2024-08-06

PFS Resistant Band Booklet

Using resistance bands in a specialty warm-up

✓ activation of selected muscle groups

engaging as many muscle fibers as possible

✓ activation of safety functions (protection)

✓ unblocking muscle structures and restoring proper balance

Structured

✓ preparing the body for complex, basic exercises

stimulation of the nervous system toward proper movement patterns

What is muscle activation used for?

Working from the ground up, i.e. proper muscle feeling and timing, should play a key role in every well-thought-out training unit to properly strengthen your body and protect it from injuries.

Conscious implementation of activating exercises will activate all the muscles in your body - from small local stabilizers and deep muscles to postural muscles that hold the spine in place.

That is why it is so important to focus on proper muscle sensation and activation of specific muscle groups during exercise, even before starting a strength movement.

It is important to know that:

✓ Conscious work with the shoulder blade and positioning of the shoulder girdle are necessary to perform all exercises that engage the muscles of the back, chest, and shoulders 

✓ Accurate muscle timing in cooperation with proper breathing 

diaphragmatic membrane improves every strength and functional movement.

Proper positioning of the pelvis before performing a complex movement is a determinant of a correctly performed exercise, consistent with the biomechanics of movement.

✓ Improving stabilisation and proprioception mechanisms will not only affect 

strength progress, but also for every day, painless functioning

✓ feeling every muscle in your body and being aware of moving it in a specific way determines achieving much greater progress in training in general 

Exercises to activate selected muscle structures.

a) buttocks:

✓ hip extension 

✓ abduction of the legs 

✓ Front, side, backward climbs

✓ Monster Walk 

✓ squats/lunges/lunges/pulls

(b) core:

✓ Plank

✓ Side Plank 

✓ Paloff Press 

✓ Hollow Body 

✓ Dead bug 

(c) shoulder blades and shoulder girdle:

✓ Rotators

✓ Trap 3 raise 

✓ sideways raises in the trunk drop

✓ face pull 

✓ Powerband stretching 

Resistance bands in strength training

For most people who train their main goal is to improve their strength results, i.e. the maximum weight they can lift. One of the interesting solutions to improve these results is the use of resistance bands.

By attaching a resistance band to the barbell, you increase the amount of weight of the load. In this way, the weight differs from the usual imposition of additional plates. Therefore, it is important to remember that any training tool will only be effective if it is used thoughtfully and correctly. Only then will the use of any training method have a positive effect on the final effect of training.

To adapt to training is never to adapt " - Ben Tabachnik

"You are only as strong as your weakest link."

During traditional strength exercises, such as:

✓ barbell squat 

✓ deadlift 

✓ barbell bench press while lying down

✓ standing overhead barbell press 

The weight being lifted/pressed varies in resistance depending on the position and angles in the joints it happens to be in. In strength exercises, the greatest resistance is often noticeable at the beginning or in the middle of the concentric phase.

Why does this happen?

Because the relative load on the barbell, compared to the force generated at a given angle in the joint, is the greatest at that moment. You can say that you are only as strong as you can lift the weight at the weakest point of the exercise. Once you pass through this point, the rest of the movement becomes much easier as the angles in the joints become more favourable (the last 1/3 - 1/4 of the final range of motion is the most powerful).

Low muscle tension - low power!

Unfortunately, it is precisely for this reason that our body does not generate enough muscle tension in the last phase of lifting. In addition, the muscles do not continue to accelerate the barbell through the full range of motion to full extension of the limbs, which is when the body is adapted to produce the most power.

When and how to use resistance bands as a fitting resistance? AR (accommodating resistance)

Force curve - a mathematical model (graph) showing the amount of force that muscles can produce at a given angle of flexion in a joint.

First, the use of resistance bands is used to even out the force curve in exercises with an increasing strength curve.

These tools ensure that muscle tension and acceleration are continued throughout the entire range of motion and result in the muscles working from full flexion to full extension (gradual increase in resistance with the range of motion!)

The key is to focus on building muscle strength in the extreme ranges of motion of the joints!

The weight to be lifted should be adjusted to the specific position in the joints.

The more stretched the rubber, the greater the resistance.

12 Facts About Using Customized Resistance

Fact 1 - Using incomplete ranges of motion is much easier, as you can generate the most force in the middle range of motion, at the expense of the initial and final ranges.

Fact 2 - Even though you carry more and more weight under it, the extreme ranges suffer and will be lost over time.

Fact 3 - A joint that is not able to work in the full range of motion for which it was designed will itself be less well nourished, and over time will be a source of compensation in neighbouring joints.

Fact 4 - Consequently, this will lead to a loss of total muscle strength and can be the cause of many injuries.

Fact 5 - The use of resistance bands forces you to generate continuous speed to be able to perform a full repetition (constant acceleration and power at every moment of the movement).

Fact 6 - Rubbers resist through a restorative force that attempts to move two distant ends back to their original position as they move away from each other.

Fact 7 - Adjusted resistance is best for building strength and power, which is why we do a lot of sets (5 to 10) and few reps (1-5) in most cases.

Fact 8 - The rubber band must remain taut throughout the entire range of motion of the exercise (especially in the lower phase - 10% of the tension).

Fact 9 - Adjusted resistance should also be used during all warm-up sets for the exercise on a given day.

Fact 10 - The bands should be hooked in the same way on both sides of the bar (same angle, tension, alignment, hooking, etc.).

Fact 11 - When using adapted resistance to develop strength and power, we use it at the beginning of a training session because the involvement of the central nervous system is very high with this method.

Fact 12 - Rubbers generate a lot of tension at the end of the movement, thereby influencing coordination patterns and the ability to brake and slow down the movement accordingly.

There are 3 types of curves in strength training.

1. Ascending force curve - exercises in which the muscles generate more force as the joints straighten during the concentric phase, i.e. during lifting. External resistance is heaviest at the beginning of the movement and becomes easier as we get closer to the end of the movement.

✓ deadlift 

✓ squat 

✓ barbell bench press while lying down

✓ standing overhead barbell press 

2. Descending force curve - exercises in which the muscles generate less force during the concentric phase. The weight increases with the end of the range of motion. The greatest resistance is at the very end of the movement and the force decreases as you lift.

✓ pull-ups

✓ barbell rowing 

✓ side arm raises

✓leg curls while lying down. 

3. Ascending-descending force curve – exercises, where the muscles at the beginning and end of the concentric phase generate a lot of force, while the middle part is the weakest. Resistance is greatest in the middle of the range of motion.

✓ standing barbell curls

The use of resistance bands as an adjusted load will work best in exercises with an increasing force curve.

Why?

Because they provide more resistance in the position where the weight is lightest, but where you can produce the most power.

TYPES OF RUBBERS AND APPLIED RESISTANCE

Yellow - 4-8kg

Black - 8-10kg

Red 12-17kg

Purple - 17-26kg

SQUATS WITH RUBBER BANDS

- lots of sets (5-10),

- few reps (1-4)

- short break time between sets

- Use to warm up

- maximum transition from eccentric to concentric phase = POWER

- accelerated eccentric phase

- elastic tightened at the bottom

- gradually increasing concentric phase

E.g. squat 90kg = 60kg on the barbell + 2 red rubbers (15kg resistance on each

page)

Breaking stagnation, e.g. 100kg in a squat. With rubber bands, it is 100kg at the top, approx. 80kg at the bottom. From week to week, I add about 2.5kg. After 3-4 weeks of working with weight progression, I remove the rubbers and check the MRI.

SQUEEZING WITH RUBBER BANDS

OPPOSING RESISTANCE WITH RUBBER BANDS (DEADLIFT, SQUAT, BENCH PRESS)

- rubber bands suspended from the top to the barbell

- allows you to use more weight with less stress (3 reps with opposite resistance = 1 repetition without rubbers)

- overcoming stagnation

- lack of neuromuscular control (improvement of technique)

- psychological aspect

- work above 1RM

- Squat/deadlift:

* 115kg and less - red rubber

* 115-230kg - black rubber

* 230kg and above - purple rubber

- Chest Press / OHP:

* 90kg and less red rubber

* 90-170kg - black rubber

* 170kg and above - purple rubber

HOW TO CHOOSE THE LOADS?

1. Strength is best built at submaximal loads (90-100%), which

It consists of 65-90% free weights and 10-35% rubbers, 5-10 sets x 1-4 reps.

2. Power is best built at 90-100% load, which consists of 35-50%

free weights and 50-65% rubbers, 5-10 sets x 1-4 reps.

3. Can also use more than 100% (102-110%) to build strength (70-90%

free weight and 10-40% rubber).

REMEMBER!

The transition from the eccentric to the concentric phase should be as fast as possible. Rubbers maintain speed and build explosiveness; tension increases as you continue to move.

What do coaches usually do?

They suggest 'quarters' of movement with more weight, resulting in:

- problems, injuries (joints and periarticular elements not adapted to the load)

- Lack of full range of motion

- loss of body functionality

- BUT: when used for a long time, the gums cause a lot of eccentric damage due to the lack of eccentric control).