This week the athletes deadlifted against bands for their maximal strength work. The athletes always look forward to their max effort work: the training is intense, the music loud, and everyone gets very competitive. Deadlifting against bands provides a lot of benefits:
Neural Adaptations: Pulling against bands develops tremendous accelerative strength. The band tension increases as the leverage point of the lift improves, forcing the athlete to pull fast and aggressive throughout the lift versus “riding the brakes” (slowing down as the lift gets easier). Furthermore, when choked correctly around the bar, bands also force the athlete to pull with greater speed off the floor. Accelerative strength is a critical component for athletic performance, and development of it can be applied how you wish: jump higher, swing a bat faster, improve sprint speed, etc.
Muscular Adaptations: Pulling against bands recruits even more hips and glutes than a typical deadlift, as well as more demand on the grip
The maximal strength method is high CNS work, and utilizing bands raises the demand on the CNS further. For this reason bands should be used judiciously for M.E., and proper recovery is a must. Utilization of proper periodization in an athlete program, as well as active recovery means, ensures an athlete achieves the intended adaptations.
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