been shown to enhance power and strength in athletes2, by increasing Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Clean and Vertical Jump values in 14 NCAA Division II male basketball players2.

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Stephen Pritchard

Stephen Pritchard, one of Iron Edge’s ambassadors and Australia’s No. 1 Powerlifter has regularly used accommodating resistance to help his competition preparation with great success. He has even wrote an article about the process, which can be found in the blog, Power Bands.

Simple methods for combining the Power Cage and Power Bands, for Variable Resistance Training.

There are almost endless varieties and methods for combining Power Bands into results proven programs, but today we are going to look at how to incorporate the Power Cage and Power Bands into 7 different exercises. Before you start, ensure that you have a set of 41 inch power bands that are in good condition, meaning that they should be free from any nicks or tears in the band’s surface. To check this, run them through your thumb and forefinger, looking at them closely before you use them. Also, ensure that the Power Cage you are using has been bolted securely to the ground, as the excessive force produced by bands under tension can be enough to lift or flip the Power Cage over. Remember, to get strong you must first train safe, so take the precautions necessary to minimise the risks.

The following exercises use one or more bands, so when using pairs always use bands of the same load rating and age. You can also use multiple bands for particular exercises, but just ensure that the loading is equal and balanced for those exercises that use a double sided approach for loading. When setting up the Power Bands for loading, always ensure that the bands contain tension throughout the entire range of movement, even at the bottom of a squat, make sure you adjust the bands so they don’t go slack, but contain minimal amounts of stretch instead. Once you have set up the bands, make sure you test the set up with minimal weight or an empty bar, this is to ensure that the loading of the bands is balanced and even from side to side, allowing you to make slight adjustments to balance the bands if you need to, before you add any additional load.

Lastly, be sure to check the overhead clearance of the exercise you are performing as well, and make sure that you don't have a Multi Grip chin up Attachment or explosion ladder above you before doing particular exercises like jump squats, presses, dips and the like.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUP6nepUwB4]

Banded Jumping Split Lunge

This simple variation of a band loaded split jump has a twofold effect. On one hand the band adds resistance to the jump, requiring you to develop force and acceleration for longer as you rise up and the bands stretches. Secondly, once you have made the jump and begin switching the legs, the band will begin to actively pull you towards the ground, accelerating you faster towards the ground and forcing you to decelerate faster to absorb the additional force and momentum that it creates, ultimately overloading the eccentric phase of the movement.

Purpose

  • Develops power, strength and balance in the legs.
  • Increases the demand to the eccentric phase of movement by accelerating you faster towards the ground.

Execution

  • Stand at the front of the Power Cage.
  • Connect two utility pegs to the lowest holes on the front of the Power Cage’s uprights. Ensure they are screwed in tight and are stable.
  • Choose an appropriate set of Power Bands, starting out light when beginning, and loop the bands to the pegs via a Girth Hitch, doubling the band over and feeding one end of the band through the loop of the other and pulling it tight. Secure them about 2 inches from the end of each peg.
  • Aim to position the loops of the bands equally distant on both pegs.
  • Stand in the middle of the two bands and loop both bands over both shoulders, making sure the bands sit away from the neck and that the bands don’t move from their tied position on the pegs.
  • Set yourself up in a split stance with and equally distant split forward and backward.
  • Place your arms across your body and on the shoulders so they don’t get hooked on the bands when you jump.
  • Take a sharp breath in, set yourself into a strong tall posture and drop down, performing an explosive jump on the rebound back up, switching your legs into an opposite stance quickly in the air.
  • Aim to land softly and preload the body for another switching repetition.

Technique points

  • Make sure you set the bands up comfortable on the body.
  • Ensure the bands bisect the body front to back, and draw a line diagonally straight down to the pegs.
  • Make sure the cage has plenty of space above you at the front, so you don’t hit your head on the chin-up bar or triangle chin-up bar attachment when you jump.
  • Aim to fully accelerate and extend from jump to jump.
  • Try to minimise the contact time you have with the ground, but remain stable and balanced in the process.
  • You can also secure the bands to the middle of the cage, around the lower band loading mounting points via a Girth Hitch, in the same manner as the above variation, especially if you have an obstruction at the front of the cage.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiVTd3d4bI4]

Banded Inverted Row

Inverted Rows and Body Rows can be a great way to regress a chin-up and build the prerequisite strength for the chin-up, they also strengthen the Lats, mid to lower Traps, Teres Major, Rhomboids, posterior Deltoids, Biceps and grip. Not to mention they also strengthen the linkage of the body from head to toe to maintain posture and position. Throw a Power Band into the mix and you can create a simple way to add variable resistance to this exercise for developing strength and power.

Purpose

  • Develops power and strength in the horizontal pulling plane.
  • Integrates the body from the feet up for maintaining posture and position, whilst strengthening the arms, upper back, shoulders and grip.

Execution

  • Set up your utility pegs on the front of the Power Cage.
  • The exact height of the set up will change depending on your level of strength in the Inverted Row and how long your arms are.
  • Start by placing a set of utility pegs on the inside of the Power Cage’s uprights so they evenly face each other at roughly hip height.
  • Place yourself into the Inverted Row position to see if you can hang from the pegs with straight arms without touching the floor.
  • Adjust the pegs accordingly and make sure you secure them tightly.
  • Grab another set of pegs and place them in the third hole up from the bottom of the same uprights you placed the top ones in, so that the face parallel to each other and away from the Power Cage. These may need to be moved higher depending on how the band sits on the chest.
  • Loop a Power Band around the lower pegs so that it is close to the uprights.
  • Make sure all of the pegs are tightly secured.
  • Slide yourself under the Power Band so your feet are facing away from the Power Cage in a seated position, reaching up to hold onto the top pegs.
  • Walk your legs forward so you can hang from the pegs with straight arms and a completely straight body, balancing on your heels and so the Band sits comfortably on your chest with subtle tension.
  • Take a breath in and create a strong neutral posture, squeeze the pegs tight, pulling hard to raise your body up to meet your hands. Stay tight and prevent any over extension of the lumbar spine.
  • Ease your body back down under control, maintaining position and alignment for another repetition.

Technique points

  • Dorsi flex your feet so you can focus on locking the legs straight, so you can balance and hinge from your heels.
  • Aim to pull yourself as high as possible, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
  • Don’t compromise form for the sake of a heavier Band.
  • Control the decent and resist the temptation to just drop or fall under the resistance of the Band.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khr3OMkHbaM]

Banded Dip

Just about any bodyweight exercise can be band loaded for Variable Resistance, just as long as the band doesn’t interfere with the mechanics of the movement. The Dip variation can be performed with the Pegs as well, so long as the height of the cage isn’t restricting your range of motion. In this variation the Dip Bar attachment is used, attaching to the front of the Power Cage to give plenty of space and clearance for performing a full range dip.

Purpose

  • Develops power and strength in the chest, shoulders and arms
  • Uses accommodating resistance to progressively add load and resistance for the dip.

Execution

  • Set up the Dip attachment on the front of the Power Cage at a height that gives you a full range dip without restriction. If there is a Multi Grip Chin up bar, Tri Cross bar or Explosion Ladder at the front of the cage, simply use the front upright but turn 90 degree to the outside of the cage to give clearance.
  • Place a utility peg in the bottom hole of the same front upright you are using with the Dip Attachment. Secure the peg tightly, parallel to the direction of the Dip Bar Attachment.
  • Choose an appropriate Power Band, and loop one end around the peg, and the other end around and over one shoulder, avoid placing it close to the neck, make sure runs over the upper traps.
  • Use the Peg to help you onto the Dip Bar Attachment by stepping onto it, and placing your hands in the ideal position. If you need, use a Plyo step to help you fully extend into the top position of the Dip.
  • Take a strong breath in, set your shoulders and lock your body into position.
  • Begin the descent by extending the shoulders and flexing the elbows, ensuring the head stays in an ideal alignment.
  • Try to move through a full range, by lowering your body down so that your hands are almost level with you armpits.
  • Squeeze the bar tightly and push through the bar to raise the body up again.
  • Fully flex the shoulders and extend the elbows, breathing out at the top before beginning another repetition.

Technique points

  • Squeeze the bar tightly to help the recruitment of tension for the exercise and to stabilise the shoulders.
  • Keep your eyes and chin up during the movement, avoid looking down as you dip.
  • Try to perform the Dip in a fully straight posture, by locking the legs, pointing the toes and squeezing the glutes.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTE1o3XSQPU]

Banded Barbell Squat

The Squat is a fundamental strength exercise known for building strength and performance in the body for many athletic pursuits. This variation of the traditional barbell squat uses the 41 inch power bands to add accommodating resistance to the exercise and sets up inside the cage for safety and for spotting the exercise. Understand, this variation can be very demanding and is considered an advanced exercise variation, ensure correct squat mechanics have been practised and that an intermediate level of strength has been developed before attempting this exercise.

Purpose

  • Forces the lifter to continue to accelerate throughout the full range of the squat, increasing the power output and force production of the exercise.
  • Builds strength in the legs and hips, as well as strength in the torso, back and shoulders for maintain effective posture and position.

Execution

  • Set up a barbell on the inside of the cage at an appropriate height for your squat.
  • Set a set of slings to the depth you wish to spot the exercise, just in case the lift fails and you can safely catch the bar.
  • Grab a set of Utility Pegs and attach them securely to the bottom peg holes of the power cage so that they face outwards from the cage. Aim for the 3rd hole in, or as close to the uprights as you can without causing problems for the movement of the squat.
  • Grab a second set of Utility Pegs and set them up on the front uprights of the cage so that they face outward in the same direction as the bottom set, 3 holes up. These pegs can be raised or lowered to increase or decrease the overall tension of the bands.
  • Ensure all of the pegs are secure before you add the bands.
  • Use an appropriate set of identical bands, and loop them around the top most peg, then running them under the bottom pegs and back up to the barbell. Loop the top of the band around barbell right where the sleeve meets the end of the shaft.
  • Test the tension of the bands before you add weight to the bar, to ensure that the bands have balanced tension between them and that the barbell can be held evenly on the shoulders. Adjust the tension by pulling on the bands right down near the bottom peg and retest. Always balance the bar before you lift.
  • When testing, ensure that the bands in the bottom position don’t go loose and slack. Readjust the upper pegs by moving them up to create more tension in the bands.
  • Add the appropriate weight to the bar that you require.
  • Step under the barbell as you would with any standard squat, but be prepared for the banded resistance that you will encounter as you stand up, this will want to pull you backward, so stabilise and ready yourself for the bar to jerk backward. Start with a light weight so you understand what to expect when un-racking the barbell from the cage.
  • Take a big breath in, set the body into a strong position and stand up, walking back so that the middle of your feet line up in line with the bottom pegs and that the band is completely vertical.
  • Set your squat position, get tight and strong keeping the weight even in your feet, and control the descent with increased tension and control so the band doesn’t pull you to the floor.
  • Maintain position, control and speed until you hit the bottom position.
  • Stay tight, keeping the tension strongly in your hips, and push your feet aggressively through the floor to stand up.
  • Stand up completely with full extension of the knees and hips, locking the glutes tight at the top and hold alignment, breathing out through pursed lips through the last quarter of the squat.
  • Stay strong and get ready for another repetition.

Technique Points

  • Important: For accommodating resistance to work properly, the bands must contain tension throughout the lift, this means that at the very bottom position the bands mustn’t be allowed to go slack, so make sure you set the bands up correctly from the start.
  • Keep a strong neutral spine throughout the lift, squeezing the bar and pulling down onto the shoulders to activate the back and lats for stability.
  • Ensure the spotting arms or slings are in place for the lift, just in case you need to bail out at any stage. If you fail, aim to control the lift down to the slings or spots, collapsing to the floor so the bar rests safely on the spotting arms or slings.
  • Start out easy so you can get a feel for the way the bands behave, especially when you un-rack the bar. Practice with an empty bar and just the bands before adding weight.
  • Aim to really push your feet through the floor and generate large amounts of tension in the body as you rise, remember the load will feel increasingly heavier as you progressively rise up to the top position.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQYtCEEVcu0]

Banded Barbell Jump Squat

Best used as a low repetition pure power exercise, the banded Jump Squat, just like the Banded Barbell Squat is considered an advanced variation, requiring the lifter to understand the dynamic of both the squat and jump squat as well as having an intermediate level of strength and training experience before attempting it. Once you leave the floor the band will store elastic energy, effectively sling shotting you toward the ground with additional acceleration and force, requiring you to work harder to control the added speed and decelerate the additional momentum it creates.

Purpose

  • Develops strong and powerful acceleration and deceleration in the jump squat.
  • Overloads the eccentric phase of the jump by using the bands tension to accelerate the body toward the floor.

Execution

  • Set up a barbell on the inside of the cage at an appropriate height for your squat.
  • You have the option to use slings or spotting arms with this exercise, so long as they don’t interfere with the movement of the jump. The loads you will choose will be between 10% and 30% of your 1RM Squat and the repetitions will be low, but use your discretion as to whether you want to use spotting options or not.
  • Grab 4 utility pegs and set them up on the lower arm band loading mounting points, securing them as far apart as you can, or on the furthest holes facing outward from the cage that you can.
  • Loop the Bands around the barbell, right next to the sleeve on the shaft.
  • Pull the band down to the closest peg first, then pull the band out carefully so the barbell doesn’t move, to the other peg to create a big triangle.
  • Test the barbell by lifting it off in an ideal squat position, and check to see if the bands are balanced. Manually adjust them if necessary, and make sure that the bottom of the squat still has tension in the bands.
  • Load an appropriate amount of weight on the bar, remembering that this is a power exercise, so lighter simply means you can move faster and jump higher to improve acceleration and rate of force development.
  • Step under the barbell as you would with any standard squat, but be prepared for the banded resistance that you will encounter as you stand up, this will want to pull you backward, so stabilise and ready yourself for the bar to jerk backward. Start with a light weight so you understand what to expect when un-racking the barbell from the cage.
  • Take a big breath in, set the body into a strong position and stand up, walking backward to the middle of the cage in a balanced position.
  • Take another breath in, lock tight into a strong alignment and neutral position, and set your shoulders by squeezing the bar and pull it onto the shoulders.
  • Descend under control to the depth you wish to jump from, by keeping your weight even in the feet, and maintaining your centre gravity over the middle of your base.
  • With minimal turn around, drive hard and explode upward, reaching full and complete extension of the ankles, knees and hips. Aim to jump as high as you can, breathing out at the top.
  • As you land, prepare for the additional speed the bands create, landing lightly on your feet and getting ready to put the brakes on to slow yourself down. Breathe in sharply as you descend.
  • Control the rate of deceleration by using the tension in your body and hips, maintaining balance and getting ready to redirect the force and jump again.

Technique Points

  • Depth can be adjusted to suit your specific needs, so use a jump squat depth that best develops the power and specificity that you require.
  • Resist the temptation to overload the weight on this exercise, speed and power is what you are after, the heavier the weight the slower you will travel. An empty bar with bands can be enough in many cases.
  • Fully extend on the jump and leave the floor to gain the full benefit of explosive triple extension.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt8R06S0_CY]

Banded Deadlift

Banded deadlifts can be performed as Sumo Deadlifts as the feet can sit underneath the edge of the power cage, or as Romanian deadlifts so long as you deadlift first and set the Romanian from the top down position. As the last variations of the Squat and Jump Squat were advanced variations, so is the Deadlift. Ensure sound mechanics are in place and a strong base of strength has been developed before attempting this one. The lockout, as the tension in the band increases will become very difficult, so really squeeze the bar as hard as you can and maintain massive amounts of tension as you ascend. Control the eccentric phase as you lower under control, and resist the temptation to just succumb to the load and crash into the floor.

Purpose

  • Adds accommodation resistance to the traditional Deadlift, building strength in the posterior chain, torso and shoulders for maintaining posture and position.
  • Progressively loads the hips and hamstrings through range for powerful hips extension.

Execution

  • Set up a barbell deadlift with a single weight plate on either side of the bar in the middle of the inside of the power cage.
  • Grab 4 Utility Pegs and secure each peg so they face outwards from the cage on the lower band loading mounting points. Set the pegs up one hole in from each upright on the cage.
  • Grab an appropriate power band and loop it around the peg closest to the back of the cage, pull it under the bar and front peg. Continue to pull the band out to stretch it, then pull it back and over the barbell but to the inside of the weight plate, and loop it back onto the peg you started from. Ensure the band is as close to the cage as possible and so that the band sits on the inside of the collar on the shaft. Use the same method for the other band on the other side.
  • Test the tension of the bands and ensure the tension is balance between both sides by performing a deadlift with solid technique. Adjust the bands as necessary.
  • Once you are happy with the tension and balance, load an appropriate amount of weight onto the bar and centre the bar in the middle of the cage.
  • Walk up to the bar, placing your feet under the bar so that the barbell sits over the top of the middle of your foot.
  • In a strong position and with perfect neutral alignment, hinge into a solid deadlift position, wrapping your hand in full grips around the bar, in either a conventional, alternating or hook grip.
  • Take a big diaphragmatic breath in, squeeze the bar tight, set the shoulders and place as much tension in your hips as you can, progressively pushing your feet harder and harder into the floor until the bar begins to rise.
  • Continue to push the floor away as you rise, increasing the tension and holding tight to fight against the increasing load.
  • Keep fighting until you stand to full extension, locking out the glutes and stand tall and straight, breathing out at the top.
  • Maintaining tension and position, take a strong breath in, and hinge the bar into the descent, sliding the bar down the body and fighting the temptation to accelerate and crash the bar into the ground.
  • Continue to lower under control and with tension and control until you touch the weight down and onto the floor.
  • Reset for another repetition.

Technique Points

  • Ensure all of the pegs are fully secure before lifting.
  • Use a small plate and put it under the end of the weights on the barbell, to boost the whole end up so you can put more weight plates on the loaded barbell.
  • Ensure you set a strong position with tension before lifting, so you have the best chance of maintaining form throughout the lift.
  • Think of the deadlift as a push, in that you need to push the ground away from you to raise the bar upward.
  • When controlling the bar to the floor, imagine you are lowering the bar onto a sheet of glass that you don’t wish to break.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1hAFOwHo7o]

Banded Barbell Press

Overhead presses are an exercise in position and tension and the Banded Press is definitely no exception. Adding the bands into the press equation can really highlight potential breakdowns and weaknesses in the body and kinetic chain, as the progressive increase in resistance through range requires additional attention when performing the press. Because the bands gather tension as you press, the normal momentum that you can generate through the acceleration of the load is now limited, if not illuminated, by the bands, requiring you to maintain stability and strength progressively throughout the movement. Of course in a normal press this momentum can almost allow you to relax as the bar gathers speed and you push your way to lockout. In this case however, the bands will force you to get tighter and tighter as the bands pull harder and harder on the bar, requiring you to be fully switched on and strong from the ground up.

Purpose

  • Vertical pressing exercise that integrates the whole body and primarily works the arms, shoulders and chest.
  • Builds strength and stability from the ground up and creates strong core connections for maintaining correct posture and position.

Execution

  • Set up an empty barbell on the front of the power cage at the appropriate height for a barbell press, either right at clavicle height or just below.
  • Grab two utility pegs and secure them in the bottom holes on the front of the power cage so they face forward of the cage.
  • Choose an appropriate set of Power Bands, starting out light when beginning, and loop the bands to the pegs via a Girth Hitch, doubling the band over and feeding one end of the band through the loop of the other and pulling it tight. Secure them about 2 inches from the end of each peg.
  • Loop the other end around the ends of the barbell, so that they are on the inside of the sleeves on the shaft of the bar.
  • Test the tension of the bands by picking the bar up, positioning yourself and performing a press. Adjust the bands if necessary.
  • Load the bar with an appropriate amount of weight.
  • Step forward to the bar, picking it up in a wider than shoulder width grip, with your thumb and fingers wrapped completely around the bar, aiming to have your forearms as vertical as you can with the elbows slightly forward of the bar. Ensure that your wrists and forearms are in a strong straight line to each other.
  • Setting the body in a strong position, step back imagining that there is a straight line drawn from one tied band to the other, aiming to position the middle of the feet directly on that line. When the feet are in the correct position, the bands with be pulled vertical.
  • Take a strong breath in, locking the body tight from heel to head. Lock the legs and glutes, hold your abdominals tight and lift the chest slightly, setting your gaze directly forward and packing the shoulders down into the body.
  • Squeeze the bar tightly and imagine you are pushing your body down and into the floor when pressing, tucking the chin and head back without overly affecting the body’s neutral position. Drive the bar straight up.
  • Continue to hold tension and squeeze the bar as you press, pushing the body and head under the bar once it has cleared the head.
  • Breathe out through pursed lips through the last quarter of movement, holding tight and strong in a full lockout.
  • Take a sharp breath in, maintaining strong posture and tension, aiming to control and actively pull the bar back down to the starting position. Resist the pull of the bands, and lower under tension and control.
  • Tuck the head back and control the lean of the body, and continue to bring the bar down in a straight line back to the starting position. Breathe out again through pursed lips through the last quarter of movement.
  • Hold tightness and tension and prepare for another repetition, or re-rack the bar on the cage.

Technique Points

  • Complete body tension is the key to this exercise, so ensure you lock and squeeze everything into a strong neutral position.
  • Try to crush the bar in the grip as you press, to help generate tension and stability in the shoulders.
  • Use your diaphragmatic breath in, to help lock and tighten you abdominals for holding your rib cage in place and prevent arching and extension in the lower back.
  • The body will naturally lean back when you press, but only concentrate on moving the head and tucking the chin so you can keep the bar close and push in a straight line up and back down again.

Final Thoughts

Accommodation resistance can be a great method for creating increasing levels of strength and power in the body, as well as helping those wishing to break through plateaus in training and create additional variation with training. Remember though, always have a specific reason for creating variation and variety with training programs, so that you can create meaningful and manageable sessions that continue to create a progressive path toward a chosen goal. Variety for the sake of variety can just end up creating a randomised method of progression that can have vastly random and varied results. Of course what we can measure, observe and repeat adds much toward our ongoing progression, because it allows us to manage the outcomes and plan a progressive training strategy. As highlighted in the study of Elastic Bands as a Component of Periodized Resistance Training, by incorporating variable resistance training as a component of a periodised training program, athletes were able to enhance athletic performance across a variety of benchmarks2. This gives validity not only to the method of the applied stimulus, but the method by which accommodating resistance plays as part of a component of an ongoing training strategy, as opposed to variety for the sake of variety. Of course, with the right plan in place, the Power Cage rigged up with the right set of Power Bands can provide tremendous variety in terms of accommodating resistance options, allowing athletes to maximise their strength, power and performance potential.

References

  1. Dave Tate (October 2000) Accommodating Resistance, How to use bands and chains to increase your max lifts. Retrieved April 10, 2016 from https://www.t-nation.com/training/accommodating-resistance.
  2. Joy, Jordan M.; Lowery, Ryan P.; Oliveira de Souza, Eduardo; Wilson, Jacob M. (May 2013) Elastic Bands as a Component of Periodized Resistance Training. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182986bef

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