Home › Forums › Main › Training and Nutrition

Assisted band squats?

Sun, 04/04/2010 - 10:55pm — shredded

I have been experimenting with doing extra heavy barbell squats along with resistance bands. The bands are coming from the top of the rack and they are pulled down around the ends of the bar. This gives a variable resistance. Lighter at the bottom, heavier at the top. When I say heavier, I mean A LOT more than you can max without the bands. It really loads up the skeleton at the top of the lift. I decrease the band thickness and reps every workout, until there is a "no band" max. Has anyone tried this?

Bill

ISSA Trainer
Outer Limits Sports
http://www.OuterLim.com
Train@OuterLim.com

‹ Cissus Quadrangularis-does this work? tennis ball for massage ›
Wed, 04/07/2010 - 6:23pm — Todd Wilson
Todd Wilson's picture

It could arguably be useful

It could arguably be useful if the person is having trouble with the lock out, but if you want the weight to be heavier at the top of the lift, attach the bands to the bottom of the rack. As they stretch they produce more resistance on the bar, and as the trainee lowers them self into the squat, there is less resistance.

Basically, the way you're doing it, ... in order to produce a "heavier weight" in the top portion of the lift, you're using the bands to assist in the bottom portion...

By using the bands in a more conventional fashion, the exercise is more demanding while still achieving your goal of more weight in the upper portion of the lift.

As biomechanics pioneer Jerry Telle says, look for waysto make weights heavier, not lighter.